Thais

A wickedly intelligent novel from the Nobel laureate Anatole France, Thais is a sly, dangerous examination of what happens when holy ambition collides with human desire. The scene is set among the desert hermits of fourth-century Egypt, foul-smelling and self-mortifying men who believe suffering of the flesh purifies the soul. Among them is Paphnutius, a monk haunted by a memory: years ago, in an Alexandria theater, he glimpsed the actress Thaïs and was undone by her beauty. Now, convinced he must save her soul from debauchery, he journeys to the city not merely to rescue her but to prove his own worthiness to God. But France, with his characteristic wit, asks the question his protagonist cannot: is this a mission of salvation, or merely desire wearing the mask of virtue? Thaïs, intrigued by the fanatic's conviction, agrees to follow him into the desert. What transpires is a meditation on the nature of faith, the seductions of certainty, and the terrible mistakes made by men who believe themselves chosen by God.