Les Voleurs de beauté (1997)

They Stole Our Beauty (French: Les Voleurs de beauté, lit. 'the beauty thieves') is a 1997 novel by the French writer Pascal Bruckner. The narrative is set in Paris during summer and follows several people who battle with desires and anxieties. The novel received the Prix Renaudot.

An English translation of the novel was published in 2019 under the title They Stole Our Beauty by British translator Stuart Bell.

Reception

Marianne Payot of L'Express wrote: "Bruckner's miserable heroes continue their struggle with their unfulfilled desires, their vengeful sexuality and the withering of the time. Replaying the myth of Faust, they here embark in a macabre rocambolesque story where no one gets away unscathed. Once again, Bruckner, a shrewd observer, pinpoints the ambiguities of our society."