The House of a Thousand Floors Paperback / softback

by Jan Weiss

Part of the CEU Press Classics series

Paperback / softback

Available to Order - This title is available to order, with delivery expected within 2 weeks

Description

The House of a Thousand Floors is one of the earliest science-fiction novels in European literature, published first in 1929.

Besides being a pioneer in its genre, the book is highly regarded for its general merits as psychological literature. The novel tells the story of a dream in fever of a soldier wounded in World War I.

He finds himself in the stairway of a gigantic (and kafkaesque) tower-like building, which is a metaphor for modern society.

He learns that his task is to rescue Princess Tamara from Muller, the lord of the edifice.

After a number of surrealistic encounters in the building, during which he is hailed as a liberator by many and is hunted by the cruel security guards, the main character finds Tamara and faces the cruel lord of Mullerdom.

The novel makes fine use of a range of experimental styles and techniques.

At times, linear storytelling gives way to a collage of incongruous elements: excerpts from fictitious books, encyclopedia articles, radio broadcast transcripts are used as a shortcut to describe places or events; other narrative ingredients include fanciful advertisements, ludicrous administrative documents or political slogans which highlight the idiosyncrasies of this decadent world.