Promotional Information

A spectacularly daring and original novel of our times, of the culture wars and cancel culture, Vladimir explores issues of sex, gender, power and desire from its own unique perspective.

About the Author

Julia May Jonas is a playwright and teaches theater at Skidmore College. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn with her family. Vladimir is her debut novel.

Reviews

'Vladimir contains far too many uncomfortable truths to be merely fun, but . . . it is, by turns, cathartic, devious and terrifically entertaining.' * New York Times *
'Vladimir goes into such outrageous territory that my jaw literally dropped at moments while I was reading it. There's a rare blend here of depth of character, mesmerizing prose, and fast-paced action.' * Boston Globe *
In darkly funny terms, Jonas creates a portrait of a narcissist reckoning with her age and vanity, but also the limits of her power. * Time *
'What is more delicious than the despicable narrator? . . . Jonas, with a potent, pumping voice, has drawn a character so powerfully candid that when she does things that are malicious, dangerous and, yes, predatory, we only want her to do them again.' * Los Angeles Times *
If Netflix's The Chair, Lisa Taddeo's best-seller Three Women, and the most compelling passages of Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands had a love child (just go with me here), it would be this fiction debut. With a title character who's a sought-after young novelist new to a college faculty, Vladimir leaves the reader with more questions than answers-about sex, and sexual politics-in the most delicious way. * Entertainment Weekly *
There's no chance that Julia May Jonas's darkly funny Vladimir will slip under the radar: featuring an English professor facing allegations of inappropriate conduct, it 'maps the personal and political minefield of our current moment' * Daily Mail *
Funny, wise and instantly engaging, Vladimir is how I like my thrill rides: brainy and sexy. -- Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go Bernadette
Vladimir is a thrilling debut - smart, sharp, and uber provocative. I devoured it with fascination and awe. -- Lily King, author of Writers & Lovers
A whip smart and ferociously clever tale of swirling allegiances, literary rivalries, and romantic tripwires detonating hidden mines - Vladimir is an extraordinary debut. -- Adrienne Brodeur, author of Wild Game
Vladimir is among the best novels of the past two decades. Astonishing, magnificent, dazzling, deeply moving - and also deeply funny . . . the rare novel that I hoped would never, ever end. -- Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year
A reminder that the best art involves a search for truth. Vladimir is funny, clear, awake, vivid. -- Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana
Droll, dry, and pacy, Vladimir is deliciously unsparing and enormous fun. -- Lionel Shriver, author of We Need To Talk About Kevin