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Foe: A Novel Paperback – July 2, 2019

by Iain Reid (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 2,509 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
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*Now a major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal*

A taut, psychological thriller from Iain Reid, “one of the most talented purveyors of weird, dark narratives in contemporary fiction” (Los Angeles Review of Books).

Severe climate change has ravaged the country, leaving behind a charred wasteland. Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable if solitary life on one of the last remaining farms. Their private existence is disturbed the day a stranger comes to the door with alarming news.

Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm, but the most unusual part is that arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won’t have a chance to miss him. She won’t be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.

Told in Iain Reid’s sparse, biting style, Foe is a “mind-bending and genre-defying work of genius” (Liz Nugent, author of Unraveling Oliver) that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 1
    Foe
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Gallery/Scout Press
  5. Publication date
    July 2, 2019
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.8 x 8.38 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1501127446
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1501127441
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Iain Reid is the author of four previous books, including his New York Times bestselling debut novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things, which has been translated into more than twenty languages. Oscar winner Charlie Kaufman wrote and directed the film adaptation for Netflix. His second novel, Foe, is being adapted for film, starring Saoirse Ronan, with Reid cowriting the screenplay. His latest novel is We Spread. Reid lives in Ontario, Canada. Follow him on Twitter @Reid_Iain.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery/Scout Press; Reprint edition (July 2, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501127446
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501127441
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 2,509 ratings

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Iain Reid

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
2,509 global ratings
This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending!
4 Stars
This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending!
Foe by Iain Reid (Scifi/Psychological Thriller)“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎. 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆. 𝑨 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌, 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.”Read this for:🪲 a twisty mind-bender that reads like an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone🌾 simple, short, and unsettling sci-fi at its purest🧠 clever narrative puzzle that will have you thinking about it for daysSomewhere in the near future, Junior and Henrietta are living a comfortable, solitary life on a farm in the heartlands when a stranger in the night arrives to let them know that Junior has been selected for a journey to space… From there, we spend the rest of the novel uncovering what that means for these characters as they prepare for Junior’s departure.This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending! More psychological sci-fi than traditional space/dystopia/ futuristic sci-fi, Foe is an uneasy portrait of a marriage.Overall, this was tense and eerie in a really fun way. I enjoyed trying to unravel the subtle narrative hints to figure out what was going on, and the end was really rewarding. Go in blind- don’t even read the back of the book! I went in blind and I’m glad I did.
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Top reviews from the United States

Shannon Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars Black Mirror vibes
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
A first time read and I'm definitely adding his other books to my TBR. I went into this book blind. I had no idea what it was about when I started and didn't for a couple of chapters into the book lol. I thought it was kind of fun to guess. It started out a bit slow but picked up probably around 20%. I started kind of figuring out what was going on. It gave me black mirror vibes and I cannot tell you which specific episode without giving it away. If this were a Netflix series, it would definitely be binge-worthy! I really liked Hen's character and found her relatable, I understood her mopiness and need for more...a purpose of her own. What I couldn't figure out was why Junior was such a pushover. It annoyed me quite a bit. I wanted him to throw Terrence or whatever his name was out! Tell him off! Especially when he started showing interest in Hen. This book was a great read. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I went into it blind. This book stuck with me, even if the name of a creepy character didn't. I think about it often. It was a subtle sort of creepy.
5 people found this helpful
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Briana
4.0 out of 5 stars This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
Foe by Iain Reid (Scifi/Psychological Thriller)
“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎. 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆. 𝑨 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌, 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.”

Read this for:
🪲 a twisty mind-bender that reads like an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone
🌾 simple, short, and unsettling sci-fi at its purest
🧠 clever narrative puzzle that will have you thinking about it for days

Somewhere in the near future, Junior and Henrietta are living a comfortable, solitary life on a farm in the heartlands when a stranger in the night arrives to let them know that Junior has been selected for a journey to space… From there, we spend the rest of the novel uncovering what that means for these characters as they prepare for Junior’s departure.

This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending! More psychological sci-fi than traditional space/dystopia/ futuristic sci-fi, Foe is an uneasy portrait of a marriage.

Overall, this was tense and eerie in a really fun way. I enjoyed trying to unravel the subtle narrative hints to figure out what was going on, and the end was really rewarding. Go in blind- don’t even read the back of the book! I went in blind and I’m glad I did.
Customer image
Briana
4.0 out of 5 stars This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
Foe by Iain Reid (Scifi/Psychological Thriller)
“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎. 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆. 𝑨 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌, 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.”

Read this for:
🪲 a twisty mind-bender that reads like an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone
🌾 simple, short, and unsettling sci-fi at its purest
🧠 clever narrative puzzle that will have you thinking about it for days

Somewhere in the near future, Junior and Henrietta are living a comfortable, solitary life on a farm in the heartlands when a stranger in the night arrives to let them know that Junior has been selected for a journey to space… From there, we spend the rest of the novel uncovering what that means for these characters as they prepare for Junior’s departure.

