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Goethe Dies

Series: German List
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( 726 ratings, 93 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Goethe Dies by Thomas Bernhard explores the final days of the renowned German poet and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The narrative delves into Goethe's reflections and philosophical discussions with his loyal companion, examining themes of mortality, the pursuit of artistic perfection, and the struggle between life and art. Bernhard's distinct style brings out a contemplative and introspective tale that combines wit and profound existential inquiry.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you enjoy intense character studies and philosophical reflections on art and mortality, this book might captivate you. Written with Thomas Bernhard's signature wit and irony, it delves into the final moments of a genius, offering both a provocative and enigmatic glimpse into the mind of a celebrated thinker.

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Collection of four short stories. Underpinning all these variously comic, tragic, and bitingly satirical excursions is Bernhardโ€™s abiding interest in, and deep knowledge of, the philosophy of doubt.

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

This collection of four stories is, as long-time fans of Thomas Bernhard would expect, bleakly comic and inspiringly rancorous.

The subjects of the stories vary: in one, Goethe summons Wittgenstein to discuss the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus; 'Montaigne: A Story in Twenty-Two Instalments' tells of a young man sealing himself in a tower to read; 'Reunion', meanwhile, satirises that very impulse to escape. The final story rounds out the collection by making Bernhard himself a victim, persecuted by his greatest enemy, his very homeland of Austria.

Underpinning all these variously comic, tragic, and bitingly satirical excursions is Bernhard's abiding interest in, and deep knowledge of, the philosophy of doubt.

Series: German List

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    This collection of four stories is, as long-time fans of Thomas Bernhard would expect, bleakly comic and inspiringly rancorous. The subjects of the stories vary: in one, Goethe summons Wittgenstein to discuss the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus; 'Montaigne: A Story in Twenty-Two Instalments' tells of a young man sealing himself in a tower to read; 'Reunion', meanwhile, satirises that very impulse to...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780857427052

Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 September 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Seagull Books London Ltd

Contributors:

  • Translated by James Reidel

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 96

About the Author

Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) grew up in Salzburg and Vienna, where he studied music. In 1957 he began a second career as a playwright, poet, and novelist. He went on to win many of the most prestigious literary prizes of Europe (including the Austrian State Prize, the Bremen and Brchner prizes, and Le Prix Seguier), became one of the most widely admired writers of his generation, and insisted at his death that none of his works be published in Austria for seventy years, a provision later repealed by his half-brother.

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