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    Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
    Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
    Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
    Ebook40 pages23 minutes

    Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

    By Bright Summaries

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    Unlock the more straightforward side of Hygiene and the Assassin with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

    This engaging summary presents an analysis of Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb, which was first published in 1992 to widespread critical acclaim. It tells the story of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Prétextat Tach, who finally decides to grant a number of interviews after learning that he has just months left to live. After driving the first four journalists out with his relentless misanthropy and acerbic tongue, he seems to have met his match in his final interviewer, a strong-willed young woman who has managed to dig up a terrible secret from his past… Amélie Nothomb is a prolific and award-winning Belgium author, with over 20 novels to her name so far. Her work has been translated into numerous languages, and she is one of the most widely read French-language authors active today.

    Find out everything you need to know about Hygiene and the Assassin in a fraction of the time!

    This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
    • A complete plot summary
    • Character studies
    • Key themes and symbols
    • Questions for further reflection

    Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
    Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

    See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrightSummaries.com
    Release dateJun 20, 2018
    ISBN9782808010245
    Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

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      Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb (Book Analysis) - Bright Summaries

      Belgian novelist

      Born in Etterbeek (Belgium) in 1966.

      Notable works:

      Loving Sabotage (1993), novel

      Fear and Trembling (1999), novel

      Life Form (2010), novel

      Amélie Nothomb is the pen name of Fabienne-Claire Nothomb, who was born into a family of Belgian diplomats and spent much of her childhood in Asia and the USA, depending on her father’s postings.

      She later studied philology at the Université libre de Bruxelles. After graduating, she returned to Japan, a country which holds an enduring fascination for her, before publishing her first novel, Hygiene and the Assassin, in 1992. This marked the beginning of a prolific and sustained literary career, which has seen her publish a novel every year up to the present day.

      Nothomb herself appears as a character in a number of her works, including Fear and Trembling, The Character of Rain (2000) and Toyko Fiancée (2007), which often depict the fraught relationship between a victim and their tormentor. Dialogue typically predominates in Nothomb’s writing.

      She is one of the most widely read contemporary French-language authors, and has a number of honours to her name: she was awarded the Grand prix Jean Giono in 2008, and was elected a member of the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium in 2015.

      An unusual work of noir fiction

      Genre: novel

      Reference edition: Nothomb, A. (2010) Hygiene and the Assassin. Trans: Anderson, A. New York: Europa Editions.

      1st edition: 1992

      Themes: ugliness, food, childhood, boredom, murder, victim/victimiser relationships

      Amélie Nothomb’s debut novel Hygiene and the Assassin was published in 1992 to critical acclaim, winning both the Prix René-Fallet, which is awarded each year to a writer

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