The Soul of the Marionette: A Short Enquiry into Human Freedom

'Gray must be one of the best read of contemporary philosophers, trawling insouciantly through high-, middle- and low-brow literature with the sharp-eyed eclecticism of a magpie of genius.'
John Banville, Guardian

'Like Isaiah Berlin with a thing for sci-fi.'
Tibor Fischer, Spectator

Everyone thinks they want to be free – or do they?

John Gray’s thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from:

• Gnosticism
• Science fiction
• Ancient sacrifice
• The occult

Through these lenses, Gray reveals a provocative idea: freedom is an illusion. Like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.