The Emotions

“[A] scintillating meditation on existential dread…Pairing amorous adventures with eschatological musings, Toussaint cannily confronts the impossibility of the future with the fleeting hope of the present…It’s a stimulating ride.” —Publishers Weekly

“Toussaint has written a subtle but bracing exploration of his protagonist’s perceptions and failings. An ambitious chronicle of political and marital ambiguity.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Toussaint…extends and enhances the long, rich thread of interior-monologue existentialist novels (see Marcel Proust and James Joyce) in this articulate and involving book…beautifully written, this slim volume cleaves into clean thematic passages that organically tie together and lead to a strangely satisfying ending.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“[Toussaint] delicately draws attention to the subtle, intimate moments of emotion—glimpsed through glances, gestures, atmospheres…In his quietude, Toussaint is reasserting the human through the banal, through the quotidian, articulating a near-silent resistance in the face of the current predicaments facing Europe and the rest of the world.” —Times Literary Supplement

“An erudite novel that prods feelings and intellect in satisfying ways…Toussaint addresses provocative questions throughout…Some readers may embrace the future, others may be terrified, but all will find plenty to discuss in this innovative work.” —Shelf Awareness

“An intimate portrait…irresistibly human…Toussaint handles the seemingly boring nuances of bureaucratic work with remarkable precision and grace…curious minds and cynical hearts may find Jean Detrez a compelling representative of his weary, imperfect government.” —Daily Californian

“An ambitious novel about the folly of trying to anticipate human affairs.” —Financial Times