The Prisoner of Urga

The Prisoner of Urga, László Krasznahorkai’s mind-bending, legendary third novel—and his first book set in Asia—is only now, decades after its 1992 publication, coming into English

In this book of journeys—to enlightenment? to a way out of a terrible life crisis? to the Celestial Empire? to a meeting with the gods?—a holy fool of a character named László Krasznahorkai travels for days and days across the Gobi Desert by train. Past vistas of empty vastness worthy of Kafka’s China, László ente...