THIS SEEMINGLY SIMPLE fable of two children lost in an icy landscape is eloquent in its innocence but is implicit with the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. This quasi- fairy tale speaks of village life in the high mountains but is also a parable of belief and faith. Rock Crystal is a Christmas story and a story about the heart of the ice, the crystal.

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ADALBERT STIFTER grew up in the idyllic landscape of Bohemia; his affinity with nature and his evocation of the mountains and seasons is an outstanding feature of his writing. He was educated at the University of Vienna and published his first novel in 1840.

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TRANSLATED BY Elizabeth Mayer and the celebrated American poet, Marianne Moore
Cover illustration by Jason Martin
ISBN 1-901285-27-8 • 80pp • £5 / $12