All Souls' Day

"An outstanding addition to an impressive oeuvre" Times Literary Supplement Arthur Daane, a documentary film-maker and inveterate globetrotter, has lost his wife and child in a plane crash. Berlin, a city with its own painful history, provides the backdrop for Daane's reflections on life and the universe as he wanders its streets and plans his latest project ? a self-funded film that will show the world through his eyes. With a new circle of friends ? a philosopher, a sculptor and a physicist ? Daane discusses everything from history to metaphysics and the meaning of our contemporary existence, often over a hearty meal. Then one cold winter's day, Daane meets the young history student Elik Orange and his world is turned upside down. Whenever this mysterious woman beckons, Daane is compelled to follow. All Souls' Day is an elegiac love story in which the personal histories of its characters are skilfully interwoven with the history of the countries in which they find themselves. A poignant and affecting tale by one of Europe's major contemporary writers. Translated from the Dutch by Susan Massotty "Displays with admirable lucidity the workings of a humane, civilized, and consistently interesting mind" Kirkus Reviews "One of the most remarkable writers of our time" ALBERTO MANGUEL