Synopsis
In Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s experimental thriller The Assignment , the wife of a psychiatrist has been raped and killed near a desert ruin in North Africa. Her husband hires a woman named F. to reconstruct the unsolved crime in a documentary film. F. is soon unwittingly thrust into a paranoid world of international espionage where everyone is watched—including the watchers. After discovering a recent photograph of the supposed murder victim happily reunited with her husband, F. becomes trapped in an apocalyptic landscape riddled with political intrigue, crimes of mistaken identity, and terrorism.F.’s labyrinthine quest for the truth is Dürrenmatt’s fictionalized warning against the dangers of a technologically advanced society that turns everyday life into one of constant scrutiny. Joel Agee’s elegant translation will introduce a fresh generation of English-speaking readers to one of European literature’s masters of language, suspense, and dystopia. “The narrative is accelerated from the start. . . . As the novella builds to its horripilating climax, we realize the extent to which all values have thereby been inverted. The Assignment is a parable of hell for an age consumed by images.”— New York Times Book Review “His most ambitious book . . . dark and devious . . . almost obsessively drawn to mankind’s most fiendish crimes.”— Chicago Tribune “A tour-de-force . . . mesmerizing.”— Village Voice
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About the Author
Friedrich Dürrenmatt was born in 1921 in the village of Konolfingen, near Berne, Switzerland. He wrote prolifically during the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, taking particular interest in human rights and the preservation of Israel. He is the author of numerous books published by the University of Chicago Press, including The Pledge.
Language Notes
Text: English, German (translation)
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The Assignment or on the Observing of the Observer of the Observers
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Vintage/Ebury (A Division of Random House Group), 1988
ISBN 10: 0224025597
ISBN 13: 9780224025591
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Condition: Used - Very Good. 1988. 1ST. Hardcover. Some wear. Very Good. Seller Inventory # A002449
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The Assignment: (Or) On Observing the Observer of the Observers
Published by
Vintage/Ebury (A Division of Ran, 1988
ISBN 10: 0224025597
ISBN 13: 9780224025591
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. Good - Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name - GOOD Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M0224025597Z3
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The Assignment
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. The Assignment This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780224025591
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The Assignment
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780224025591
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The Assignment or, On the Observing of the Observer of the Observers
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Hardcover with unclipped dust jacket in very good condition. Jacket is slightly scuffed, and light score on front board towards the upper edge. Otherwise, as unread. LW. Used. Seller Inventory # 542585
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The Assignment
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Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. "On The Observing Of The Observer Of The Observers". First edition and printing. In smart, fine blue cloth boards, gilt titles to spine. The boards are very firm, flat and clean; spine and edges strong. The end papers are unmarked. The text block is tightly bound and straight; the cut edges are lightly tanned, the pages inside are not marked. No dedications etc. Near fine condition. Overall condition of boards and page block is near fine plus. In near fine pictorial glossy jacket with three men sitting on a log and white and blue titles. The jacket is clean and fits well; edges quite sound. Not price clipped. Seller Inventory # 71762
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THE ASSIGNMENT OR ON THE OBSERVING OF THE OBSERVER OF THE OBSERVERS
Published by
Jonathan Cape, London, 1988
ISBN 10: 0224025597
ISBN 13: 9780224025591
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Cloth. Condition: Very Good ++. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Seller Inventory # 010379