Cosmos: A Novel [Paperback]

Milan Kundera called Witold Gombrowicz “one of the great novelists of our century.” His most famous novel,Cosmos, the recipient of the 1967 International Prize for Literature, is now available in a critically acclaimed translation, for the first time directly from the Polish, by the award-winning translator Danuta Borchardt.

Cosmosis a metaphysical noir thriller narrated by Witold, a seedy, pathetic, and witty student, who is charming and appalling by turns. On his way to a relaxing vacation he meets the despondent Fuks. As they set off together for a family-run pension in the Carpathian Mountains they discover a dead bird hanging from a string. Is this a strange but meaningless occurrence or is it the beginning of a string of bizarre events? As the young men become embroiled in the Chekhovian travails of the family running the pension, Grombrowicz creates a gripping narrative where the reader questions who is sane and who is safe?

“[A] sly, funny, absorbing fourth novel and lovingly translated by Danuta Borchardt” —Neil Gordon,The New York Times Book Review

“A master of verbal burlesque, a connoisseur of psychological blackmail, Gombrowicz is one of the profoundest late moderns, with one of the lightest touches.” —John Updike

“Cosmos is a vicious and uncompromised little gem of the obscene.” —Adam Novy,The Believer

“Borchardt’s graceful, powerful, and inventive translation is a great gift to all lovers of Witold Gombrowicz’s quirky prose.” —Jaroslaw Anders onCosmos

“[Cosmos] will hold special appeal for fans of Camus' The Stranger. In this deft new translation, Cosmos, reveals itself as a challenging but important work.”—Frank Sennett,Booklist(starred review)

“Probably the most important 20th-century novelist most Western readers have never heard of.” l³$