Madness is Better Than Defeat
Madness is Better Than Defeat by Ned Beauman, published by Sceptre in 2017, is a novel that intertwines elements of conspiracy, insanity, and adventure. Set against the backdrop of 1938, the story follows two rival expeditions to a lost Mayan temple in Honduras. One group aims to film a screwball comedy on location, while the other seeks to dismantle the temple and transport it back to New York. As the expeditions reach a stalemate, a rogue CIA agent attempts to leverage the situation for geopolitical gain, unaware of the deeper conspiracies at play.
Readers will find a narrative rich in anarchic humor and imaginative prose, showcasing Beauman’s distinctive style. The novel explores themes of ingenuity and rivalry, all while maintaining a tone that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. With 411 pages, this edition presents a complex and engaging story that invites readers to navigate the intricate web of events surrounding the temple and its significance.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘This is one of the most purely enjoyable novels I’ve read in years – by turns sad, moving, thoughtful, intriguing, clever, enlightening, surprising and laugh-out-loud funny – which is more than enough. I can’t think of any type of reader who wouldn’t enjoy it’ Irish Independent
‘It reminded me of a Coen brothers film… I found it enchanting, and I was happy to turn every page… I really enjoyed it’ Tom Sutcliffe, BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review
Conspiracy, insanity, ingenuity and adventure collide in the new novel by the Man Booker-longlisted, Granta Best of Young British Novelist Ned Beauman. #MadnessIsBetter
In 1938, two rival expeditions set off for a lost Mayan temple in the jungles of Honduras, one intending to shoot a screwball comedy on location there, the other to disassemble the temple and ship it back to New York. A seemingly endless stalemate ensues, and twenty years later a rogue CIA agent sets out to exploit it as a geopolitical pawn – unaware that the temple is the locus of grander conspiracies than anyone could have imagined.
Showcasing the anarchic humour, boundless imagination and unparalleled prose of one of the finest writers of his generation, this is a masterful novel that teases, entertains and dazzles in equal measure.
PRAISE FOR NED BEAUMAN
A Granta Best Young British Novelist
‘Seriously funny and seriously intelligent at the same time’ Daily Telegraph
‘Dazzlingly inventive’ The Times
‘A singular, and almost recklessly gifted, young writer’ Time
‘A force to be acknowledged in the here and now’ Dazed and Confused
‘Gobsmackingly clever’ Vanity Fair
‘Playful, arresting, unnerving opulent, rude and – above all – deliciously, startlingly, exuberantly fresh’ Guardian
#MadnessIsBetter
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