May 29th, 2010 / 6:52 pm
Snippets

The newly translated collection of Thomas Bernhard’s prose, aptly titled Prose (Seagull Books – August 15), should be anticipated as a major literary event (or at least as a book to celebrate). Whenever readers of the future want to recommend a Bernhard to start with, I hope that it will be this one. It’s possibly the most deranged, compact and dangerous performance I’ve seen Bernhard give, a performance somehow polyphonic within Bernhard’s singular voice that’s always, to often brutal and hilarious effect, dashing behind itself only to expose its weaknesses again and again. Here Bernhard is a tightrope-walker like no other. And, of course, the translation is gorgeous. More soon.

20 Comments

  1. d

      Bernhard is amazing.

      I cannot wait until someone translates Horacio Castellanos Moya’s novel ‘El asco, Thomas Bernhard en El Salvador’.

  2. Janey Smith

      Thomas Bernhard

  3. d

      Bernhard is amazing.

      I cannot wait until someone translates Horacio Castellanos Moya’s novel ‘El asco, Thomas Bernhard en El Salvador’.

  4. EC

      “…a performance somehow polyphonic within Bernhard’s singular voice that’s always, to often brutal and hilarious effect, dashing behind itself only to expose its weaknesses again and again.”

      That’s a very apt & concise description of B’s voice. I’m looking forward to the book.

  5. James

      Looking forward to this book and Alec’s review, I should say, forthcoming in the Faster Times. ;)

  6. Janey Smith

      Thomas Bernhard

  7. Cameron Pierce

      Sweet.

  8. EC

      “…a performance somehow polyphonic within Bernhard’s singular voice that’s always, to often brutal and hilarious effect, dashing behind itself only to expose its weaknesses again and again.”

      That’s a very apt & concise description of B’s voice. I’m looking forward to the book.

  9. James Yeh

      Looking forward to this book and Alec’s review, I should say, forthcoming in the Faster Times. ;)

  10. Cameron Pierce

      Sweet.

  11. rk

      The most deranged and dangerous Bernhard? Wow. I thought Lime Works was just about the most crazed book possible. Will look forward to this.

  12. Lily Hoang

      Just ordered the book. Thanks, Alec!

  13. rk

      The most deranged and dangerous Bernhard? Wow. I thought Lime Works was just about the most crazed book possible. Will look forward to this.

  14. lily hoang

      Just ordered the book. Thanks, Alec!

  15. Eliza

      And, of course, the translation is gorgeous

      –Why’s that? How does it compare to the original German? Or are you comparing it to the translations of TB by David McClintock, Sophie Wilkins, Michael Hofmann et al.?

  16. anon

      gay gay gay
      this reads like a parody of some over eager classical music critic
      just overall a really gay performance, here, probably one of the gayest I’ve seen given

  17. Ryan Call

      i miss 7th grade too

  18. Eliza

      And, of course, the translation is gorgeous

      –Why’s that? How does it compare to the original German? Or are you comparing it to the translations of TB by David McClintock, Sophie Wilkins, Michael Hofmann et al.?

  19. anon

      gay gay gay
      this reads like a parody of some over eager classical music critic
      just overall a really gay performance, here, probably one of the gayest I’ve seen given

  20. Ryan Call

      i miss 7th grade too