Completely arresting. He [Carrère] has the talent...of showing us his foibles without demanding that we identify with them. The Times

This is a book about yoga. Or at least, it was.

January 2015. High on literary success and familial bliss, Emmanuel Carrère embarks on a rigorous ten-day meditative retreat in rural France in search of clarity and material for his next book, which he thinks will be a subtle, upbeat introduction to yoga.

But his trip is cut short, and he is brought down to earth with a thud when he returns to a Paris in turmoil in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. From then on, Carrère's life - along with his novel-in-progress - begins to unravel in ever more unexpected ways.

'The story of how a life can fray, tighten itself into a noose, unravel... profound and moving' Geoff Dyer

'Extraordinarily compelling' Financial Times

Emmanuel Carrère is a novelist, journalist, screenwriter and film director. He is the award-winning, internationally renowned author of sixteen books, including V13, Limonov, The Kingdom, 97,196 Words, Yoga and the Sunday Times bestselling The Adversary.