Description
Peter Handke's mother was an invisible woman. Throughout her life—which spanned the Nazi era, the war, and the postwar consumer economy—she struggled to maintain appearances, only to arrive at a terrible recognition: "I'm not human any more." Not long after, she killed herself with an overdose of sleeping pills.
In A Sorrow Beyond Dreams her son sits down to record what he knows, or thinks he knows, about his mother's life and death before, in his words, "the dull speechlessness—the extreme speechlessness" of grief takes hold forever. And yet the experience of speechlessness, as it marks both suffering and love, lies at the heart of Handke's brief but unforgettable elegy. This austere, scrupulous, and deeply moving book is one of the finest achievements of a great contemporary writer.
How to Reserve a Seat for an Event in the Store
We offer limited reserved seating for anyone purchasing a copy
of an event’s featured book in advance from The Booksmith.
In the store: let us know you’d like a reserved seat
when you make your purchase prior to the event date.
By telephone: let us know you’d like a reserved seat
when you make your purchase prior to the event date.
By email: let us know you’d like a reserved seat
when you make your purchase prior to the event date.
Online: when you place your order via Booksmith.com,
add “reserved seat for talk on [date]” to the comments field.
NB: if you choose the ‘pay in store’ option, we cannot guarantee
a reserved seat. If you want to be certain to have a reserved seat,
we suggest you choose the ‘pay with credit card’ option.
In all cases, we will either confirm a reserved seat for you
or let you know that we have no more reserved seats available.
Please note this offer provides one reserved seat for each book purchased.










