S�bastien Japrisot was a prominent French author, screenwriter and film director, and the French translator of J. D. Salinger. He is best known for A Very Long Engagement, which won the Prix Interalli� and was made into a film by Am�lie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. One Deadly Summer won the Prix Deux Magots in 1978 and the film adaptation starring Isabelle Adjani won the C�sar Award 1984. Born in Marseille in 1931, he died in 2003.
'A gripping tale of hatred, revenge, and lust ... a sinister spellbinder' Publishers Weekly 'You will not see the final brutal twist coming in this clever thrilling novel ... an immensely powerful exploration of the psyche of a damaged individual.' Nudge Magazine 'The most welcome talent since the early Simenons' New York Times 'Japrisot's talent lies for one part in the clever construction of his novels that mimics a game of Meccano, each piece slotting neatly, one into another. Of course, it also lies in the writing that is simple, rhythmical, surprising, phonetic and lyrical.' Le Point 'A marvellous storyteller' T l rama 'S bastien Japrisot holds a unique place in contemporary French fiction... With the quality and originality of his writing, Japrisot has hugely contributed to breaking down the barrier between crime fiction and literary fiction.' Le Monde Praise for A Very Long Engagement: 'Riveting ... A fierce, elliptical novel that's both a gripping philosophical thriller and a highly moving meditation on the emotional consequences of war' New York Times 'A classic of its kind, brewing up enormous pathos undiluted by sentimentality' Daily Telegraph 'Diabolically clever ... The reader is alternately impressed, beguiled, frightened, bewildered ... A considerable achievement' Anita Brookner 'The narrative is brilliantly complex and beguiling, and the climax devastating' The Independent 'A kind of latter-day War and Peace ... a rich and most original panorama' Los Angeles Book Review 'Precisely, surprisingly evocative of the lingering pain of mourning and the burdens of survival' Kirkus Reviews