The King of Corsica

A modern classic where history, philosophy, and eroticism collide in the grand tradition of the 18th-century novel. The son of an impoverished Westphalian aristocrat, Theodor von Neuhoff is both seductive and opportunistic. Sent to Versailles to be a page to Princess Palatine, he distinguishes himself as a brilliant and fluent conversationalist with a taste for the ladies and for political intrigue. His missions take him to Holland, Mecklenburg, Venice, and Spain, where he discovers his true vocation as a double agent. Convinced that politics is only a game, in 1736 he has himself proclaimed king by the Corsicans rebelling against Genovese hegemony. As Theodore the First, he plans to transform his island into a prosperous kingdom. Yet, he gravely overestimates his own abilities as a monarch and goes down in history as the man who was king for a summer, dying a pauper in London. In The King of Corsica, Michael Kleeberg--an accomplished prose stylist--draws the portrait of a historical figure caught between the excesses of the Baroque age and the Enlightenment, a master of illusion whose preoccupations are all too familiar to modern readers: money, love, and fame.

About the Author :
Michael Kleeberg Michael Kleeberg lives in Berlin and works as a writer and translator from French and English, including works by Marcel Proust and John Dos Passos. He is the author of three novels, two novellas, and two collections of stories. He won the Lion-Feuchtwanger Prize for best historical novel in 2000, and "The King of Corsica" is Kleeberg's first book to be published in the U.S. David Dollenmayer David Dollenmayer is Professor of German at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the author of The Berlin Novels of Alred Doblin. He is the recipient of the 2008 Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize. He lives in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

Review :
Mary Doria Russell author of "Dreamers of the Day "and"A Thread of Grace" "Initially challenging; quickly seductive; wonderfully rewarding. A sad and funny story, beautifully told by a masterful writer." Akhil Sharma" author of An Obedient Father " "A joyful and insightful portrait of the juncture between the excesses of the Baroque age and the ambitions of the Enlightenment. Kleeberg's characters behave and think in ways we can no longer imagine. A significant achievement by a remarkable storyteller."" " "Initially challenging; quickly seductive; wonderfully rewarding. A sad and funny story, beautifully told by a masterful writer."-Mary Doria Russell, author of "Dreamers of the Day "and "A Thread of Grace" "A joyful and insightful portrait of the juncture between the excesses of the Baroque age and the ambitions of the Enlightenment. Kleeberg's characters behave and think in ways we can no longer imagine. A significant achievement by a remarkable storyteller."" -"Akhil Sharma," author of An Obedient Father "