Carole Angier Boeken

The first biography of W. G. Sebald: a robust, intricate, landmark portrait of one of the most significant and lauded cultural figures of the twentieth century

"W. G. Sebald was one of the most extraordinary and influential writers of the twentieth century. Through books including 'The Emigrants', 'Austerlitz' and 'The Rings of Saturn', he pursued an original literary vision that combined fiction, history, autobiography and photography and addressed some of the most profound themes of contemporary literature: the burden of the Holocaust, memory, loss and exile. The first biography to explore his life and work, 'Speak, silence' pursues the true Sebald through the memories of those who knew him and through the work he left behind. This quest takes Carole Angier from Sebald's birth as a second-generation German at the end of the Second World War, through his rejection of the poisoned inheritance of the Third Reich, to his emigration to England, exploring the choice of isolation and exile that drove his work. It digs deep into a creative mind on the edge, finding profound empathy and paradoxical ruthlessness, saving humour, and an elusive mix of fact and fiction in his life as well as work. The result is a unique, ferociously original portrait."--Publisher's web page, https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/speak-silence-9781526634795

An acute literary intelligence ...the reader comes to trust instinctively Angier's assessments. Jean Rhys (1890-1979) lived a life fraught with difficulties, raising questions about how someone so inept at living could excel in writing. Carole Angier addresses this paradox, revealing how Rhys drew from her own tumultuous experiences in her work. Angier's exploration uncovers the complexities of Rhys' life, including her challenging childhood, significant love affairs, three marriages, and the subsequent disasters that befell her husbands. The narrative presents these events with unsparing clarity, while also delving into the dynamics of Rhys' personality, which often influenced her experiences. Some revelations are shocking, yet Angier's compassion and understanding alleviate any dismay, demonstrating how Rhys transformed her tumultuous life into profound art. Despite Rhys' reluctance for anyone to write about her, this biography firmly establishes her legacy as a significant writer of our time. Angier's work is marked by an intensity and clarity that reflect Rhys' own style, offering a deeply intimate and powerful portrayal. Critics have hailed it as a remarkable and definitive biography, noting its thorough research and subtle, sympathetic approach.

„Carole Angier gelingt es, Sebald ehrlich in die Augen zu schauen und sich zugleich ihre Bewunderung zu bewahren.“ Observer W.G. Sebald zählt zu den einflussreichsten Schriftstellern des 20. Jahrhunderts, seine Arbeit beeinflusst Schreibende bis heute und löst noch immer internationale Debatten aus. Nun hat Carole Angier seine erste große Biografie geschrieben. Anhand seines Werks und der Erinnerungen zahlreicher Wegbegleiter und der letzten Zeitzeugen zeichnet sie das Porträt eines Autors, der sich den existenziellen Themen seiner Zeit auf besonders eindringliche Weise näherte. 1944 geboren, lebte und schrieb Sebald unter dem Eindruck von Holocaust und Krieg. Flucht, Exil und Verlust, das Erinnern und Vergessen wurden zu seinen zentralen Motiven. Carole Angier spürt diesen Motiven nach. Sie zeigt: Sebalds Leben und seine literarische Kunst zwischen Fiktion und Geschichte sind auf das Engste miteinander verknüpft.