Join us

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Newsletter

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Paradises Lost

Cover: Paradises Lost - Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Paradises Lost

2024, pp. 480, Paperback
ISBN: 9781787704572
Translated by: Steven Rendall, Addie Leak
Region: France
Available as ebook Available as ebook Available as ebook
£ 14.99
Where to buy Where to buy Where to buy

The book

The beginning of a unique adventure, the tremendous challenge of recounting the history of humanity

“A masterful novel.”—Le Figaro

“A monumental book and fascinating saga, reminiscent of the works of Balzac and Proust.”—ABC (Spain)

“Like embarking on the Orient Express for a long, comfortable voyage, with champagne to welcome you on board.”—Le Matin

Noam is a young man when the Flood wreaks havoc on the world, destroying the peaceful lakeside village he called home, and turning his whole life upside down. Destined to live forever as an immortal, Noam travels through the centuries in search of the meaning of life, and the events which shaped who we have become today.

Paradises Lost is the first installment of Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s monumental project of recounting the history of humanity, the fruits of more than thirty years of research. The first in a series, and in the form of a stylistic novel much like Yuval Noah Harari crossed with Alexandre Dumas. Schmitt combines his scientific, religious and philosophical research to propel readers from one world to another, and from pre-history to today.

The author

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt is one of Europe’s most popular and acclaimed authors and playwrights. His many novels and story collections include The Most Beautiful Book in the World (Europa, 2009), Oscar & the Lady in Pink, and Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran. A keen music lover, Schmitt has also translated into French The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni from the original Italian. In 2001, he was awarded the French Academy’s Grand Prix du Théâtre. Schmitt divides his time between Paris, France, and Belgium.

Books by region

  • Cover: Tatà - Valérie Perrin

    Valérie Perrin

    Tatà

    2026, pp. 592, £ 18.99
    The new novel by the international bestselling author of Fresh Water for Flowers
  • Cover: The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin - Alexandra Lapierre

    Alexandra Lapierre

    The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin

    2026, pp. 496, £ 14.99
    The first novel written about the enigmatic literary legend
  • Cover: Madelaine Before The Dawn - Sandrine Collette

    Sandrine Collette

    Madelaine Before The Dawn

    2026, pp. 208, £ 12.99
    A spellbinding tale of female defiance and rage
  • Cover: Portrait of an Unknown Woman - Camille de Peretti

    Camille de Peretti

    Portrait of an Unknown Woman

    2026, pp. 256, £ 14.99
    A saga inspired by the incredible but true story of the iconic Klimt painting
  • Cover: The Ogre’s Daughter - Catherine Bardon

    Catherine Bardon

    The Ogre’s Daughter

    2025, pp. 280, £ 16.99
    The turbulent life story of Flor de Oro Trujillo, the eldest child of one of the world’s most brutal dictators
  • Cover: Our Precious Wars - Perrine Tripier

    Perrine Tripier

    Our Precious Wars

    2025, pp. 200, £ 14.99
    An ode to memory, and to the beauty of the natural world

More suggestions

  • Cover: The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin - Alexandra Lapierre

    Alexandra Lapierre

    The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin

    2026, pp. 496, £ 14.99
    The first novel written about the enigmatic literary legend
  • Cover: The Golden Age - Joan London

    Joan London

    The Golden Age

    2026, pp. 224, £ 9.99
    A moving story about transition between illness and recovery, childhood and maturity, life and death.
  • Cover: Portrait of an Unknown Woman - Camille de Peretti

    Camille de Peretti

    Portrait of an Unknown Woman

    2026, pp. 256, £ 14.99
    A saga inspired by the incredible but true story of the iconic Klimt painting
  • Cover: Gabriële - Anne Berest, Claire Berest

    Anne Berest, Claire Berest

    Gabriële

    2025, pp. 432, £ 18.99
    The passionate love affair that triggered a revolution, and the story of a remarkable woman living in extraordinary times
  • Cover: A Calamity of Noble Houses - Amira Ghenim

    Amira Ghenim

    A Calamity of Noble Houses

    2025, pp. 380, £ 14.99
    Two prominent families, an illicit love affair, and a chorus of voices with multiple perspectives add up to a gripping saga set in modern Tunisia...
  • Cover: The Bishop's Villa - Sacha Naspini

    Sacha Naspini

    The Bishop's Villa

    2025, pp. 220, £ 14.99
    A WWII story of love, redemption, and resistance.