The Truth About Sascha Knisch - Hardcover

Aris Fioretos is the author of several books, both fictional and scholarly, in his native Sweden. His most recent book is" Vanitasrutinerna, "a collection of short prose. He is also the editor of" Word Traces: Readings of Paul Celan "and" The Solid Letter: Readings of Friedrich Holderlin "(Stanford, 1999).

Swedish author Fioretos's first novel to be translated into English is an eerie, erotic tale set in 1928 Berlin about a part-time movie projectionist turned accused killer. Sascha Knisch's humdrum life turns scandalous after Dora Wilms, the madam who indulges him in his peculiar sexual tastes, is found dead. Sascha becomes suspect number one, and to try to prove his innocence, he digs into Dora's mysterious past, uncovering a psychosexual plot involving one of Dora's former confidantes and the sinister Foundation for Sexual Research. But the more Sascha learns about the plot and Dora's possible involvement, the less makes sense to Sascha. Simultaneously, Sascha reflects on what is obliquely referred to as the sexual question and tries to discover his true self. An odd supporting cast of characters—most notably One-legged Else—provide comic relief in this dense and atmospheric novel. It has all the markings of a cult favorite. (Mar.)
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