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Silent Catastrophes

Essays in Austrian Literature
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Brief Description
From acclaimed critic, novelist and academic W. G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz and The Rings of Saturn, comes a collection of essays on the Austrian writers who meant so much to him. Appearing for the first time in English, Silent Catastrophes brings together W. G. Sebald's... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From acclaimed critic, novelist and academic W. G. Sebald, author of Austerlitz and The Rings of Saturn, comes a collection of essays on the Austrian writers who meant so much to 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 melancholyβ€”the contemplation of disaster in progressβ€”is itself a form of resistance.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141037028

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 January 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Contributors:

  • Translated by Dr Jo Catling

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 382g

Pages: 544

About the Author

W. G. Sebald (Author) W. G. Sebald was born in Wertach im Allg u, Germany, in 1944 and died in December 2001. He studied German language and literature in Freiburg, Switzerland and Manchester. In 1966 he took up a position as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester and settled permanently in England in 1970. He was Professor of European Literature at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Emigrants, The Rings of Saturn, Vertigo, Austerlitz, After Nature, On the Natural History of Destruction, Unrecounted, Campo Santo, A Place in the Country and a selection of poetry, Across the Land and the Water. Jo Catling (Translator) Jo Catling taught German and European literature at the University of East Anglia where she worked closely with W G Sebald from 1993 until his death. Translator of Sebalds A Place in the Country, she is editor (with Richard Hibbitt) of Saturn's Moons- W G Sebald - A Handbook (Legenda, 2011) and has published widely on Sebald and on Rainer Maria Rilke.

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