The Seventh Function Of Language: A Novel

"Laurent Binet’s follow-up to HHhH is a postmodern intellectual romp and hilarious mystery for the Mensa set and fans of Umberto Eco and Tom Stoppard. With a lineup of characters plucked from the heavyweights of 20th century French linguistic and critical theory, Binet spins a wild plot that begins with the (actual) death of literary critic Roland Barthes in 1980. Between car chases, mutilations, graphic sex, multiple murders, Russian spies, Bulgarian assassins and Venetian thugs, this action-packed, fiendishly clever novel cunningly sneaks in serious discussions about the many ways language exerts power, particularly in politics and fiction."