This is a quick, thought-provoking read with a really excellent ending! More psychological sci-fi than traditional space/dystopia/ futuristic sci-fi, Foe is an uneasy portrait of a marriage.

Overall, this was tense and eerie in a really fun way. I enjoyed trying to unravel the subtle narrative hints to figure out what was going on, and the end was really rewarding. Go in blind- don’t even read the back of the book! I went in blind and I’m glad I did.
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GeMan84
3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Good story. Wasn't super impressed. Kinda predictable to be honest. Plane on watching the movie. Not expecting much honestly. We'll see.
2 people found this helpful
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Amanda
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a fantastic twist
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was my first Iain Reid book and I am now obsessed!
The writing style is addicting and makes reading this book really fun. I finished it in under two days because the plot was so gripping and I just had to find out how it all ended. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone I can as it was my favorite read of 2022!
Recently finished We Spread by Iain Reid and it’s another awesome book by him! Would recommend it if you also enjoyed Foe.
2 people found this helpful
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23 Dreams
4.0 out of 5 stars original
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
I kind of liked this book. Nothing is laid out simply for you and it leaves a lot to interpretation.
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Yatcru
5.0 out of 5 stars Strange but compelling
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2024
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I cannot wait to see the movie.
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Ron Chilcutt
3.0 out of 5 stars Introspective
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2023
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I went from moments of gobbling up chapters to slogging through others. I enjoyed the twist at the 3/4 point but then the finale became predictable. I did not hate the book but didn’t truly like it either. My rating much like this novel is a very introspective meh.
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Elle G.
4.0 out of 5 stars Standalone | Psychological Suspense
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2019
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I finished reading FOE a few days ago so I hope my memory serves me well. Here goes. For the most part, I found Foe to be a captivating read in a slow and unsettling way. It’s complex, but the complexities are not easily identifiable until you finish the story. It’s haunting, but not in a way that will truly scare you. It’s more like thinking about how the future will be and if new technology will affect you in ways like it does within the story. Also, it’s memorable. You won’t forget this novel for a long time after reading and I don’t doubt that many will read it more than once.

While it doesn’t compare (in my eyes) to his debut; I’m Thinking of Ending Things, I do find myself agreeing with the critics when they say this is a “taut, philosophical mind-bender". The ending was very unexpected for me. The delivery of the story was slow, but it also made me really think about everything that happened in the story up until that point. It also saddened me in ways I can’t comprehend, and I truly felt for the characters within the pages. In the beginning I didn’t like them much- you don’t learn a whole lot about them so finding any kind of connection to them is difficult- however once I finished the book, I felt extremely connected to them at a level I wasn’t expecting. I can see why many readers will read the book and then have another go at it immediately after. Many have said this about Reid’s first novel, and I think a lot will do the same with FOE.

That being said, don’t go into this book expecting action and suspense. You won’t find it here. As I mentioned this is a slow-paced read, and not a lot of stuff happens TO the characters. However, once you FINISH, you’ll realize that internally (for the characters) a lot of stuff DID happen. We just didn’t know WHY or HOW until the end.

I think it’s good to sit on a review of this book for a few days and really think about the story. I found myself liking it even more than I did when reading it. I may even want to do a re-read of both his novels in the future because they really get to the core of people’s emotions and actions.

Would I recommend this book? Yes! I do think you need to have a certain mindset when reading and a lot of patience though. Trust me, it all comes together in the end!
31 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Katharina
5.0 out of 5 stars sehrgut
Reviewed in Germany on April 16, 2024
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Lisa
4.0 out of 5 stars Impression Amazon
Reviewed in France on January 25, 2024
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Attention, impression faite par Amazon, donc couverture qui retiens le gras et douce. Cependant l’impression est de qualité, quoique le papier un peu épais.
Pour ce qui est du livre en lui même, très bonne lecture pour le moment !
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TheA
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it
Reviewed in Italy on October 8, 2023
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Very nice book!
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Emily Tenhave
5.0 out of 5 stars Had to finish in one sitting!
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2018
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Heard about the book from an interview on CBC. It intrigued me that the author said he likes to write a story that can be read in one sitting, or maybe an evening and the next morning. I sat on my patio one afternoon and didn’t move until I finished Foe. What a great read. And the ending is superb! I can’t wait for the movie.
One person found this helpful
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Mugdha
3.0 out of 5 stars Prime focus of book is relationship not sci-fi
Reviewed in India on February 25, 2019
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*this review may contain spoilers*
This is Sci-fi novel with central focus on couple relationship.
Story is about couple Junior and Henrietta who lives peaceful life on farm far away from City. One day stranger arrives with a news that Junior is chosen for space journey but his wife will remain on Earth not alone but with duplicate Junior who has feelings and emotions even memories of real Junior.
With that pretty book cover I thought this book is going to be as good as cover but prime focus of book is relationship like the way Henrietta has to deal with duplicate Junior.
Similarly Junior's emotions, his love for Henrietta even when he is duplicate.
This book is not much sci fi and this is what I was hoping for.
One person found this helpful
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