Island of the Doomed
London: Quartet Books Limited, 1991. First UK Edition. Demy octavo ; pp. [vi] [2]3 - 338 : black boards : lettered in silver to spine : illustrated dustjacket. Top edge foxed. Near fine / fine. Item #15753
STIG DAGERMAN (1923-1954), Swedish writer and journalist, broke onto the literary scene at twenty-two. He enjoyed phenomenal success publishing four very different novels, a unique travel book from Germany in 1946, short stories – one of which became an instant classic – as well as essays, poetry, and plays. He was a prolific commentator on current events through satirical verse. Then, suddenly, he fell silent. In 1954, Sweden was stunned to learn that Stig Dagerman, the epitome of his generation of writers, had been found dead in his car.
First published in Sweden in 1946 De Dömdas Ö (The Island of the Doomed), was completed over a fortnight. Using nightmarish imagery, this is an allegory centred on seven shipwrecked people, doomed to die, each seeking a form of salvation.
Price: $100.00