Thursday, October 9, 2008

Le Clézio: Nobel Prize 2008

David R. Godine, Publisher, is proud to announce that J.M.G. Le Clézio – author of The Prospector, the first title in our Verba Mundi Series – is the recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature.

In 1993, Godine published Le Clézio’s The Prospector (Le chercheur d’or, Gallimard, 1985) as the inaugural book of the Verba Mundi series, offering the best of modern world literature in translation, including works by José Donoso, Isaac Babel, Georges Perec, and others. A novel rich with sensuality and haunting resonance, The Prospector tells of one man’s obsessive search for a legendary buried treasure – and, through it, for the “lost gold’ of his childhood. The quest takes him from the lush tropical island of Mauritius to the hell of the first World War, and from a mysterious love affair to a shattering confrontation with his own motives. The Prospector was praised in France as “a parable of the human condition” (Le Monde), a “fabulous story” (Liberation), and “an ambitious, masterful book” (Le Point).

“Hypnotic and mythic … Le Clézio brilliantly conveys the sublime and terrible beauty of life and its twin, death, in devastating evocations … a remarkable work.” – ALA Booklist (starred review)

“A gentle portrayal of a man haunted by visions of his ideal childhood … [Le Clézio’s] writing is deeply evocative and descriptive.” – Publishers Weekly

“An entertainment of the highest order that neither diminishes nor insults the intelligence and emotions of the reader.” – Chicago Tribune

“The Prospector offers a wonderful one-volume compendium of all the grand myths rooted in the European colonial experience, combining elements from Paul et Virginie, Robinson Crusoe, and Indiana Jones….A key text” – Washington Post Book World

For further information, please contact Susan Barba, Editor, 617- 451-9600, ext. 26.

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