Encyclopedia Of The Dead

Combining fact and fiction, epic and miniature, horror and comedy, this book collects stories about love and death, truth and lies, myth and reality. It spans many epochs and settings, delivering an entrancing, otherworldly collection from one of Europe’s most acclaimed 20th-century writers. This volume marks Kiš’s final work, originally published in Serbo-Croatian in 1983, and is brought to Penguin Modern Classics with a fresh English readership in mind.

Danilo Kiš is celebrated as one of the great European writers of the post-war period. His work blends intensity with exotic mystery, inviting comparisons to Pirandello and Borges while remaining distinctly Kiš. The collection is noted for its compulsively readable prose and its daring mix of genres, where realism and fantasy chase one another across surprising landscapes. The author’s biography recalls a turbulent childhood and a long life dedicated to literature, spanning Belgrade to Paris, where he left a lasting literary legacy.

Kiš’s masterful storytelling is complemented by concise, intimate prose that invites reflection on memory, truth, and the human condition. The book’s short stories traverse a wide range of themes and settings, offering readers a richly textured experience that remains both mysterious and accessible.

Kenmerken

• Verhalen over liefde, dood, waarheid en leugens
• Epische, miniature en horrorelementen verweven
• Akte bevat meerdere tijdperken en werelden
• Origineel Serbo-Croatisch, 1983
• Penguin Modern Classics-uitgave, 192 pagina’s
• Auteur: Danilo Kiš; biografieën en kritiek inbegrepen