Civilizations

Laurent Binet imagines that the Vikings' settlement in Greenland led to a landing in the Americas centuries earlier, and that the Inca empire, under Atahualpa, later sailed east and arrived in Europe instead of the other way round. In this reversal of history, the Incas meet a Spain torn by wars of religion, a Europe divided by the Reformation, and Charles V, and they exploit the divisions to take power. The novel is told partly through chronicles, letters and invented sources, and features real figures like Cervantes and Machiavelli.

Fans of alternate history and of Binet's earlier playful novels will enjoy the premise and the wit. It is also a thought experiment about why conquest ran the direction it did.

Deep, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?