Reviews - Holzfällen. Eine Erregung

172 reviews for:

Holzfällen. Eine Erregung

Thomas Bernhard

4.15 AVERAGE

mkarin's review against another edition

3.0

Irgendwie verwirrt mich dieses Buch

ryanbridenstine's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

evancdent's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

lanou_u's review against another edition

4.75

reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

I love listening to my grandpa rant about everyone and everything while he sits in the wing chair

cantordustbunnies's review against another edition

4.0

This is the kind of book which is unforgettable and will have you thinking about it for quite some time, especially if you're an outsider or don't especially like parties. The idiosyncratic manner in which this was written contributes to the wonderfully distinctive, nasty, pessimistic, caustic, intelligent, and somehow endearing voice of the narrator. A powerful character study as well as a brutal dissection of human interactions. Bernhard uses a particular "artistic dinner" and various characters in an urban art world setting to rip apart the ways in which society grinds down creativity and beauty while encouraging posturing, banality, and superficiality. However, the narrator making these criticisms also isn't off the hook and is revealed to clearly be part of the problem through Bernhard's merciless magnifying glass. There seems to be a "return to nature" message underneath it all, or at least a yearning for an escape away from the frivolous cruelty of a big city. The narrator hates society but is part of it, doesn't like people but is drawn to them and ends up playing their games and hates himself for it. Perhaps ultimately there is a desire expressed in this work to cease being human, that is to say, alive. I did think its quirkiness was a bit overdone and got stale, and I also thought it would have benefited from having the fat trimmed off. I thought this work would have been more powerful with sharper, tighter timing. I did thoroughly enjoy it however and would highly recommend it.

bfmermer's review against another edition

5.0

Bernhard yine bildiğimiz gibi, önünden geçen herkese nefretini kusuyor. Bu seferki başkarakterimiz 15-20 sene önce Londra'ya giderek terk ettiği Viyana'ya dönen bir yazar. Önce eski dostlarından birinin intihar ettiğini öğreniyor, sonra da gittiğinden beri hiç konuşmadığı bir çifte rastlayıp cenazenin hemen sonrasına denk gelen bir "sanatsal akşam yemeğine" davet ediliyor. Biz de anlatıcıyı bu akşam yemeğinde yakalıyoruz. Oturduğu berjerde eskiyi, şimdiyi, cenazeyi, nefret etmesine rağmen tekrar içine girdiği sanat camiasını ve iki yüzlülüklerini, devleti, tiyatroyu, kendini, herkesi, her şeyi ve en önemlisi de Viyana'yı gözlemliyor, eleştiriyor, nefretini üzerimize boca ediyor.

Bir Bernhard kitabını ele alıp eleştirmek pek mümkün değil galiba. Kendisinin dilini, tüm kitabı tek bir paragraftan oluşturmasını, cümleleri art arda birkaç kere tekrar etmesini, nefretini seviyorsanız Odun Kesmek'i de seversiniz. Ben anlatıcının zihninde oturuyormuşum gibi hissettiren bu es vermeyen, bol tekrarlı anlatımı, huysuz, nefret dolu ama humoru da olan anlatıcıları çok seviyorum. Bu kitaba da bayıldım haliyle. Sezer Duru'nun çevirisi de muhteşem.

Bernhard okumaya külliyatı bitirene dek devam edeceğim.

maxhimelhoch's review against another edition

3.5

funny reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

really fun format, if you can get stuck in it's a great ride. characters get just enough backstory to enjoy the present moment entirely. such a great writing style, the repetitive nature made it feel almost meditative at time in the wing chair.