Stigmata of Bliss

Klaus Merz is one of the most prominent, prolific, and versatile Swiss writers working today. Celebrated as a master of concise, condensed sentences, Merz brings depth and resonance to spare narratives with lyrical prose and striking images. Stigmata of Bliss brings together three of Merzs critically acclaimed novellas, offering English readers the perfect introduction to his work. Jacob Asleep introduces a family marked by illness, eccentricity, and a childs death. In A Mans Fate, a moment of inattention on a mountainous hike upends a teachers life and his understanding of mortality. And finally, The Argentine traces the fluctuations of memory and desire in a mans journey around the world. In each novella, Merz takes readers on a profound and intimate journey. Read as a whole, the works complement, enrich, and echo each other.