When Wim and Marie, a young Dutch couple, agree to hide a Jewish man in their home during the Nazi occupation, they think they are fulfilling their patriotic duty. Tension and awkwardness reign in the house as they try to adapt to this forbidden guest, whom they know as Nico. Small accidents and unexpected encounters ensue as the dynamic unsettles all three – until Nico dies, and Wim and Marie must face the risky endeavor of disposing of his body.
Taut, penetrating and rich with dark irony, Comedy in a Minor Key is a masterful study of human relationships under extreme circumstances.
"Hans Keilson is a genius… Rarely have such harrowing narratives been related with such wry, off-kilter humor… [one] of the world’s very greatest writers" Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review
"Surprisingly entertaining… Keilson wrote only four works of fiction in his lifetime. We should treasure them" Guardian
"A book of such profound and understated beauty that it almost seems to function as a parable" LA Times
Physical Info: 4.84 x 0.39 x 7.48 inches | 128 Pages | Paperback
Pushkin Press