Monday, July 31, 2006

Correction, absolution

AC of the blog Slightly Bluestocking has been reading Correction, her first Thomas Bernhard. Now that must be an experience! (Not that I would recommend this particular novel for new readers; Concrete is more representative).

In light (or darkness) of this, it might be of interest to report that Roithamer in the novel has built a cone for his sister to live (and die) in and that 'cone' in German is 'kegel' and that, today, I received a spam email from a persistent fellow which normally filters into trash but today happened to be viewed and so informed me that:
History records indicate bowling started around 300 A.D. at German monasteries. The monks had churchgoers knock down a bottle-shaped object called a kegel with a rolled ball to show their devotion to God. The kegel meant the devil, and knocking it over gave complete absolution from sin.

3 comments:

  1. First Bernhard, definitely not the last. There's only one bookstore in my area that carries Bernhard, so after I started Correction I went and picked up Extinction and Gargoyles. I'm trying not to buy books, but since you've mentioned Concrete, I've been thinking about ordering it from them. (The publisher doesn't even have it -- is he this hard to find everywhere or am I just in a lousy place for books?).

    What do you read after Bernhard? Nothing's holding my interest. At all. I think I've been spoiled.

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  2. Extinction is my favourite. It has the weight and lightness one can usually only dream of in a novel. The Penguin paperback in Britain has Sander's wonderful photograph of two sisters on the cover. They ARE the Murau sisters!
    http://www.spencerart.ku.edu/collection/
    photography/sander.html

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  3. Anonymous6:26 pm

    I absolutely love Correction, even if it's not as fun to read as Yes, that inversion of yes book, or concrete, which is so painful it's funny.

    Correction is my favourite book of all time. A life changing thing to read, really.

    I've bought everything else I could get my hands on...

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