Deliciously sardonic...a joyful book, full of surprises' - THE WASHINGTON POST The pioneering writings of celebrated Russian novelist Ezra Slef have made him a titan of contemporary Postmodernism, with a worldwide following keen to know more about the man behind the books. Enter Humbert Botekin, a disgraced former professor of literature, and Slef's biggest admirer. He writes the definitive biography of Slef, with compendious notes, an introduction, a list of plates, and a glossary.
But Botekin's narrative soon spirals dangerously out of control. A supreme egotist, Botekin cannot resist assuming the foreground, so that his ostensible biography of Slef gradually changes into a personal memoir in which we learn far more about the biographer than about his subject. The narrative is both sinister and darkly comic.
Botekin's secrets include making a Faustian pact with a well-travelled gentleman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Devil--a likeness the self-absorbed Botekin fails to notice, even as his world collapses around him.

Praise for Ezra Slef:
'Layer-upon-layer of literary jabs, clever writing, and stuff that's so laugh out loud funny I found myself wishing I'd thought of it first.' - John Llewelyn Probert, Winner of 2013 British Fantasy Award'An arch and wry black comedy that comes across as Nabokov or Bulgakov by way of Peter Cook' - Paul D Brazill, author
'A landmark read for me....absolutely hilarious' - Des Lewis, author and Gestalt Reviewer

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