Little Man from Archangel

A dusty, lonely bookseller, Jonas, lies to protect his young wife from suspicion and resentment, but the lie eats away at him, revealing his true isolation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2021
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

A captivating storyteller, Simenon's fascination lay in the unraveling of the ordinary man's grip on his own destiny. Encountering a woman of breathtaking beauty, brimming with vitality, he found himself drawn to her despite the stark contrast in their ages, with him being sixteen years her senior and occupying the role of a dusty, solitary bookseller whose sole passion in life was the meticulous collection of stamps.

Jonas, accustomed to his young wife's frequent disappearances, had become a familiar figure in the town, with everyone aware of her romantic liaisons with other men. However, this time, he resorted to a small lie to shield her from the prying eyes of the community, claiming that she was visiting a school friend. Though it was a fabrication, it gnawed at him like an illness, breeding hostility and resentment towards this timid Russian-Jewish bookseller, who had always believed in his acceptance within the community.

As suspicion grew, Jonas' true, terrifying isolation was laid bare. The lie he had spun began to unravel, casting a shadow over his once-trusted reputation. The once-accepted bookseller found himself cast aside, his once-comfortable existence shattered by the consequences of his deceit. In the face of mounting scrutiny, he realized the depth of his isolation, trapped in a web of lies and deceit that had sealed his fate.

Weight: 146g
Dimension: 152 x 196 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780241487068