Translated from the French by J.A. Underwood

 In this latter day Gothic novel Gombrowicz uses all the traditional paraphernalia of haunted castle, mad prince, and riddle from the past to tell the very modern story of two young people caught up in a drama of shifting identities. The atmosphere of decaying aristocracy and declining gentry in which the novel is set is very much that of Gombrowicz’s childhood in Poland, while the themes explored – the seductiveness of immaturity, and the relation between evil and personal awareness – are those with which all his work was consistently concerned.

‘ and possessed it is – of a remarkable prose style, a spellbinding plot, and enough eerie pauses and leaps to satisfy the most demanding of readers. Possessed is a Gothic classic – not merely, that is, a horror story but a true Gothic masterpiece.’ – The Jerusalem Post

 ‘his exploitation of the genre is highly skillful and the plot thouroughly gripping.’ – Observer

 ‘a virtuouso performance in full evening dress.’ – Scotsman

WITOLD GOMBROWICZ was born in Poland in 1904. His first book, a collection of short stories appeared in 1933. His novels are now recognized as modern classics and he was the winner of the prestigious international Prix Formentor. He died in France in 1969.

Price: £9.99
ISBN: 978-0-7145-2738-3
Fiction