{"product_id":"the-man-without-illness","title":"The Man Without Illness","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #b45f06;\"\u003eFebruary 24, 2027\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #b45f06;\"\u003enovel | pb | 222 pgs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #b45f06;\"\u003e5.5\" x 8.5\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#b45f06\" style=\"color: #b45f06;\"\u003e978-1-960385-62-8\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA taut, disquieting novel from one of today's most fearless and acclaimed Dutch writers.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMan Without Illness\u003c\/em\u003e, Arnon Grunberg strips down the idea of Western idealism and cultural neutrality through the story of Samarendra Ambani—Sam—a promising Swiss architect who fervently believes that buildings can make life better. Healthy in body, precise in thought, and untouched by suffering, Sam is the “man without illness.” But when he travels to Baghdad to design an opera house, his sense of order collapses.\u003cstrong style=\"color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWrongly accused, tortured, humiliated, and expelled from Iraq, Sam returns to Zurich broken but unchanged—or so he believes. He accepts a second commission in Dubai, this time to build a national library, determined to prove that architecture—and rationality—can still hold meaning. But suspicion follows him, and again, the ground beneath him gives way.\u003cstrong style=\"color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA portrait of modern alienation,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMan Without Illness\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis both a psychological drama and a political fable—brilliantly unsettling, mordantly funny, and utterly contemporary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTranslated from the Dutch by Sam Garrett\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #b45f06;\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArnon Grunberg \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(1971) debuted at the age of 23 with the wry, humorous novel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlue Mondays\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, which brought him instant success. Some of his other titles are \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSilent Extras\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Asylum Seeker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Jewish Messiah\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhantom Pain\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eGood Men\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTirza\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Under the pseudonym Marek van der Jagt he published the successful \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Story of my Baldness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eGstaad 95-98\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, as well as the essay \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMonogaam\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (Monogamous). Grunberg also writes plays, essays and travel columns. He is the recipient of most literary prizes in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the Swiss International Jonathan Swift Award for humor and satire in literature. His work has been translated into 30 languages. He has contributed to numerous international newspapers, including the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (London), \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eL'Espresso\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDie Zeit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Arnon Grunberg splits his time between Amsterdam and New York\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Translator:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSam Garrett\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis a prolific translator of Dutch literature, twice winner of the Society of Authors' Vondel Prize for Dutch-English translation. His 2012 translation of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dinner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e by Herman Koch became the most popular Dutch novel ever translated into English.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #b76003;\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for Arnon Grunberg:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The wit and sardonic intelligence that shine through Arnon Grunberg's prose make it a continual pleasure to read.\"—\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eJ. M. Coetzee\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Brutal and altogether winning.\"—\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eJeffrey Eugenides\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003ePhantom Pain\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis a raucous ride through the dark night of the ego. Mehlman's long undoing makes for a funny and wonderfully unnerving novel.\"—\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSam Lipsyte\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A rare feat: [\u003ci\u003eBlue Mondays\u003c\/i\u003e] manages to be shocking yet not sensationalist, hip but not trendy, ironic but not cynical . . . It is profounding affecting.\"—\u003cspan style=\"color: #444444;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlain de Botton\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arnon Grunberg","offers":[{"title":"pb","offer_id":47578618527980,"sku":null,"price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"ebook","offer_id":47578618560748,"sku":null,"price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0282\/5792\/files\/manillness_e3cc0812-b9f3-4d47-946c-7577e6b9b182.jpg?v=1777315302","url":"https:\/\/www.openletterbooks.org\/products\/the-man-without-illness","provider":"Open Letter","version":"1.0","type":"link"}