Pascal Mercier

Raimund Gregorius teaches classical languages at a Swiss lycée, and lives a life governed by routine. One day, a chance encounter with a Portuguese woman inspires him to question his life—and leads him to an extraordinary book that will open the possibility of changing it. Inspired by the words of Amadeu de Prado, a …

Philipp Perlmann is a prominent linguist who's come to a picturesque seaside town near Genoa to speak at a gathering of renowned international colleagues. Derailed by grief over his wife's sudden death in an accident, Perlmann is no longer confident of his professional standing, and writing his keynote address seems …