Old Masters by Thomas Bernhard
Old Masters (1985) is Thomas Bernhard's devilishly funny story about the friendship between two old men. For over thirty years Reger, a music critic, has sat on the same bench in front of a Tintoretto painting in a Viennese museum, thinking and railing against contemporary society, his fellow men, artists, the weather, even the state of public lavatories. His friend Atzbacher has been summoned to meet him, and through his eyes we learn more about Reger - the tragic death of his wife, his thoughts of suicide and, eventually, the true purpose of their appointment. At once pessimistic and exuberant, rancorous and hilarious, Old Masters is a richly satirical portrait of culture, genius, nationhood, class, the value of art and the pretensions of humanity.
Mordantly funny -- CJ Schüler * Independent on Sunday *
Bernhard is one of the masters of contemporary European fiction -- George Steiner
This [series] is a wonderful idea.. They are absurdist parables, by turns hilarious, unsettling and enigmatic. -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *
[The series] sheds remarkable light on the literature, culture and politics of the region...anyone coming fresh to the field will be captivated by the richness, variety, humour and pathos of a classic literature that, through a shared historical experience, transcends national and linguistic boundaries. -- CJ Schüler * Independent on Sunday *
I urge you to go and read them. -- Adam Thirlwell * New Statesman *
This new series of Central European Classics is important well beyond simply providing 'good reads'. -- Stephen Vizinczey * Daily Telegraph *
Bernhard is one of the masters of contemporary European fiction -- George Steiner
This [series] is a wonderful idea.. They are absurdist parables, by turns hilarious, unsettling and enigmatic. -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *
[The series] sheds remarkable light on the literature, culture and politics of the region...anyone coming fresh to the field will be captivated by the richness, variety, humour and pathos of a classic literature that, through a shared historical experience, transcends national and linguistic boundaries. -- CJ Schüler * Independent on Sunday *
I urge you to go and read them. -- Adam Thirlwell * New Statesman *
This new series of Central European Classics is important well beyond simply providing 'good reads'. -- Stephen Vizinczey * Daily Telegraph *
Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) was one of the greatest German-language novelists and playwrights of the 20th century. Much hated in his native Austria for his highly inventive derision for all things Austrian (which culminated in his will, which banned further publication of his work there), Bernhard wrote a series of harsh, inventive and brilliant novels, including Gargoyles¸ Correction, Wittgenstein's Nephew, Old Masters, Yes and Extinction.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780141192710 |
| ISBN 10 | 0141192712 |
| Title | Old Masters |
| Author | Thomas Bernhard |
| Series | Penguin Modern Classics |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2010-05-06 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |