Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Penguin Island: The Works of Anatole France in an English Translation

Penguin Island: The Works of Anatole France in an English Translation

France, Anatole

Hardcover

Classic FictionGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction

ISBN10: 1025896270
ISBN13: 9781025896274
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 372
Weight: 1.53
Height: 0.88 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Penguin Island is a brilliant and biting satirical novel that lampoons the entirety of human civilization through the lens of French history. The narrative begins when the elderly and nearsighted Saint MaÃl mistakenly baptizes a colony of penguins on a remote Arctic island. In order to rectify this theological blunder, the penguins are transformed into humans, thus giving birth to the nation of Penguinia.

As the penguins struggle with their newfound humanity, Anatole France masterfully parodies the development of social institutions, the rise of religious dogmatism, and the follies of political power. From the emergence of private property and the chaos of the Middle Ages to the industrial age and a dystopian vision of the future, the novel provides a cynical yet humorous exploration of human nature. This classic work serves as a sharp allegory for the political scandals and social upheavals of its time, most notably the Dreyfus Affair, while remaining a timeless critique of greed, prejudice, and the cyclical nature of history.

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