A review by vreadsabook
Die Ausgesperrten by Elfriede Jelinek

4.0

The first thing that always strikes me about Jelinek's work is how she manages to use such "dirty" language. I naturally don't mean cursing, but I do mean her inexplicable ability to always use the exact word in a situation that leaves the reader feeling as if they need to shower after her writing. This characteristic comes across to me, even a non-native German speaker, and seems intrinsic to her writing style. That said, this ability is a very good once since she writes about "dirty" things. Not necessarily inhuman, but certainly nonsocial, the darkest parts of human interaction. Perhaps the most striking part is that she does so as if a passive observer, merely telling the facts and actions as they occur, with little speculation as to the motivations of the reader (a technique which only works for her in light of the fact that almost all books these days explore the internal landscapes of the protaganists) and ultimately leave the reader feeling very ambiguous about their narrator.

Also, without giving away any spoilers, it is my personal belief that this book is about change, and the dangers of being unable to do so in light of darkness.