Peter Schlemiel: The Man Who Sold His Shadow
Adelbert Von Chamisso
ISBN 10: 0880641428 ISBN 13: 9780880641425
Published by Fromm Intl, 1993
Used
Hardcover
From
ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
AbeBooks Seller since 2 July 2009
This specific item is no longer available.
About this Item
Description:
May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0880641428I4N00
Synopsis:
Asked which book by another author he would most like to claim as his own work, Italo Calvino once said without hesitation, Adelbert von Chamisso's Peter Schlemiel. First published in 1814, this brilliant novel is not only a precursor of Poe, Kafka, and the magic realists - it is a timeless fable with a remarkably contemporary flavor.
When a mysterious man in a gray coat asks Peter Schlemiel if he would sell him his shadow, that "lovely, lovely shadow" of his, he naturally thinks the man must be mad. But then the stranger makes him an offer he can't refuse.
In return for his shadow, Schlemiel receives a neverending source of riches, and he is convinced he is on the road to happiness. Yet he finds that without a shadow he is rejected by society and unable to find the fulfillment of love. After a series of fantastic adventures, Peter Schlemiel realizes that he must discover a new way to give his life meaning if he is to go on in the world.
Adelbert von Chamisso was born in France, but moved at an early age to Prussia, where he lived during the Franco-Prussian war. Chamisso felt that he belonged equally to both war-torn cultures. Peter Schlemiel was written soon after Prussia's defeat by Napoleon, and was Chamisso's answer to a world in turmoil. The novel was an immediate success, and it catapulted him to international fame.
Peter Wortsman's new translation lets us rediscover all the charm wit, and power of this classic tale. In his introduction he gives us the historical background of the novel and traces its influence on the literature of the twentieth century.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bibliographic Details
Title: Peter Schlemiel: The Man Who Sold His Shadow
Publisher: Fromm Intl
Publication Date: 1993
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket