Slaves to Fortune is a societal satire with a classic doppelgänger motif, which tackles current topics such as the global financial crisis with scathing humor. Two Belgian exiles, both called Tony Hanssen, are on the run from their former lives on different continents. Amidst the chaos of global capitalism, lawlessness, and disintegrating lives, a chance meeting between the two Hanssens gives each the opportunity to redeem himself by betraying the other.

Harnessing his power as a playwright and dexterity as a poet, Lanoye weaves together autobiography and fiction to recount the last years of his mother’s life. Flamboyant, proud, and dominant, Josée is unrecognizable after suffering a stroke, which strips her of the ability to speak. In Speechless, Lanoye paints a colorful picture of his childhood and how he came to terms with his homosexuality. Humour, pain, and copious amounts of love run throughout this critically acclaimed novel.

DIVE DEEPER

Profiles

• “Tom Lanoye” — Theatre Texts from the Lowlands

Reviews

• “Critic’s Corner: Review of Tom Lanoye’s Speechless” — irvingtonvinylandbooks.com
• “Speechless by Tom Lanoye” — Kirkus Reviews

Videos

• “Tom Lanoye Interview at the Edinburgh International Book Festival” — YouTube