Dark Spring

by Unica Zürn

This dark, autobiographical coming-of-age novel reads more like an exorcism than a memoir

In Dark Spring, author Unica Z rn traces the roots of her obsessions: The exotic father she idealized, the "impure" mother she detested, the masochistic fantasies and onanistic rituals which she said described "the erotic life of a little girl based on my own childhood." Dark Spring is the story of a young girl's simultaneous...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1878972308
• ISBN13: 9781878972309
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Exact Change
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Horrifyingly Illuminating

I was amazed at Zurn's unnamed ambiguous protagonist, how scathingly naked this young girl was, her ambivalence, her passion. At some point I allowed this girl to pillage my own psyche, and I felt insane yet the insanity felt was mostly visceral. A coming of age story that is never censored, and hard to stomach at times. You cant help but empathize with her desire for her physicality to affirm her reality. An easy read, though not light read whatsoever.

Powerful

The ending of this book will I believe haunt me for days to come...One of the best novels I have ever read though not for all tastes. I found Zurn's writing hypnotic and mystifying. A dark and honest german tale of innocence tarnished, love lost, suicide, dreams, sex, violence, domestic hell all seen through the eyes of a lonely twelve year old girl. Beautiful, sad and and unfortunately prophetic - spoiler-(Unica Zurn, the author killed herself in real life). Anyone interested in psychology or stories dealing with youthful angst must read this gripping literary work of art. A masterpiece.

Incredibly Haunting Imagery

This is an incredibly vivid and haunting book by a very talented writer. As a result of her life, her work seems to not receive the recognition that it should. The writing in this book is beautiful. She deals with the fractured feminine psyche piling on surreal images that create a nightmare echo that resounds from cover to cover. Brilliant.

a sad tale well told

Unica Zurn had her problems, no doubt about it, but she was also a talented writer who had the ability to turn her pain and suffering into art. This sort of reminds me of that other gem on the same topic entitled THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath. I suggest you get it. Unica Zurn deserves to be read and remembered.