What You Need from the Night cover art

What You Need from the Night

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

What You Need from the Night

By: Laurent Petitmangin, Shaun Whiteside - translator
Narrated by: Peter Noble, Simon Darwen
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

About this listen

'One of the most exquisite debuts I've read for some time' Daily Telegraph

'Affecting and haunting' Observer

After the death of his wife, a father raises his two sons alone. His bond with Fus, the eldest, and Gillou, the youngest, is a close one. But their town is not one of opportunity, and it soon becomes clear that the boys are heading down different paths. Gillou sets his sights on university in Paris. Fus, despite his socialist upbringing, falls in with the local far-right group. Though he joins mostly for the camaraderie, their activities, which might on the surface appear harmless, lead to a violent confrontation.

How can a father and son find common ground when everything seems set to break them apart? A sudden tragedy will force them to find an answer.

Tense, sharp and ultimately heartbreaking, Laurent Petitmangin's first novel, What You Need From The Night, shines a spotlight on lives that are unfolding in forgotten corners of France and asks what acts can truly be forgiven.

'A tragedy of unconditional love' - L'Obs

'Heartbreaking . . . haunts you long after you've put it down'- Libération

'As sublime as it is painful' - Le Parisien

 Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political World Literature

Critic reviews

Heartbreaking . . . haunts you long after you've put it down
A tragedy of unconditional love
As sublime as it is painful
A poignant, modest, moving book
It's impossible not to devour this heartbreaking and beautiful short text in one gulp
An unforgettable first novel, Laurent Petitmangin writes as one lives. And it's dazzling
Petitmangin tells his story of generational shock with a painful quality, a deep voice charged with sadness and a touching efficiency. Memorable
A block of raw emotion
He describes with inifinite accuracy the violence of a father not being able to recognise his son anymore
It shines with the dazzling yet minimalist style that probes hearts and consciences
Magnificent!
Everytime, Laurent Petitmangin finds the right word
All stars
Most relevant
I’m sure the spare beauty of the prose is far more elegant in French. Unfortunately in English, it just sounds clipped and basic. The story is so slight and the emotions within so restrained, that it barely stands up as an engaging work of fiction. It’s colourless, flavourless and - perhaps worst of all - a little trite & dull.

Lost in translation

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.