The Darkroom of Damocles
A gripping tale of identity and moral ambiguity in wartime
Willem Frederik Hermans author Ina Rilke translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pushkin Press
Published:1st Oct '20
Should be back in stock very soon
In The Darkroom of Damocles, a tobacconist becomes embroiled in the resistance during WWII, facing moral dilemmas and accusations after the war's end.
Set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II, The Darkroom of Damocles tells the gripping story of Henri Osewoudt, a tobacconist in occupied Holland. His life takes a perilous turn when he encounters the enigmatic Dorbeck, a figure who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. This meeting propels Osewoudt into the murky waters of the resistance, where he is tasked with executing dangerous missions for British agents and eliminating collaborators with chilling efficiency. As the war rages on, Osewoudt's actions blur the lines of morality, leaving him to grapple with the consequences of his choices in a world where survival often necessitates brutality.
As the conflict draws to a close, the narrative takes a twist that forces Osewoudt to confront his past. Accused of being a collaborator, he must navigate a treacherous landscape of suspicion and betrayal. In a society where allegiances shift like sand, the protagonist is left questioning the very fabric of his memories. Was he truly a hero, or has he unwittingly become a villain? The Darkroom of Damocles challenges readers to ponder the complexities of identity and morality in times of war.
This thought-provoking thriller remains as relevant today as it was when first published, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of truth and the human capacity for deception. With its sharp prose and unsettling themes, The Darkroom of Damocles offers a profound exploration of the choices we make in the face of chaos.
A sparse, haunted, relentless novel, brilliantly achieved, skirting the edges of unreality but always coming back, written in the ageless style of a true modernist * John le Carré *
One of the best novels about the Second World War -- Angus Wilson
I immerse myself in the book, intimidated at first by its length, astonished afterwards to find I have read it at a single sitting... The suspense never falters. The events (which takes place during the war and in the year that followed) are described in a style that is terse and exact, detailed but fast-paced; the events are horrifyingly real and yet at the very limit of the credible. -- Milan Kundera, author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Striking, suspenseful . . . Brilliant * Observer *
The action is thrilling, the detail grounded and real, the prose (and the exceptional translation) deceptively simple and fluid * Lizzy's Literary Life *
Hermans is one of the most important European authors of the second half of the twentieth century -- Cees Nooteboom
Praise for An Untouched House * _ *
Profoundly unsettling and haunt[s] the mind for long afterwards * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *
I was struck by the compressed farce and horror in the 1951 Dutch novella An Untouched House by Willem Frederik Hermans, in David Colmer's new translation * Spectator, Books of the Year *
A shocking Dutch classic... remarkable... It takes an hour or two to read, but An Untouched House is the kind of book that stays with you for ever * Guardian *
Shocking... properly unsettling... It would certainly be good to have a lot more of Hermans's work available here * Sunday Times *
I was overwhelmed -- Sam Jordison * Guardian, Choose your Book of 2018 *
By any light, this eloquent marvel teases, bewilders and unnerves * Times Literary Supplement *
Taut... dark, thrillerish story, ably translated by David Colmer, carries the pungent tang of authenticity * New Statesman *
Underrated -- Ian McEwan * TLS *
Bleak, hilarious, angry, ruthless and plain. [Hermans is] as alarming as a snake in the breadbin. He's also hugely entertaining * Scotsman *
'A stark, funny and graphic exploration of the folly of war... Bravo Pushkin Press for seeking out yet another international gem * A Life in Books (blog) *
Short but powerful novella... I was filled with admiration for its unflinching depiction of what happens when war numbs the human heart and destroys empathy * The Book Jotter (blog) *
Disturbing, haunting, and brilliant... an excellent antidote to misty eyed nostalgia for blitz or Dunkirk spirit * Desperate Reader (blog) *
Not for the faint-hearted * Lizzy's Literary Life (blog) *
An expertly crafted story... A small novel that packs a strong, hard punch * Complete Review *
Crackling with uneasy tension... A beautiful new edition of a powerful and timeless slim Dutch masterpiece, written in spare and crisp style that brings to mind Camus * The Lady *
The Dutch have hailed him as their greatest novelist, and now, slowly, Europe is getting to know him -- Milan Kundera * Le Monde *
A dark wartime vision that evokes Koestler, Orwell, and Vonnegut. * Kirkus *
A violent climax without equal in modern literature -- Cees Nooteboom
As disturbing and powerful as anything by Joseph Heller or Kurt Vonnegut -- Michel Faber * Guardian *
A literary tour de force * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *
Not only would Dutch literature be considerably less without Hermans; so would European literature * Suddeutsche Zeitung *
ISBN: 9781782276241
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
416 pages