The Best Years
Beste Jahre

john von dueffel beste jahre
July 2007 / 300pp
Fiction
  • Longlisted for the German Book Prize 2007

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review

In this, his sixth novel since his breakthrough success in 1998, the incredibly gifted John von Düffel, who couples the careers of writer and actor, takes on the themes of role-playing (does one ever exist except as a role player?) and fertility, when the principal character, whose wife has undergone treatment so that they can have a child, does a related service to an old friend and jealous rival, a lawyer, who has recently re-entered his life. Combines the poetry of an imaginative and fluent style with the precision of good stage directions and the intelligence of a witty essayist. A talent waiting to take the stage here? 

about the author

John von Düffel was born in Göttingen in 1966 and is currently the resident dramatist at Hamburg’s Thalia Theatre. His prize-winning debut novel Vom Wasser was published in 1998 and since then he has published three further novels. 

Translated editions of his work are published by:
Otava (Finland), Albin Michel (France), Mondadori (Italy), Dulnyouk Publishing (Korea), Del Bronce (Spain), Prometheus (The Netherlands), New Sprouts Publishing (Taiwan)

rights information

DuMont Literatur und Kunst Verlag 
Tel: +49 221 2241942 
E-mail: habermas@dumontliteraturundkunst.de 
Contact: Judith Habermas

DuMont Literatur und Kunst Verlag 

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All recommendations from Autumn 2007