The King David Report (1973 Heym), novel (English ed.)

<bibexternal title="The King David Report" author="Heym"/>

The King David Report (1973) is the English edition of Der König David Bericht (The King David Report / 1972 Heym), novel. Translated from the German.

Abstract

"In this retelling of the biblical story, King Solomon commissions Ethan the Scribe to write the official history of King David. In return for the finest cooking in the land and the wages of a minor prophet, Ethan must write a proper record, full of glory and battles, statecraft and honor--a tribute to David and, of course, to Solomon, his heir. But as Ethan explores the story, he finds another life hidden behind the iron curtain dividing past from present: the story of a David who seduced, lied, bragged, and plundered his way to power. Ethan wonders: which life should be reported in the King David Report? ... Written by one of Germany's most acclaimed dissident authors, The King David Report is both an analysis of the writer's obligations to truth, and an astute satire on the workings of history and politics in a totalitarian state."--Publisher description.

Editions

Published in New York, NY: Putnam, 1973.