Juxtaposing reality and fantasy, nightmares and dark laughter, Nadirs is a collection of largely autobiographical stories based on Herta Müller's childhood in the Romanian countryside. The individual tales reveal a child's often nightmarish impressions of life in her village. Seamlessly mixing reality with dreamlike images, they brilliantly convey the inner, troubled life of a child and at the same time capture the violence and corruption of life under an oppressive state.

Contents:

• The Funeral Sermon
• The Swabian Bath
• My Family
• Nadirs
• Rotten Pears
• Oppressive Tango
• The Window
• The Man with the Matchbox
• Village Chronicle
• About German Mustaches and Hair Parts
• The Intervillage Bus
• Mother, Father, and the Little One
• The Street Sweepers
• Black Park
• Workday