State of Siege by Juan Goytisolo
A writer looks out from his hotel room in Sarajevo at a city under siege. He watches a woman struggling to avoid the snipers as she makes her way home. Suddenly a mortar explodes nearby and he is killed. But by the time the Spanish military investigator arrives, the corpse has disappeared, leaving only a few personal effects and a notebook of stories and poems, marked with the initials, J.G. As the investigator continues his search for the man?s identity, he begins to read the stories, of dreams of a rebellion of a city?s underclass, of a district of Paris under siege that is ignored by the rest of the city. As he paints a compelling picture of a city laid waste by the barbarism of war, another picture begins to emerge, of a society so callous it is capable of standing by and watching its citizens be destroyed.
?At once an account of the siege of Sarajevo, a parade of postmodern storytelling techniques and an indictment of Western indifference? New York Times ?This short, chilling novel further strengthens the views of many who feel that Goytisolo could be Europe?s next Nobel Prize winner? Bloomsbury Review ?from a patch-work of dream narratives, fragments of mystical homoerotic poetry and the practical and philosophical realities of life in, a city under siege, Goytisolo has created a powerful indictment of the barbarity of war? London Review of Books ?The novel is highly moving, yet also surprisingly playful? Irish Times ?State of Siege is a novel of pure fiction, but infinitely more powerful than all the big speeches about Bosnia? Le Nouvelle Observateur ?A passionate dialogue with the reader, a reflection on privacy and commitment.. a great literary voice? Le Monde ?The reader is thrown into the unreality of a besieged city? L?Express ?Full of skilfully deployed devices ? this solid, landmark novel, banned in Spain, is amongst the last century?s finest? Insight ?This is literary fiction at its best, with a message for life? Good Book Guide ?...a demanding read, but well undoubtedly worth it. The imagery is fantastic and the labyrinthine plot confounding, more than deserving repeated readings.? Bookmunch ?This book by Spain?s foremost living author is about Sarajevo in 1993, but it is also about warfare generally, and the ways in which media inflection can inure people to other?s suffering.? The Times (Weekend Review) ?From a patchwork of dream narratives, fragments of mystical homoerotic poetry and the practical and philosophical realities of life in a city under siege, Goytisolo has created a powerful indictment of the barbarity of war.? London Review of Books
Born in Barcelona in 1931, Juan Goytisolo is Spain's greatest living writer. A bitter opponent of the Franco regime, his early novels were banned in Spain. In 1956 he moved to Paris. Since then he has written extensively on the city as melting-pot, the expulsion of the Moors from Europe and the art of reading. In 2004 Goytisolo was awarded the Juan Rulfo International Latin American and Caribbean Prize for Literature. He lives in Morocco.
| SKU | GOR004788477 |
| ISBN 13 | 9781852428396 |
| ISBN 10 | 1852428392 |
| Title | State of Siege |
| Author | Juan Goytisolo |
| Condition | Very Good |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Profile Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2003-09-25 |
| Number of pages | 160 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us |
