The appearance of a young writer with a unique voice is cause for celebration. This memorable debut, originally published in 1993, was hailed for its power and elegance on both sides of the Atlantic. Dealing with such themes as storytelling and illness, war and music, death and bureaucracy, memory and material objects, these tales are moving and thought-provoking, as inventive in form as they are timeless in content. They display the startling mix of dazzle and depth that have made Yann Martel an international phenomenon.
The title story, winner of the 1991 Journey Prize, is an intensely moving tragedy, told with spare elegance and originality, qualities found in all four stories in this collection. Together they establish Martel as one of the most interesting writers working in the world today.