On the Marble Cliffs

Now in a new translation, an imaginative, darkly radiant fable about a pair of brothers, formerly warriors, whose idyll is shattered by an encroaching fascistic force.

Set in a world of its own, Ernst Jünger's On the Marble Cliffs is both a mesmerizing work of fantasy and an allegory of the advent of fascism. The narrator of the book and his brother, Otho, live in an ancient house carved out of the great marble cliffs that overlook the Marina, a great and beautiful lake. This lake is surrounded by a peaceable land of ancient cities, temples, and flourishing vineyards.

Key Setting:

• To the north of the cliffs: The grasslands of the Campagna, occupied by herders.
• Beyond the Campagna: The great forest begins, where the brutal Head Forester rules, abetted by the warrior bands of the Mauretanians.

The brothers, having seen all too much of war, seek solace in a life of peace. Their youth was consumed in fighting, and now they have resolved to live quietly:

• Studying botany and adding to their herbarium.
• Consulting the books in their library.
• Immersing themselves in the timeless pursuit of knowledge.

However, their sanctuary is soon disturbed. Rumors of dark deeds begin to reach them. Agents of the Head Forester are infiltrating the peaceful provinces he views with contempt. The peace itself, it seems, may only be a mask for heedlessness.

Tess Lewis's new translation of Jünger's sinister fable of 1939 brings out all of this legendary book's dark luster.