Boys & Murderers: Collected Short Fiction

Fiction. Translated from the German by Isabel F. Cole. From the author of the highly-acclaimed novel The Maimed, the completecollection of his short fiction translated for the first time into English. Admired by Thomas Mann, whose Preface is included in this volume for his analysis of the human psyche, Ungar was a writer of unique talent whose life was prematurely ended by illness. The stories in this volume are in turn grotesque and comical as they explore the depravities of the heart anddelusions of the mind. Taking Prague as well as his hometown of Boskovice for his settings, Ungar can be located in that illustrious tradition of both Prague German writers (he was associated with Franz Kafka in the Prague Circle) and Jewish writers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, such as Joseph Roth. Long forgotten in German literature, Ungar1s work has experienced a renaissance over the past decade with new editions appearing in German as well as in Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, and English. "

Hermann Ungar (1893-1929) was born to a prominent Jewish family in Moravia and became a lawyer. He earned the Silver Medal of Valor in WWI.