Overview

The son of working-class Czech immigrants, Christopher “Atlas” Novotny is a talented painter who arrives at Harvard on a full scholarship. Raised amid hardship, he is unprepared for the privileged world introduced to him by his freshman roommate, Lucien Orsini-Conti. Born to wealthy European diplomats, Lucien plays the part of the confident, sophisticated bon vivant. Where Lucien is bold and brash, Atlas is timid and introverted. Growing up a lonely outsider, Atlas is insecure, impressionable, and in awe of his brilliant roommate. But is Lucien all that he seems? Sensing a willing disciple, Lucien introduces Atlas to a glittering new world of lavish parties and elite social clubs. When Atlas struggles to afford his new lifestyle, Lucien offers a solution, convincing the naïve artist to become a forger, passing off fakes to galleries and dealers. But Lucien’s charismatic facade conceals something darker and more sinister. As Lucien’s behavior grows increasingly unstable, Atlas is forced into escalating risks with devastating consequences.

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9781836432579

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Reviews

'A crisp, twisting tale in the hands of a writer in the bloom of his abundant talents.' Graydon Carter, Author of When The Going Was Good and award-winning former editor of Vanity Fair 'Fine art, forgery, young friendship, and the perils of greed—Lucien is a closely observed and finely crafted campus thriller.' Nick McDonell,  Author of Quiet Street and An Expensive Education 'Lucien is thrilling in every way—the propulsive narrative, the knife-sharp prose, the nuanced and multi-faceted characters, the unflinching exploration of class, ego, art, and authenticity. J.R. Thornton has married Succession with The Secret History, and the result is an utterly original and deeply affecting novel that lays bare the pressure and perils of privilege.' Bret Anthony Johnston, Author of We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This 'J.R. Thornton writes with precision and honesty about the fragile math of male friendship, where violence and love are pals, and vulnerability is the harbinger of rage. In a time when men are not supposed to feel anything, Lucien feels everything. It's an explosion of captivating, haunting, and utterly real emotion.' Patrick Somerville, Creator of the HBO series Station Eleven and author of The Cradle

'A crisp, twisting tale in the hands of a writer in the bloom of his abundant talents.' Graydon Carter, Author of When The Going Was Good and award-winning former editor of Vanity Fair 'Lucien is thrilling in every way—the propulsive narrative, the knife-sharp prose, the nuanced and multi-faceted characters, the unflinching exploration of class, ego, art, and authenticity. J.R. Thornton has married Succession with The Secret History, and the result is an utterly original and deeply affecting novel that lays bare the pressure and perils of privilege.' Bret Anthony Johnston, Author of We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This 'Fine art, forgery, young friendship, and the perils of greed—Lucien is a closely observed and finely crafted campus thriller.' Nick McDonell,  Author of Quiet Street and An Expensive Education 'J.R. Thornton writes with precision and honesty about the fragile math of male friendship, where violence and love are pals, and vulnerability is the harbinger of rage. In a time when men are not supposed to feel anything, Lucien feels everything. It's an explosion of captivating, haunting, and utterly real emotion.' Patrick Somerville, Creator of the HBO series Station Eleven and author of The Cradle

'A cautionary tale of fakery of all kinds…  the perils of hero-worship have rarely been demonstrated with such intensity and style.' The Times 'A crisp, twisting tale in the hands of a writer in the bloom of his abundant talents.' Graydon Carter, Author of When The Going Was Good and award-winning former editor of Vanity Fair 'Fine art, forgery, young friendship, and the perils of greed—Lucien is a closely observed and finely crafted campus thriller.' Nick McDonell,  Author of Quiet Street and An Expensive Education 'Lucien is thrilling in every way—the propulsive narrative, the knife-sharp prose, the nuanced and multi-faceted characters, the unflinching exploration of class, ego, art, and authenticity. J.R. Thornton has married Succession with The Secret History, and the result is an utterly original and deeply affecting novel that lays bare the pressure and perils of privilege.' Bret Anthony Johnston, Author of We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This 'J.R. Thornton writes with precision and honesty about the fragile math of male friendship, where violence and love are pals, and vulnerability is the harbinger of rage. In a time when men are not supposed to feel anything, Lucien feels everything. It's an explosion of captivating, haunting, and utterly real emotion.' Patrick Somerville, Creator of the HBO series Station Eleven and author of The Cradle

'A cautionary tale of fakery of all kinds…  the perils of hero-worship have rarely been demonstrated with such intensity and style.' The Times 'A crisp, twisting tale in the hands of a writer in the bloom of his abundant talents.' Graydon Carter, Author of When The Going Was Good and award-winning former editor of Vanity Fair 'Fine art, forgery, young friendship, and the perils of greed—Lucien is a closely observed and finely crafted campus thriller.' Nick McDonell,  Author of Quiet Street and An Expensive Education 'Lucien is thrilling in every way—the propulsive narrative, the knife-sharp prose, the nuanced and multi-faceted characters, the unflinching exploration of class, ego, art, and authenticity. J.R. Thornton has married Succession with The Secret History, and the result is an utterly original and deeply affecting novel that lays bare the pressure and perils of privilege.' Bret Anthony Johnston, Author of We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This 'J.R. Thornton writes with precision and honesty about the fragile math of male friendship, where violence and love are pals, and vulnerability is the harbinger of rage. In a time when men are not supposed to feel anything, Lucien feels everything. It's an explosion of captivating, haunting, and utterly real emotion.' Patrick Somerville, Creator of the HBO series Station Eleven and author of The Cradle 'Lucien is a vicious sendoff of class hierarchy, art world snobbery, and academic exclusivity, centered around a naive, struggling artist roped into his wealthy classmate’s scheme to copy masterpieces, then sell them as the real thing. The book is already earning comparisons to Highsmith’s work, and for good reason: Thornton delights in skewering society’s upper echelons and has an enjoyably warped sense of characterization.' Crimereads 'A pin-sharp page turner about what it takes to make it; we’d recommend for almost anyone except parents with students about to matriculate—they should maybe wait until after move-in day.' Town and Country

Author Information

Born in London, J. R. Thornton graduated from Harvard College in 2014 where he studied history, English, and Chinese. An internationally ranked junior tennis player, he competed for Harvard and on the professional circuit. He was a member of the inaugural class of Schwarzman Scholars, obtaining an M.A. from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He now lives in Italy, working for AC Milan. Lucien is his second novel.

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