In Babylon (Paperback, New Ed)

This is one of those immensely rewarding novels, instantly readable yet full of imagery, myth and magic, which keep us absorbed and enchanted through long winter evenings. A bestselling author at home, this Dutch author is every bit as entertaining in translation. Put simply - though the story is anything but simple - it's the story of writer Nathan Hollander, who has inherited a remote hunting lodge from his eccentric uncle Herman on condition that he produces the uncle's biography. The book completed, Nathan arrives to find himself trapped in the house by the worst blizzard the country has ever seen. There's nothing to do but sit it out and enjoy the company of his alluring niece Nina - not to mention Magnus and Chaim, a couple of 300-year-old Jewish ghosts. In the freezing house, Nathan and Nina explore Herman's library and begin to piece together the story of their family, from the migrations of the 1600s to the sinister histories of the 20th-century. Along the way there are questions to be answered. How did Uncle Herman really die? Why was the lodge decked out for a siege, the stairs barricaded with old furniture and the cellar packed with provisions? Why does Nina have a tendency to disappear? And why did his uncle call the lodge a 'ship to another world'? Multi-layered, full of serpentine twists and completely original, In Babylon pulls you deep into its singular world of suspense, mystery and imagination. (Kirkus UK)

Winner of two major European prizes, this funny, quirky chronicle of a family of Dutch clockmakers is a bestseller in the Netherlands. Sixty-year-old Nathan Hollander is stranded in a winter blizzard with his young niece, Nina, in the deserted house of his late Uncle Herman. As they wait for the weather to improve, Nathan tells Nina the story of their forefathers -- a family of clockmakers who came to the Netherlands from Eastern Europe and then emigrated to America before WWII. An extraordinary and rich family history emerges. An epic family saga, a Gothic novel gone haywire, a very human story and a chronicle of the twentieth century, In Babylon is already set to be a classic European novel. A piece of very solid, traditional storytelling combined with a very funny, sensual magical realism. A brilliant merging of the lightness of popular American writing and the depth of European literature.

General

Imprint:	Flamingo
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	May 2000
Authors:	Marcel Moering
Dimensions:	198 x 129 x 25mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - B-format
Pages:	432
Edition:	New Ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-00-655104-1
Languages:	English
Subtitles:	Dutch
Categories:	Books > Fiction > General & literary fiction > Modern fiction Promotions
LSN:	0-00-655104-1
Barcode:	9780006551041

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!