two short novels, Austria, tr R & C Winston/Greene
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Editorial Reviews
Review
The thin line between life and death, between reality and fantasy, is skillfully explored in these two short novels by Austrian Alexander Lernet-Holenia. In Baron Bagge, an apparently misguided cavalry attack serves as a starting point for a dreamlike journey that examines the mythological belief in a nine-day transitional period Erom one world to another after death. In this compelling account of the journey that marks the passage to the afterlife, Lemet-Holenia carefully constructs a framework of distorted time to display a philosophy grounded in the Romantic tradition. As his dream bride explains: "Every one of us has only himself to deal with; no one can help another person, and every individual, I feel, is alone, utterly alone.... We are always only pretexts for one another, nothing more." This sense of isolation carries over into the Baron's return to the real world, leaving him unsure of the meaning of life as well as that of death. In Count Luna, written much later in his career, LernetHolenia displays even greater control of his craft. Ile story opens with a man disappearing into the catacombs of Rome, and the novel recreates the events leading up to this curious occurrence. Through simple negligence the industrialist Alexander Jessiersky is responsible for Count Luna's condemnation to a concentration camp; recognizing his guilt, Jessiersky devotes his life to the search for a means to atone for his crime. In a classic tale of paranoia, Jessiersky becomes obsessed with his victim to the point of committing a series of crimes in order to exonerate himself. As a writer, Alexander Lemet-Holenia combines the best of the classic tradition in literature with a surprisingly contemporary understanding of structure and language. Passages in Count Luna tracing lineage and metaphorical relationships are brilliant; Lemet-Holenia is truly, as the critic Hermann Bahr calls him, a "goldsmith of words." The Eridanos Press is to be commended for publishing these two extraordinary novellas in such a fine edition. Lemet-Holenia is an artist who deserves to be read by serious students of contemporary writing. -- From Independent Publisher
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unquestionably One of the Finest 20th Century Writers,
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This review is from: Baron Bagge Count Luna (Eridanos Press Library) (Hardcover)
The world's great writers have always been capable of establishing an unforgettable mood in their works, of combining imagery and plot to create pieces of enduring value. This is no less true of Alexander Lernet-Holenia. More than any other writer of the last century, Lernet-Holenia possessed that indefinable quality that makes his writing an experience both of mind and spirit, the ability to know the human being for what he really is and to provide this knowledge in a literary form that is both enoyable to read and profoundly enlightening to encounter. Chekhov, Faulkner, Joyce, Mann, and Proust are some of the geniuses who gave us life in all its magnificent eloquence and sordidness, who set down in words that superb juxtaposition of beauty and hideousness that constitutes the world we live in and the resulting struggle that humans are constantly engaged with as they are buffeted by these incessant forces. In two novellas, Lernet-Holenia reveals to us the kind of talent that truly makes him the kind of writer who will be read for as long as civilized men exist. There is no reason to repeat what the reviewer above has written about the plots of these two superb stories, as this has been admirably accomplished. But, in closing, I do urge any readers of this review to get a copy of this astonishing book. If you know the difference between good and great, you will be forever thankful you were introduced to Alexander Lernet-Holenia.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Brilliant Novella,
By A Customer
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This review is from: Baron Bagge Count Luna (Eridanos Press Library) (Hardcover)
The Austrian writer Alexander Lernet-Holenia (1897-1976) was an imperial officer and nobleman, before he turned his interest to literature and became the author of numerous novels, plays and short stories. His work focuses on the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The novella "Baron Bagge" was first published in Berlin 1936. The story takes place in World War I, the year of 1915. The Austrian cavalry offensive in the East front is in full progress, and Baron Bagge is a soldier in a rider squadron led by captain Semler. Military action takes them to a remote region in Hungary. Under a looming sky and with a strong foreboding of imminent danger the cavalry unit patrols a border strip close to the front sector. Though Baron Bagge cautions his group, his superior captain Semler pushes forward. As they are approaching a small village their unit catches enemy fire. The men press their horses and seem to make it into the safety of the village...A densely atmospheric story with a powerful ending. (Readers: Throw away jacket sleeve, which blabbers away the plot.) A masterpiece!
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