Erich Kuby: Rosemary

Erich Kuby
Rosemary

fiction, new
first published in 1958

320pp (73,000 words)

Full English translation available

ROSEMARY tells the story of Rosemary Nitribitt, who became famous during the post-war years in the economic powerhouse of Frankfurt as a high-class prostitute. Her clients included influential figures in the world of finance and industry. Rosemary’s murder in the autumn of 1957 caused a scandal. Her killer was never caught, and the mistakes in the investigation – including the temporary mislaying of the case files – inspired many rumours and legends.

More than the story of a criminal case and the ensuing scandal, Erich Kuby’s book explores the period now known as the German “economic miracle”. Writing in a vivid and atmospheric style, he captures the spirit of the 1950s in the Federal Republic of Germany. His Rosemary becomes symbolic of the double standards of contemporary society and the dark side of the economic boom.

Rights sold

- Italy (Meltemi Press)

Previous foreign editions (rights reverted):

- Croatia (Prosvjeta, 1966; 1961)
- Czech Republic (Odeon, 1966); (Státní Nakl. krásné literatury a umění, 1964)
- Denmark (Grafisk Forl., 1959)
- Finland (Tammi, 1959)
- France (Presses Pocket, 1966); (Presses de la cite, 1959)
- Hungary (Albatrosz Könyvek, 1965)
- Italy (Mondadori, 1968; 1962); (Einaudi, 1968; 1959)
- Netherlands (Arbeiderspers, 1962); (Boeken & Breughel, 1959)
- Norway (Cappelen, 1959)
- Slovakia (Vyd. politickej literatúry, 1964)
- Slovenia (Založba Obzorja, 1964)
- Spain (Editorial Hermes, 1960)
- Sweden (Tidens Förl., 1959)
- UK / English (Hamilton & Co., 1961); (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1960)
- USA / English (Dell, 1961); (Knopf, 1960)

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Reviews

»The Nitribitt affair is more than a shocking crime, it is also alarming due to its sociological implications.«
Thilo Koch, DIE ZEIT (1958)

»An amazingly precise analyses of the social situation at the time. (...) Greatly entertaining. This new edition, containing a clever, sociologically based essay, saves the Nittribit case on a high level into the third millennium.«
Kristina Maidt-Zinke, Süddeutsche Zeitung

»Kuby dazzles with originality and accuracy.«
Jamal Tuschick, Der Freitag

»Kuby portrays his character Rosemary as a reflection of the German wirtschaftswunder par excellence.«
Reinhard Kalb, Nürnberger Zeitung

»What makes this text so unique is that it offers an unobstructed view of the social climate and morals of the 1950s.«
Gießener Allgemeine