DETECTIVE STORY by Kertesz, Imre (Translated by Tom Wilkinson) - 2008

New York City, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. Fine/Fine Dust Jacket.. New York City, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Edition/First Printing. 120 pages. The author's fourth novel to be translated into English. One of Imre Kertesz's finest achievements. The first appearance of the title in English and in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Imre Kertesz's "Detektivtortenet" in a felicitous English translation. A story told by a man living outside morality, or what a monster is. The one American novel that comes to mind by way of comparison is Jim Thompson's noir classic, "The Killer Inside Me" (1952) . Like his previous works, Imre Kertesz unravels the narrative in the fewest possible pages, marked by the same compressed density that is identified with his oeuvre, and is central to his greatness. How else could one possibly write about his subject, namely Man's descent into barbarism, of which the Holocaust remains humanity's defining experience? "Hopefulness in the face of tragedy makes Kertesz a joy to read, even when he describes our darkest horrors" (McSweeney's) . "I regard as kitsch any representation of the Holocaust that is incapable of understanding or unwilling to understand the organic connection between our own deformed mode of life and the very possibility of the Holocaust" (Imre Kertesz) . An absolute "must-have" title for Imre Kertesz collectors. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing (American) still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2002. One of the greatest writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER IMRE KERTESZ TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0307266443.