Silent Catastrophes

‘A profoundly affirming book about the potential for literature . . . One of the few essential writers of this generation’ The Scotsman From acclaimed critic, novelist and academic W. G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz and The Rings of Saturn , a collection of essay on the Austrian writers who inspired him Appearing for the first time in English, Silent Catastrophes brings together W. G. Sebald’s essays on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him. The evolution of Austria from vast empire to diminutive Alpine republic, followed by its annexation by Nazi Germany, had a profound traumatic impact on the literary output of the nation. Essays on the writings of Kafka, Handke, Bernhard and more, explore the concepts of ‘home/land’, ‘borderland’ and ‘exile’ with deep compassion and insight. A revelation to Sebald’s English-language readers, Silent Catastrophes traces many of the themes which animate Sebald’s own work and illuminates how melancholy – the contemplation of disaster in progress – is itself a form of resistance. ‘One of Europe’s most mysterious and best-loved literary imaginations’ Evening Standard

‘A profoundly affirming book about the potential for literature . . . One of the few essential writers of this generation’ The Scotsman From acclaimed critic, novelist and academic W. G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz and The Rings of Saturn , a collection of essay on the Austrian writers who inspired him Appearing for the first time in English, Silent Catastrophes brings together W. G. Sebald’s essays on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him. The evolution of Austria from vast empire to diminutive Alpine republic, followed by its annexation by Nazi Germany, had a profound traumatic impact on the literary output of the nation. Essays on the writings of Kafka, Handke, Bernhard and more, explore the concepts of ‘home/land’, ‘borderland’ and ‘exile’ with deep compassion and insight. A revelation to Sebald’s English-language readers, Silent Catastrophes traces many of the themes which animate Sebald’s own work and illuminates how melancholy – the contemplation of disaster in progress – is itself a form of resistance. ‘One of Europe’s most mysterious and best-loved literary imaginations’ Evening Standard

‘We have become suspicious, rightly, of claims for literary greatness, but in Sebald’s case the claim was triumphantly justified. He was, he is, the real thing’ John Banville, Guardian From acclaimed critic, novelist and academic W. G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz and The Rings of Saturn , a collection of essay on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him - appearing for the first time in English As a German in self-chosen exile from his country of birth, Sebald found a particular affinity with these writers from a neighbouring nation. The traumatic evolution of Austria from vast empire to diminutive Alpine republic, followed by its annexation by Germany, meant that concepts such as ‘home/land’, ‘borderland’ and ‘exile’ occupy a prominent role in its literature, just as they would in Sebald’s own. Through a series of remarkable close readings of texts by Bernhard, Stifter, Kafka, Handke, Roth and more, Sebald charts both the pathologies which so often drove their work and the seismic historical forces which shaped them. This sequence of essays will be a revelation to Sebald’s English-language readers, tracing as they do so many of the themes which animate his own literary writings, to which these essays form a kind of prelude. 'A writer whose life and work has become a wonderful vindication of literary culture in all its subtle and entrancing complexity' Guardian ‘Sebald was probably the greatest intellect and voice of the late twentieth century’ Antony Beevor, The Times

‘We have become suspicious, rightly, of claims for literary greatness, but in Sebald’s case the claim was triumphantly justified. He was, he is, the real thing’ John Banville, Guardian From acclaimed critic, novelist and academic W. G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz and The Rings of Saturn , a collection of essay on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him - appearing for the first time in English As a German in self-chosen exile from his country of birth, Sebald found a particular affinity with these writers from a neighbouring nation. The traumatic evolution of Austria from vast empire to diminutive Alpine republic, followed by its annexation by Germany, meant that concepts such as ‘home/land’, ‘borderland’ and ‘exile’ occupy a prominent role in its literature, just as they would in Sebald’s own. Through a series of remarkable close readings of texts by Bernhard, Stifter, Kafka, Handke, Roth and more, Sebald charts both the pathologies which so often drove their work and the seismic historical forces which shaped them. This sequence of essays will be a revelation to Sebald’s English-language readers, tracing as they do so many of the themes which animate his own literary writings, to which these essays form a kind of prelude. 'A writer whose life and work has become a wonderful vindication of literary culture in all its subtle and entrancing complexity' Guardian ‘Sebald was probably the greatest intellect and voice of the late twentieth century’ Antony Beevor, The Times

From the renowned author of Austerlitz (named a Top 10 Book of the 21st Century by the New York Times ) comes the first English translation of his extraordinary essays on the Austrian writers who shaped his life and work. Silent Catastrophes brings together the two books W.G. Sebald wrote on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him: The Description of Misfortune and Strange Homeland , published in Austria in 1985 and 1991. As a German in self-chosen exile from his country of birth, Sebald found a particular affinity with these writers from a neighboring nation. The traumatic evolution of Austria from vast empire to diminutive Alpine republic, followed by its annexation by Nazi Germany, meant that concepts such as "home/land," "borderland" and "exile" occupy a prominent role in its literature, just as they would in Sebald's own. Through a series of remarkable close readings of texts by Bernhard, Stifter, Kafka, Handke, Roth, and more, Sebald charts both the pathologies which so often drove their work and the seismic historical forces which shaped them. This sequence of essays will be a revelation to Sebald's English-language readers, tracing as they do so many of the themes which animate his own literary writings, to which these essays form a kind of prelude. This is an essential new edition from "a writer whose life and work has become a wonderful vindication of literary culture in all its subtle and entrancing complexity" ( The Guardian ).

From the renowned author of Austerlitz (named a Top 10 Book of the 21st Century by the New York Times ) comes the first English translation of his extraordinary essays on the Austrian writers who shaped his life and work. Silent Catastrophes brings together the two books W.G. Sebald wrote on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him: The Description of Misfortune and Strange Homeland , published in Austria in 1985 and 1991. As a German in self-chosen exile from his country of birth, Sebald found a particular affinity with these writers from a neighboring nation. The traumatic evolution of Austria from vast empire to diminutive Alpine republic, followed by its annexation by Nazi Germany, meant that concepts such as "home/land," "borderland" and "exile" occupy a prominent role in its literature, just as they would in Sebald's own. Through a series of remarkable close readings of texts by Bernhard, Stifter, Kafka, Handke, Roth, and more, Sebald charts both the pathologies which so often drove their work and the seismic historical forces which shaped them. This sequence of essays will be a revelation to Sebald's English-language readers, tracing as they do so many of the themes which animate his own literary writings, to which these essays form a kind of prelude. This is an essential new edition from "a writer whose life and work has become a wonderful vindication of literary culture in all its subtle and entrancing complexity" ( The Guardian ).