In print continually since 1940, arthur koestlers darkness at noon has been translated into over. Published in great britain in 1940, it was feted by george orwell, went on to be translated into thirty languages and is considered the finest work of preeminent european master, arthur koestler. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon, is a powerful and haunting portrait of a communist revolutionary caught in the vicious fray of the. Darkness at noon was the middle book of an unusual trilogy of loosely related subjects. Darkness at noon by arthur koestler darkness at noon stands as an unequaled fictional portrayal of the nightmare politics of our time. Its hero is an aging revolutionary, imprisoned and psychologically tortured by the party to which. His best known work, it is the tale of rubashov, an old bolshevik who is arrested, imprisoned, and tried for treason against the government that he helped to create. The choice of setting makes it a uniquely canadian tale, as do the references peppered throughout the book tim hortons and canadian tire.
Darkness at noon by arthur koestler, paperback barnes. Darkness at noon the newly discovered lost text of arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon the haunting portrait of a revolutionary, imprisoned and tortured under totalitarian ruleis now restored and in a completely new translation. I reread it every few years until my paperback copy finally fell apart, and i bought this hardback edition and read it again this year. Darkness at noon is as gripping as a thriller and a seminal work of twentiethcentury literature.
Rubashov, once a powerful player in the regime, finds the tables turned on him when he is arrested and tried for treason. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece. As the pressure to confess preposterous crimes increases. Darkness at noon arthur koestler darkness at noon translated by daphne hardy bantam books new york toronto london sydney auckland this edition contains the complete text of the original hardcover edition. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. Darkness at noon a bantam book published by arrangement with the macmillan company publishing history. Darkness at noon by arthur koestler 1984, paperback for. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon, is a powerful and haunting portrait.
The newly discovered lost text of arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noonthe haunting portrait of a revolutionary, imprisoned and tortured under totalitarian rule. Darkness at noon, by hungarianborn british writer arthur koestler, is the tale of. Buy darkness at noon audio cd recorded book by arthur koestler isbn. Comparing himself to moses, led to the promised land but refused entry, he sees only darkness at the end of his life where once he saw such promise for humanity. Collecting darkness at noon by koestler, arthur first edition. Set in the 1930s at the height of the purge and show trials of a stalinist moscow, darkness at noon is a haunting portrait of an aging revolutionary, nicholas rubashov, who is imprisoned, tortured, and forced through a series of hearings by the party to which he has dedicated his life. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. The newly discovered lost text of arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noonthe haunting portrait of a revolutionary, imprisoned and tortured under totalitarian ruleis now restored and in a completely new translation. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon, is a powerful. Set in the turbulent soviet union of the 1930s, darkness at noon tells the story of its jewish hero and protagonist, nikolai salmanovich rubashov.
Im fairly sure that george orwell must have read darkness at noon before writing 1984 orwell knew koestler from their time spent in spain during the civil war and later in britain. Darkness at noon by arthur koestler and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at abebooks. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon,is a powerful and haunting portrait of a communist revolutionary caught in the vicious fray of the moscow show trials of the late 1930s. Sonnenfinsternis is a novel by hungarianborn british novelist. Darkness at noon is set in an unnamed country ruled by a totalitarian government. Darkness at noon by arthur koestler 2006, paperback for. Editor michael scammell and translator philip boehm bring us a brilliant novel, a remarkable discovery, and a new translation of an international class. The reader can sense koestlers sense of betrayal by and his disappointment with the soviet union under stalin and also his disgust with what stalinism did to individual human beings. Darkness at noon is considered one of the greatest books of the twentieth century residing on a shelf with such classics as george orwells 1984. Darkness at noon by arthur koestler and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. So earlier today i finished darkness at noon by arthur koestler. Darkness at noon by arthur abebooks shop for books. Its hero is an aging revolutionary, imprisoned and psychologically tortured by the party to which he has dedicated his life. Darkness at the stroke of noon is an action packed page turner.
Koestler wrote darkness at noon, which centers on the destructiveness of politics, the act of creation, a book about creativity, and the ghost in the machine, which bravely attacks behaviorism. Just a brief summary of the book, darkness at noon is during stalins purges in the late 1930s where the main character. Darkness at noon originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon, is a powerful and haunting portrait of a communist revolutionary caught in the vicious. Sonnenfinsternis is a novel by hungarianborn british novelist arthur koestler, first published in 1940. Darkness at noon originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon, is a powerful and haunting portrait of a communist revolutionary caught in the vicious fray of the moscow show trials of the late 1930s.
