Mountains of Parnassus

Milosz Czeslaw

The Nobel laureate's unfinished science fiction novel-available in English for the first time ever Awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1980, Czeslaw Milosz was one of the twentieth century's most esteemed poets and essayists. This outstanding translation of his only hitherto unavailable work is classic Milosz and a necessary companion volume for scholars and general readers seeking a deeper understanding of his themes. Written in the 1970s and published posthumously in Polish in 2012, Milosz's deliberately unfinished novel is set in a dystopian future where hierarchy, patriarchy, and religion no longer exist. Echoing the structure of "The Captive Mind" and written in an experimental, postmodern style, Milosz's sole work of science fiction follows four individuals: Karel, a disaffected young rebel; Lino, an astronaut who abandons his life of privilege; Petro, a cardinal racked with doubt; and Ephraim, a potential prophet in exile. The original manuscript of this work is held at the Beinecke Library, and this edition will include photographs of the draft.

About the Author

Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004) was a Polish poet, novelist, essayist, translator, and diplomat of Polish and Lithuanian descent who defected to the West in 1951.

Reviews

"In particularly beguiling form 'The Mountains of Parnassus' embraces many of Milosz's preoccupations, most notably the fertile decadence of Western society and the role of faith struggling within it. Fragmentary and elliptical, Milosz's 'science fiction novel that will never be written' offers a fascinating excursus into many of the poet's most pressing concerns, set forth in captivating prose" – Mark Danner, author of "Spiral: Trapped in the Forever War"

"This is a little jewel of science fiction-like musings on the difficulties of modern life. For a reader of Milosz's works, this is a splendidly recognizable book" – Irena Grudzinska Gross, Princeton University

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