$14.99
*Shortlisted for the John Florio Prize (UK)*
A playful literary novel with the prodigious rhythm of a thriller
Wild rabies runs rampant through the woods. The foxes are gaining ground, boldly making their way into the village. In Dichtersruhe, an insular yet charming haven stifled by the Swiss mountains, these omens go unnoticed by all but the new parish priest. The residents have other things on their mind: Literature. Everyone’s a writer—the nights are alive with reworked manuscripts. So when the devil turns up in a black car claiming to be a hotshot publisher, unsatisfied authorial desires are unleashed and the village’s former harmony is shattered. Taut with foreboding and Gothic suspense, Paolo Maurensig gives us a refined and engaging literary parable on narcissism, vainglory, and our inextinguishable thirst for stories.
Translator | |
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Genre | Fiction |
Pages | 120 |
Paperback ISBN | 978-1-64286-013-9 |
Ebook ISBN | 978-1-64286-032-0 |
Region | Italy |
Publication date | May 7, 2019 |
Price | $14.99 |
Paolo Maurensig was born in Gorizo, and lives in Udine, Italy. Now a bestselling author… Read more
“Paolo Maurensig is an arresting talent among recent Italian writers.” —New York Times
“Maurensig gives us a masterfully constructed gothic horror story designed to keep aspiring writers up at night. A macabre little Alpine horror story elevated by masterful storytelling and language.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This nested narrative is an entertaining exploration of the manifold powers—creative, confessional, corrupting—of fiction.” —Publishers Weekly
“A Devil Comes to Town blew my mind—think Yorgos Lanthimos directing The Master and Margarita…it’s a bizarre slice of Alpine magic realism that deserves to be everywhere.” —The Observer
“A Devil Comes to Town is a brilliant form of torture, a perfect nugget of uranium: Maurensig leads us to the question, dangling it like bait, then reels in, packs his belongings, and just goes.” —The Literary Review
“A fabulous take-down of the literati, with a blending of fiction, reported rivalries, and real-world suspicion. A Devil Comes to Town is a captivating, clever, and deliciously teasing little tale.” —Never Imitate
“Biblical, oblique, and lying somewhere between thriller, fantasy, and legend, the new novel by Paolo Maurensig, A Devil Comes to Town, is a disturbing reflection in narrative form concerning the darker side of writing.” —Il Giornale
“Paolo Maurensig gives us a refined and engaging literary fable on narcissism and vainglory, and also on our inextinguishable thirst for stories.” —Q Libri
“Paolo Maurensig skillfully mixes bizarre narrative with great truths about the human soul.” —GraphoMania