The Marquise of O

The Marquise of O is an unusual novella about "forced seduction" (aka rape) in which the initial paragraph is an advertisement penned by the victim to be published in a newspaper asking the unknown father to come forth to the Marquise and make his identity known so that they may marry. A very odd story, but well written by late 18th century Prussian writer Heinrich von Kleist. von Kleist mostly wrote short stories and philosophical pieces.

Kleist is famous for having formulated a plan for his life at the age of 21, which didn't seem to go quite as planned, as he and his beloved committed suicide together in 1811. His work inspired the likes of E.T.A. Hoffmann, Kafka, and Thomas Mann.

There is a Kleist Prize, an annual prize for German literature, which ran from 1912-32, then suspended until re-introduced in 1985 and continues to this day. (DR)