Simon's Night and ''My Simon's Night Journal''

In this Jon Hassler classic, Simon Shea, a retired professor of English at a small Minnesota college, has begun to forget things and also experiences a few dangerous lapses in judgment. He commits himself to a private rest home where his encounters with other residents are variously strange, comical, and disquieting. A young doctor and her boyfriend enter Simon's life and attempt to persuade him that his new mode of life might be a cure worse than the disease. Reflections on his teaching career, his moribund marriage, his Catholicism, and an unforgettable week in Ireland with a former student flesh out Simon's unusual and complex character.

The themes are more relevant today than ever before, and this new edition is further enhanced by the inclusion of Hassler's own ''My Simon's Night Journal,'' which offers insights into the author's thought processes during the novel's long gestation period.