Daniel Pennac

Benjamin Malaussene is a downtrodden publisher at Vendetta Press. Treated as a scapegoat by Queen Zabo, doyenne of publishing, he finally resigns, only for Zabo to offer him a starring role. All he has to do is to impersonate the world's best-loved, but hitherto anonymous author, J.L.B.

Pathetic, contrite and hapless, Benjamin is nonetheless the scapegoat at The Store: there is nothing for which he cannot be blamed. While his blunders remain minor, most of his unwitting victims can find it in their hearts to forgive him, but when violent explosions begin to follow him around, he inevitably becomes …

"Joyful ode to reading...quirky, playful sketches to complement the author's engaging prose. Passionate and witty." — BOOKLISTFirst published in 1992 and even more relevant now, Daniel Pennac's quirky ode to reading has sold more than a million copies in his native France. Drawing on his experiences as a child, a …