When Henry, a prize-winning writer who wants to write a book about the Holocaust, finds a letter from an elderly taxidermist on his doormat, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey—named Beatrice and Virgil—the taxidermist's 'guides through hell'. With all the spirit and originality that drew seven million readers to Life of Pi, Beatrice and Virgil takes the reader on a tremendous and powerful imaginative journey. On the way Martel asks profound questions on the nature of human cruelty, kindness, moral engagement, life and art, and the liberating power of stories. Yann Martel's brilliant new novel is a haunting, unforgettable tale.

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