Set in the turbulent soviet union of the 1930s, darkness at noon tells the story of its jewish hero and protagonist, nilolai. The choice of setting makes it a uniquely canadian tale, as do the references peppered throughout the book tim hortons and. It is a seamless, chilling book about the demands ideology makes on truth. Darkness at noon book by arthur koestler official publisher page. In both books one can see the same abhorrence of totalitarianism and of politics based on the end justifies the means. Darkness at noon book by arthur koestler half price books. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Darkness at noon is actually the second part of a trilogy, the first volume being the gladiators about the subversion of the spartacus revolt, and the third arrival and departure about a refugee in world war ii. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices.
Darkness at noon by arthur koestler the greatest books. Oct 17, 2006 im fairly sure that george orwell must have read darkness at noon before writing 1984 orwell knew koestler from their time spent in spain during the civil war and later in britain. Noon number eight on its list of the 100 best englishlanguage novels of the. Rubashov, once a powerful player in the regime, finds the tables turned on him when he is arrested and. The newly discovered lost text of arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noonthe haunting portrait of a revolutionary, imprisoned and tortured under totalitarian. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noon, is a powerful and haunting portrait of a communist revolutionary caught in the vicious fray of the moscow show trials of the late 1930s. To me, darkness at noon seems like a book on the verge of being forgotten. See more ideas about darkness at noon, science words and books. Editor michael scammell and translator philip boehm bring us a brilliant novel, a remarkable discovery, and a new translation of an international classic.
While both these novels are fictions based on an idea of a totalitarian state, darkness at noon is a clear allegory of soviet russia during the 1930s the time of the moscow show trials and the great purge. Darkness at noon mass market paperback 1961 by arthur koestler author. Darkness at noon is considered one of the greatest books of the twentieth. Just a brief summary of the book, darkness at noon is during stalins purges in the late 1930s where the main character rubashov an old bolshevik prerevolution communist is arrested and imprisoned. Unjustly accused of treason, rubashov is forced to endure the nightmare of imprisonment and eventual execution for the crime with which he is charged. Darkness at noon is one of the classics of antitotalitarian literature, often mentioned alongside novels such as brave new world and 1984. Frank mullers narrative expertise is perfect for this haunting work. Koestler was a middle east correspondent for several german newspapers, wrote for the manchester guardian, the london times and the new york herald tribune. Darkness at noon a new translation from philip boehm. Rubashov, once a powerful player in the regime, finds the tables turned on him when he is. The first obstacle was that, halfway through the book, i again ran out of money. This book is the 309th greatest fiction book of all time as determined by.
Rubashov, an old guard communist, falls victim to an unnamed government. This page contains details about the fiction book darkness at noon by arthur koestler published in 1940. Its hero is an aging revolutionary, imprisoned and. During stalins purges, nicholas rubashov, an aging revolutionary, is imprisoned and psychologically tortured by the party he has devoted his life to. Gladiators and arrival and departure 20th century classics. Originally published in 1941, arthur koestlers modern masterpiece,darkness at noon,is a powerful and haunting portrait of a communist revolutionary caught in the vicious.
During stalins purges, nicholas rubashov, an aging revolutionary, is imprisoned and psychologically tortured by the party. I first bought and read darkness at noon in the 1970s, when the soviet union seemed likely to go on for ever, even though by then it was apparent to everyone that it was a dictatorship without purpose. His darkness at noon 1941 is perhaps the greatest anticommunist novel of all time. He has been arrested for a supposed assassination plot against the leader of the totalitarian nation. Darkness at noon jun 27, 2014 by jim12 this is a classic novel based on real life experiences. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. His best known work, it is the tale of rubashov, an old. Our rbdigital platform distributes the broadest array of digital content typesincluding audiobooks, video, magazines, ebooks, education, and entertainmentall in one powerful app. May 15, 2016 recorded books is the largest independent producer of audiobooks in the world. Darkness at noon stands as an unequaled fictional portrayal of the nightmare politics of our time. The newly discovered lost text of arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noonthe haunting portrait of a revolutionary, imprisoned and tortured under totalitarian ruleis now. The gladiators was originally written in hungarian and arrival and departure in english. Darkness at noon arthur koestler darkness at noon translated by daphne hardy bantam books new york toronto london sydney auckland this edition contains the.
Arthur koestler was a former communist and intellectual, he grew up in europe and eventually became a british subject by choice. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Boehm has translated over thirty novels and plays by german and polish writers. Darkness at noon by arthur, first edition abebooks. In print continually since 1940, darkness at noon has been translated into over 30 languages and is both a stirring novel and a classic antifascist text. Darkness at noon the newly discovered lost text of arthur koestlers modern masterpiece, darkness at noonthe haunting portrait of a revolutionary, imprisoned and tortured under.