The Right Hand of Sleep - Softcover
This extraordinary debut novel from Whiting Writers’ Award winner John Wray is a poetic portrait of a life redeemed at one of the darkest moments in world history.
Twenty years after deserting the army in the first world war, Oskar Voxlauer returns to the village of his youth. Haunted by his past, he finds an uneasy peace in the mountains–but it is 1938 and Oskar cannot escape from the rising tide of Nazi influence in town. He attempts to retreat to the woods, only to be drawn back by his own conscience and the chilling realization that the woman whose love might finally save him is bound to the local SS commander. Morally complex, brilliantly plotted, and heartbreakingly realized, The Right Hand of Sleep marks the beginning of an important literary career.
Twenty years after deserting the army in the first world war, Oskar Voxlauer returns to the village of his youth. Haunted by his past, he finds an uneasy peace in the mountains–but it is 1938 and Oskar cannot escape from the rising tide of Nazi influence in town. He attempts to retreat to the woods, only to be drawn back by his own conscience and the chilling realization that the woman whose love might finally save him is bound to the local SS commander. Morally complex, brilliantly plotted, and heartbreakingly realized, The Right Hand of Sleep marks the beginning of an important literary career.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Back Cover:
“Extraordinary; haunting.” –The New York Times Book Review
“Brilliant. . . . . A truly arresting work of fiction. . . . Is it really possible, the reader will wonder, for a young American to have written such a book?” –The New York Times Book Review
“Elegantly written, hypnotic.”–The Washington Post Book Review
“Studded with precise, exquisite descriptions. . . . Wray is capable of writing with almost painful tenderness....The Right Hand of Sleep make[s] another time seem astonishingly alive.” –Chicago Tribune
“[Wray] writes with an assurance that makes his [hero] both complex and compelling.” –Los Angeles Times Book Review
“One of the most gratifying events of the literary year . . . [The Right Hand of Sleep] satisfies on the deepest level of which fiction is capable.” –Memphis Commercial Appeal
“A taut, searing portrait.” –Literary Review [UK]
“Stark and evocativeÉ A finely drawn portrait of a man who finds peace with himself at a time when the rest of the world is falling apart.” –Time Out
About the Author:
“Brilliant. . . . . A truly arresting work of fiction. . . . Is it really possible, the reader will wonder, for a young American to have written such a book?” –The New York Times Book Review
“Elegantly written, hypnotic.”–The Washington Post Book Review
“Studded with precise, exquisite descriptions. . . . Wray is capable of writing with almost painful tenderness....The Right Hand of Sleep make[s] another time seem astonishingly alive.” –Chicago Tribune
“[Wray] writes with an assurance that makes his [hero] both complex and compelling.” –Los Angeles Times Book Review
“One of the most gratifying events of the literary year . . . [The Right Hand of Sleep] satisfies on the deepest level of which fiction is capable.” –Memphis Commercial Appeal
“A taut, searing portrait.” –Literary Review [UK]
“Stark and evocativeÉ A finely drawn portrait of a man who finds peace with himself at a time when the rest of the world is falling apart.” –Time Out
John Wray lives in Brooklyn, New York.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherVintage Books
- Publication date2002
- ISBN 10 009928524X
- ISBN 13 9780099285243
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages336
- IllustratorCover Art
- Rating
(No Available Copies)
Search Books: Create a WantIf you know the book but cannot find it on AbeBooks, we can automatically search for it on your behalf as new inventory is added. If it is added to AbeBooks by one of our member booksellers, we will notify you!
Create a Want