Synopses & Reviews
Following the sudden death of his best friend, the narrator of
The Executor is called to Turin to resolve the will and literary estate of this famous writer and professor. It is a considerable undertaking, as Rudolf had amassed not only a rather extensive collection of house pets (a goose, several ducks, tortoises, and a peacock to say nothing of Caesar, the old dog), but also a voluminous library of books and research materials. Somewhere under this mountain of papers lies Rudolf's magnum opus, a work so great that the writer maintained it would be the "world's last novel."
But the narrator has other obstacles to overcome: The trio of women Rudolf left behind the widow, the secretary, and the lover are all looking for something the narrator isn't sure he can give. If he had known what awaited him in Turin, would he ever have gone?
Review
"Kruger ponders these heavy metafictional matters with grace, intelligence, and a poet's trim, lucid phrasing." Booklist
Review
"[A] fine and thought-provoking entertainment....This is a book that not only lives up to its subtitle but also reminds us that between the dramatic poles of slapstick and black comedy is a broad, gray area where the absurd holds unsettling sway." Los Angeles Times
Review
"Although he treats literary theory, a topic unlikely to inspire most American readers, like any good mystery writer Krüger is skilled at revealing the right information at the right time....Ultimately, the novel feels like a long joke." Library Journal
Review
"A bit intellectual and rarefied, much like Rudolf's work is reputed to be." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Michael Krüger is a highly experienced man of letters, being a publisher and editor, a novelist, and a renowned poet. He is the head of the distinguished German publishing house Carl Hanser Verlag, edits the literary magazine Akzente, and has published three novels and a collection of poems in English translation. If one is to judge by The Executor....the rigors of his day job have soured him somewhat on the business of writing in general and of fiction writing in particular..." John Banville, The New York Review of Books (read the entire New York Review of Books review)
About the Author
Michael Kruger's successful career as a poet and novelist has been paralleled by his long and distinguished record as head of the German publishing house Hanser Verlag and editor of the influential journal Akzente. He recently received the Mörike Prize, one of Germany's most prestigious awards, in recognition of his contribution to both sides of the trade. He lives in Munich.