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In the Absence of Men - Philippe Besson

By Philippe Besson

Release Date: 2025-06-03

Genre: LGBTQIA+ Fiction

4 (5 ratings)
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From the author of the international bestseller Lie with Me comes the tale of an affair between an aristocratic teenager and a soldier, as they discover the possibilities and perils of first love.

Summer, 1916. With German Zeppelins on the skyline, the men of Paris are off at war. For Vincent, sixteen and still too young to fight, this moment of dread is also a moment of possibility. An electrifying encounter with Marcel, an enigmatic middle-aged writer, draws Vincent’s desires out into the light. As he’s taken under Marcel’s wing, Vincent begins a dangerous affair with Arthur, the son of his governess and a young soldier on leave. Together, they share a secret that everyone seems to know and yet everyone remains silent about.

In this stunning portrait of young love, Philippe Besson depicts a young man who plays by his own rules and is not afraid of who he is. In the afternoons, Vincent is mentored by Marcel, the great novelist, in the city’s opulent cafĂ©s as they draw the judgment of society. And at night, he hides Arthur in his bedroom as the two risk everything to be together. Their affair initiates them into a world of pleasure and shields them from the encroaching war. During this magical week away from the trenches, Vincent shelters Arthur with happiness, reassuring him, “Nothing will happen to you.”

Tender and harrowing, In the Absence of Men captures how exhilarating and heart-crushing it is to fall in love for the first time. Besson’s award-winning novel “beautifully captures the romance and amorality of gilded youth” (The Independent).

In the Absence of Men - Philippe Besson

By Philippe Besson

Release Date: 2025-06-03

Genre: LGBTQIA+ Fiction

4 (5 ratings)
Read Download
From the author of the international bestseller Lie with Me comes the tale of an affair between an aristocratic teenager and a soldier, as they discover the possibilities and perils of first love.

Summer, 1916. With German Zeppelins on the skyline, the men of Paris are off at war. For Vincent, sixteen and still too young to fight, this moment of dread is also a moment of possibility. An electrifying encounter with Marcel, an enigmatic middle-aged writer, draws Vincent’s desires out into the light. As he’s taken under Marcel’s wing, Vincent begins a dangerous affair with Arthur, the son of his governess and a young soldier on leave. Together, they share a secret that everyone seems to know and yet everyone remains silent about.

In this stunning portrait of young love, Philippe Besson depicts a young man who plays by his own rules and is not afraid of who he is. In the afternoons, Vincent is mentored by Marcel, the great novelist, in the city’s opulent cafĂ©s as they draw the judgment of society. And at night, he hides Arthur in his bedroom as the two risk everything to be together. Their affair initiates them into a world of pleasure and shields them from the encroaching war. During this magical week away from the trenches, Vincent shelters Arthur with happiness, reassuring him, “Nothing will happen to you.”

Tender and harrowing, In the Absence of Men captures how exhilarating and heart-crushing it is to fall in love for the first time. Besson’s award-winning novel “beautifully captures the romance and amorality of gilded youth” (The Independent).

More by Philippe Besson

Lie With Me

ArrĂȘte avec tes mensonges - Prix Maison de la presse 2017

In the Absence of Men

En l'absence des hommes

Un certain Paul Darrigrand

Dßner à Montréal

Paris-Briançon

Un soir d'été

Ceci n'est pas un fait divers

Un garçon d'Italie

Un personnage de roman

Son frĂšre

Retour parmi les hommes

Rentrée littéraire Janvier 2016 - Julliard - Extraits gratuits

Une pension en Italie - Nouveauté Philippe Besson 2026

Vous parler de mon fils

Non mentirmi

Mentiras que contamos

Un ragazzo italiano

Un certo Paul Darrigrand

Les passants de Lisbonne

Huit - Nouvelles

Un tango en bord de mer

Esto no es noticia

De lĂ , on voit la mer

Une bonne raison de se tuer

L'arriĂšre saison

Un homme accidentel

Les jours fragiles

Le dernier enfant

Vivre vite

La Maison Atlantique

The Summer Boy

13 Ă  table ! 2026 - 12Ăšme Ă©dition

Deja de decir mentiras

E le altre sere verrai?

Se résoudre aux adieux

L'ultimo figlio

Vive deprisa

Muito mais que um crime

En la ausencia de los hombres

Un instant d'abandon

Les chemins intimes

James Dean.

La trahison de Thomas Spencer

Hör auf zu lĂŒgen

La notte mento

DosĆ„ bolo lĆŸĂ­

Na ausĂȘncia dos homens

Non Ăš solo un fatto di cronaca

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