by John Boswell
First published 1991
The narrator finds themselves caught between competing philosophies when they discover that winning arguments requires more than logic. Armed with lessons from Japanese sword fighting, fairy tale characters, and classical rhetoric, they must navigate increasingly complex disputes that threaten to unravel their understanding of truth itself. Each confrontation reveals new layers of deception and self-deception. The seven dwarfs offer unexpected counsel while ancient ring symbolism provides cryptic guidance. As crises multiply and stakes rise, the protagonist realizes that victory in argument may mean defeat in understanding. The real battle lies not in crushing opponents but in finding genuine connection across the divide of disagreement.
Genres: fiction, satire, philosophy, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
241 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books