The Death Of Napoleon

The Death of Napoleon (1991) by Simon Leys — Condition: Good, Ex-Library (Crappy Old Books)

What if Napoleon didn’t die on St. Helena? What if he slipped away under cover of night, leaving a lookalike to take his place, and set out incognito to reclaim his empire—only to find that history had marched on without him? That’s the delicious premise of Simon Leys’s short, sharp novel The Death of Napoleon (Quartet Books, ISBN: 9780704327863). Part alternative history, part dark comedy, part poignant fable, it follows the Emperor as he trades the imperial eagle for obscurity, wandering through 19th-century Europe in search of recognition, glory, or at least a decent plate of food.

Leys (the sinologist and essayist Pierre Ryckmans in disguise—so yes, even the author enjoyed a good pseudonym) spins this “what if” into a tale that is witty, tragic, and strangely tender. The result is a book that asks not only what became of Napoleon, but also what becomes of all of us when the world no longer remembers who we were.

Now, about the copy: it comes from the gloriously unpretentious Crappy Old Books and is graded Good—but it’s an ex-library veteran. Translation: it once lived on a library shelf, proudly clad in its plastic protective skin, stamped, stickered, and date-stamped into service. The cover shows a bit of wear, the edges are softened, and there may be the faint shadow of checkout slips long gone. But the binding is solid, the text clean, and every ironic twist of Leys’s prose is present and accounted for.

In short: The Death of Napoleon is a sly little masterpiece, a novel of empires lost and illusions punctured. This copy is in Good condition, ex-library, which feels oddly fitting—because even Napoleon ended up in exile, repurposed, and re-shelved by history. Another ironic treasure from Crappy Old Books, where even emperors get stamped, catalogued, and loaned out.

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