“Deliciously wicked … readers will also find plenty to enjoy (one sequence of unwitting cannibalism is particularly memorable).”—Publishers Weekly "Fast-moving and witty in style and tone, this novel is one not soon forgotten." — World Literature Today "There's considerable charm to Bursa's clever variation on the story of youth seeking purpose… A nicely off-beat little novel." — The Complete Review "The Polish postwar firebrand Andrzej Bursa acquired a reputation as a quick-burning, existentially tormented rebel. Yet Bursa's dark humor and deadpan satire. keep utter bleakness at bay." — The Independent "A revolution against the banality of everyday life." — Gazeta Krakowska A young university student named Jurek, with no particular ambitions or talents, is adrift. After his doting aunt asks him to perform a small chore, he decides to kill her for no good reason other than, perhaps, boredom. Killing Auntie follows Jurek as he seeks to dispose of the corpse — a task more difficult than one might imagine — and then falls in love with a girl he meets on a train. Can he tell her what he's done? Will that ruin everything? "I'm convinced — simply — that we are all guilty," says Jurek, and his adventures with nosy neighbors, false-toothed grandmothers, and love-making lynxes shed light on how an entire society becomes involved in the murder and disposal of dear old Auntie. This is a short comedic masterpiece combining elements of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jean-Paul Sartre, Franz Kafka, and Joseph Heller, coming together in the end to produce an unforgettable tale of murder and — just maybe — redemption