Translated Accounts — James Kelman

In Translated Accounts, the Booker Prize-winning author of How late it was, how late, offers us a harrowing glimpse into a realm where power is unchecked and liberties are few or nonexistent. Taking us into an unnamed territory that appears to be under military rule, Kelman creates a world that many know or have known, a world that may one day be thrust upon us, conjuring a grim awareness of the instability that lurks behind the veneer of order in any country. Filtering the dark visions of Franz Kafka through the verbal brilliance of Samuel Beckett, Kelman has written a novel that is often shocking, yet surprisingly poignant, and totally unforgettable.