The Simmons Papers

by Philipp Blom

Simmons was allocated the letter P in the compilation of a great dictionary. On his death a manuscript is discovered, describing his task and his life in the service of definition. What emerges is a sad story of a man who is barred from the real world and has written himself deep into a prison.

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Philipp Blom is a German novelist who currently lives and works in Vienna, Austria. He is best known for his novel, The Simmons Papers (1995). His 2007 novel, Luxor has not yet been translated into English. He is a professional historian who studied at Vienna and Oxford with a focus on eighteenth-century intellectual history. His academic works include: To Have and to Hold: An Intimate History of Collectors and Collecting; Encyclopédie, and The Vertigo Years: Change and Culture in the West, 1900-1914. He is also the author of The Wines of Austria.

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good, and quite clever, but the concept is greater than its impact.