Friedrich Durrenmatt

These translations of Friedrich D¿rrenmatt¿s essays introduce the writer to a new generation of readers. The Swiss writer Friedrich D¿rrenmatt (1921¿90) was one of the most important literary figures of the second half of the twentieth century. During the years of the cold war, arguably only Beckett, Camus, Sartre, and Brecht rivaled him as a presence in European letters. Yet outside Europe, this prolific author is primarily known for only one work, The Visit. With these long-awaited translations of his plays, fictions, and essays, D¿rrenmatt becomes available again in all his brilliance to the English-speaking world. D¿rrenmatt¿s essays, gathered in this third volume of Selected Writings, are among his most impressive achievements. Their range alone is astonishing: he wrote with authority and charm about art, literature, philosophy, politics, and the theater. The selections here include D¿rrenmatt¿s best-known essays, such as ¿Theater Problems¿ and ¿Monster Essay on Justice and Law,¿