The Riddle of the Sphinx

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By Alexandre Montagu ’87

Published Sept. 27, 2018

The Riddle of the Sphinx begins with a horseback escape out of revolutionary Iran to Paris, from Princeton, to a New York law practice, as this psychological drama that unfolds via alternate realities. A young privileged boy in the royal Iranian Pahlavi court in the 1970s is dealt a swift wake-up call when the Shah and his monarchy fall. A Princeton scholar is derailed by his obsession with a paramour. A corporate lawyer at the height of his career at a prestigious firm begins to question his picture-perfect life. This novel explores fate and identity, as Montagu crafts a dramatic journey of exile, obsession, and self-discovery.

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PAW's October 2025 cover, featuring a photo of stuntman Kent De Mond ’07 with his back on fire.
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