Obscurity

Obscurity is a novel by Jaccottet that explores the fractured ideals between two men who were once close. The disciple finds his master has abandoned his family and moved into a squalid one-room flat, cutting himself off from his former life. The novel seeks to harmonize the best and worst of human nature, reconciling despair, falsehood, and lethargy of spirit with the need to remain open to beauty, truth, and the essential goodness of humankind.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 132 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2022
Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd

After spending several years abroad, a young man returns to his hometown in search of the man he refers to as his master. This master, a brilliant philosopher, had transformed the young man into a disciple before sending him out into the world to apply his teachings. Upon his return three years later, the disciple discovers that his master has left his wife and child and moved into a dilapidated one-room flat, completely isolating himself from his former life. Disillusioned and overwhelmed by this revelation, the young man spends an entire night listening to his master's bitter denunciation of the ideals they once shared. Written in 1960 during Jaccottet's period of poetic paralysis, the novel aims to reconcile the best and worst aspects of human nature, bridging despair, falsehood, and apathy with the need to remain receptive to beauty, truth, and the inherent goodness of humanity. Translated by Tess Lewis, Obscurity is Jaccottet's sole work of fiction, offering a captivating introduction to the diverse talents of this renowned poet for new readers.

Dimension: 8 x 5 x 1 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803090559