Winner of the Booker Prize 2025, this captivating novel follows István's extraordinary journey from a lonely Hungarian teenager to London's elite circles. Through a series of chance encounters and pivotal choices, Szalay masterfully explores how fate, desire, and ambition shape a life. As István navigates wealth, power, and forbidden intimacy across decades, he discovers that success comes at a devastating cost. Hailed as "pure brilliance" and "spare, visceral, urgent," this is a profound meditation on love, money, and the forces that make and break us. A stunning exploration of modern life's contradictions.