The Dwarf

Pär Lagerkvist · 1891–1974 · Sweden

Originally Dvärgen (Swedish)

Why it matters

A Renaissance prince's court dwarf narrates the poisonings and wars he engineers with cold relish. Lagerkvist's chilling allegory of fascism, voiced by a creature convinced that cruelty is simply clear sight.

At a glance

A compact, lucid first-person confession, dense with menace rather than syntax.