Unknown: A Special Edition of Out of My Head

Product Description Part moral fable, part Robert Ludlum-style thriller, Unknown is a fast-paced tale of one man's desperate attempt to reclaim his existence--even at the cost of his own life. Martin Harris returns home after a short absence to find that his wife doesn't know him, another man is living in his house under his name, and the neighbors think he's a raving lunatic. Worse, not a single person--family, colleague, or doctor--can vouch for him. Worse still, the impostor shares all of Martin's memories, experiences, and knowledge, down to the last detail. He is, in fact, a more convincing Martin than Martin himself. Is it a conspiracy? Amnesia? Is Martin the victim of an elaborate hoax or of his own paranoid delusion? In his high-powered new novel, Didier van Cauwelaert, the award-winning author of One-Way, explores the illusory nature of identity and the instability of the things we take for granted. Dispossessed of his job, his family, his name, and his very past, Martin Harris is an Everyman caught in an absurd and yet disturbingly convincing nightmare, one that seems to have no exit and that resists every explanation. Review ''Simply thrilling. Its surprising denouement works a retrospective magic.'' -- New York Times Book Review ''The idea driving Unknown is compelling. . . . The terse prose is unpretentious and the plot full of captivating twists.'' -- San Francisco Chronicle ''[V]an Cauwelaert's convincing little nightmare, a Twilight Zone-ish yarn.'' -- Entertainment Weekly''A spirited exploration of identity and memory.'' -- Publishers Weekly ''Had Camus trained at the CIA, this is the book he would have written. A hauntingly literary espionage thriller.'' -- Brad Thor, author of State of the Union ''The swift final scene--a breathtaking jete--should surprise even the most jaded fan of thrillers. A little gem.'' -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)''Van Cauwelaert has assembled his plot perfectly, like an intricate timepiece, and we are amazed by the precise ticking that sounds at every twist in the tale. The book reads like a close cousin of Philip K. Dick, the acknowledged master of doubting what's real.'' -- Olivier Delcroix ''A devilishly well-oiled plot, which grabs the reader with both hands, drags him along, and twists him around.'' --Le Spectacle du MondeA spirited exploration of identity and memory.--Publishers Weekly Had Camus trained at the CIA, this is the book he would have written. A hauntingly literary espionage thriller.--Brad Thor, author of State of the Union The swift final scene--a breathtaking jete--should surprise even the most jaded fan of thrillers. A little gem. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Van Cauwelaert has assembled his plot perfectly, like an intricate timepiece, and we are amazed by the precise ticking that sounds at every twist in the tale. The book reads like a close cousin of Philip K. Dick, the acknowledged master of doubting what's real.--Olivier Delcroix A devilishly well-oiled plot, which grabs the reader with both hands, drags him along, and twists him around. --Le Spectacle du Monde About the Author Author Bio: DIDIER VAN CAUWELAERT is the author of several international bestsellers, including the critically acclaimed Unknown. He also wrote the libretto for the off-Broadway musical, Amour, which garnered five Tony nominations in 2003. Translator Bio: MARK POLIZZOTTI has translated numerous books from the French, including works by Andre Breton, Jean Echenoz, Marguerite Duras, and Gustave Flaubert. He is the author of Revolution of the Mind: The Life of Andre Breton, a collection of poems, The New Life, and the collaborative novel S. He lives in Massachusetts.