Böcker av Gert Jonke

The "Review of Contemporary Fiction" proudly presents the English language-debut of Austrian master Gert Jonke's absurd, revealing, and groundbreaking autobiographical essay/novella "Individual and Metamorphosis." It tells the story of Jonke's life as a writer by citing, examining, and even rewriting texts by authors whose work inspired his own: Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cort?zar, Wolfgang Hildesheimer, Ernst Jandl, Marie Luise Kaschnitz, Robert Musil, Peter Weiss, and others.

One of the loveliest riddles of Austrian literature is finally available in English translation: Gert Jonke's 1982 novel, Awakening to the Great Sleep War, is an expedition through a world in constant nervous motion, where reality is rapidly fraying-flags refuse to stick to their poles, lids sidle off of their pots, tram tracks shake their stops away like fleas, and books abandon libraries in droves. Our cicerone on this journey through the possible (and impossible) is an "e;acoustical decorator"e; by the name of Burgmuller-a poetical gentleman, the lover of three women, able to communicate with birds, and at least as philosophically minded as his author: "e;Everything has suddenly become so transparent that one can't see through anything anymore."e; This enormously comic-and equally melancholic-tale is perhaps Jonke's masterwork.

Gert Jonke s prose ripples along like a piano etude, transcending itsmeticulously constructed sequences to transport the reader into animaginary world.

Told that he recently attempted suicide, a man awakens in an insaneasylum with no memory of his actions, or even of his own name...