The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas

If you knew a book was cursed, would you still read it?

When Ariel Manto uncovers a copy of The End of Mr. Y in a second-hand bookshop, she can't believe her eyes. She knows enough about its author, the outlandish Victorian scientist Thomas Lumas, to know that copies are exceedingly rare. And, some say, cursed.

With Mr. Y under her arm, Ariel finds herself thrust into a thrilling adventure of love, sex, death and time-travel.

Ingenious and original - Philip Pullman

A breakneck thriller of a plot . . . Entertainingly, mind-bendingly weird . . . Thomas writes with marvellous panache . . . An accomplished, impressive thought experiment for the 21st century - New York Times

Brilliant . . . The mixture of intellectual discussion with a thriller plot should please fans of Umberto Eco - Ursula K. Le Guin, Guardian

Hugely enjoyable - The Times

An intellectual rollercoaster - Sunday Times

A masterpiece - Douglas Coupland

Ariel Manto is [Thomas's] most compelling creation yet . . . Destined to become a cult book - Sunday Telegraph

Utter enchantment - Independent

One of the most exciting novels I have read in recent years - Jonathan Coe