Psychopomp

Amélie Nothomb is an author of global stature: her books are published in six-figure print runs in forty countries, and among her awards are the Grand Prix of the French Academy and the Strega Prize.

Under one cover, two new autobiographical novels by the writer are brought together—“Psychopomp” and “Impossible Return.” In the first, Nothomb tells with startling candor about childhood trauma, anorexia, and a strange ability to carry on conversations with the departed. In the second, she returns to her love of Japan and tries to relive her connection to the country after thirty years.

The short bestselling novels by Belgium’s Amélie Nothomb invariably become events: they are printed in huge runs and translated around the world, and she herself has been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix of the French Academy and one of Europe’s most important literary prizes—the Strega Prize. This edition includes two of her autobiographical texts (2023, 2024).

“Psychopomp” is a moving first-person confession. The title refers to the epithet of the ancient Greek Hermes and translates as “a conductor of souls.” Here it is the story of childhood and youth, sexual assault experienced at twelve years old in Bangladesh, and anorexia that became a consequence of trauma; bizarre twists of fate, secrets of the writer’s craft, her personal creative creed, and the unexpectedly acquired art of talking with the dead—despite the fact that Nothomb herself is in no way inclined toward mysticism.

“Impossible Return” is a quiet, intensely personal novel about Japan and a trip there thirty years after an attempt to stay in that country forever— the one she wrote about in her famous books “Fear and Trembling” and “Tokyo Fiancée.” Recognizable streets and ancient monuments awaken powerful memories and nostalgia, while the humor that is characteristic of Nothomb makes this journey both touching and bright.