River

"The woman who has fled her own hinterland for the ragged fringe of London discovers a dreamlike city of melancholy magic."

"River is an unusual and stealthy sort of book in that it's the opposite of what it appears to be-which is a rather apt dissimulation, as it turns out. Yes, it rifles through both the rich and rank materials of the world, turning over its trinkets and its tat, in a manner that is initially quite familiar-however, this curious inventory demonstrates an eye for the grotesque and does not hold the wo

"Esther Kinsky's novel outshines everything that has recently been published in the German language with patient stamina. It is full of culture without being erudite, it is full of knowledge without being smart-aleck. River is a democratic book, witty, wise and touchingly beautiful."