Book Description
An ingenious “whodunit” and one of the greatest works of German literature, The Marquise of O— subverts the 18th–century notion of the infallibility of man and reveals the true ambiguity and caprice of humanity. Foreword by Andrew Miller. Held captive by a band of unspeakable ruffians, the Marquise of O— is rescued before they can subject her to a fate worse than death. So, how, some months later, can it be that she finds herself pregnant? Believing herself fully innocent, although failing to convince her prudish family of her honor, she places an advertisement asking the perpetrator to identify himself. Heinrich von Kleist (1777–1811) is the first of the great dramatists of 19th–century German literature.

From the Publisher
Hesperus Press, as suggested by their Latin motto, Et remotissima prope, is dedicated to bringing near what is far—far both in space and time. Works by illustrious authors, often unjustly neglected or simply little known in the English–speaking world, are made accessible through a completely fresh editorial approach and new translations. Through these short classic works, which feature forewords by leading contemporary authors, the modern reader will be introduced to the greatest writers of Europe and America. An elegantly designed series of genuine rediscoveries.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

An ingenious “whodunit” and one of the greatest works of German literature, The Marquise of O— subverts the 18th–century notion of the infallibility of man and reveals the true ambiguity and caprice of humanity. Foreword by Andrew Miller.

Held captive by a band of unspeakable ruffians, the Marquise of O— is rescued before they can subject her to a fate worse than death. So, how, some months later, can it be that she finds herself pregnant? Believing herself fully innocent, although failing to convince her prudish family of her honor, she places an advertisement asking the perpetrator to identify himself. Heinrich von Kleist (1777–1811) is the first of the great dramatists of 19th–century German literature.