DarkWinter Press New Release: Harold Koenig by Chris Klassen!

DarkWinter Press is thrilled to announce our latest release, the intriguing and mysterious story of Harold Koenig by Chris Klassen, available now on Amazon in paperback and e-version for Kindle! You can buy it here!

About Harold Koenig:

Harold Koenig lives in a small rooming house. Financially secure, his purpose in life consists solely in observing his surroundings and trying to discern and record philosophical truths. He is a genius and an outcast and sometimes a challenge to tolerate. And while Harold is mostly a kind man, he's not always what he seems. Occasionally his insecurities cause him to react erratically when he feels he or others have been wronged. The deeper he retreats into his own head, the more he starts to question. "Is philosophy, are my efforts, nothing but an intellectual pastime?" he asks in his journal. "Perhaps I'm only filling blank paper and using up my days." As his doubts about life and truth grow, his grasp on reality seems to fade. Ultimately, what he thinks he experiences may be nothing but his own delusions. 

Advance Praise for Harold Koenig:

"Chris Klassen's brand of fiction wonderfully borders the line of curious relatability, and of surreal revelry, which examines the human condition through unpacking the distinctive decisions we all are forced to make as we wade through life. Klassen's characters, too, are brought to life in a way where we can often see so much of ourselves in them, for better and sometimes for worse. Harold Koenig is nothing if not fun, a romp of a story both jovial and thought-provoking."

- Michael Shields, Editor-in-Chief, Across the Margin

"Chris Klassen writes about Harold Koenig with so much care and detail that this fictional man feels both familiar and alive. While watching Harold try to understand the philosophies and the nature of the people around him, I couldn't help but feel deeply endeared by his efforts and his sincerity. In spite of his peculiarity, or perhaps because of it, you find yourself really rooting for Harold and wanting him to find the answers he seeks. This novella unfolded in unexpected ways, and it kept me at the edge of my seat, wanting and wanting more. Thank you Chris Klassen for this extremely unique character and story."

- Sruthi Amalan, Poet

"Building upon the emotional depths and compelling characterizations and storytelling that made 2024’s An Individual such a memorable debut, Harold Koenig further solidifies Chris Klassen as a wonderfully entertaining and insightful literary voice. Harold and the people he encounters are complex and empathetic, showcasing relatable desires and quandaries both big and small via eloquent yet believable dialogue and intriguing decisions. By the end, it’s nearly impossible not to be touched by his journey."

- Jordan Blum, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The Bookends Review

About The Author:

Chris Klassen lives and writes in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from the University of Toronto and living for a year in France and England, he returned home and worked the majority of his career in print media. To date, thirty-four of his short stories have been published in Canadian, American and British literary journals and magazines. Harold Koenig is his second novel. It follows his debut from 2024, entitled An Individual.