Contemporary witnesses and biographer Carol Angier paint a portrait of the writer in Sonthoven – News from Immenstadt

Even if he only spent his school days Sonthofen He lived and worked primarily in England, and died there in 2001 W.G. Sibald Friends in Alpine town. He has a good reputation and special attention for his literary works and his complex and uncontroversial personality. For the event series “Sonnthoven Reads”. Grendel books Arranged an exciting and authentic portrait: Autobiographer Carol Angier (“After Silence”), who specially arrived from the United Kingdom, and two former colleagues revive “Max,” as his friends called him. New unknown information about the writer attracts many interested guests.

“Not an easy person”

Angier admits that, for all his admiration, he is “not an easy person.” “One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century,” at least in her estimation. A master of turning the stories of “real” people, mostly of Jewish origin, into literary characters. He represented his elementary school teacher Albrecht Müller in Paul Berreiter’s film, whose life story is narrated by W.G. Sebald in “The Emigrants.” “Without asking for permission,” Angier notes. Vita combined with imagination. Distorted observations and descriptions. For example, Sebald’s hometown, Firtach, is depicted as creepy and dark, with Nazi paintings on the walls, which is definitely not consistent with the facts.

Very popular

However, W.G. Sebald’s books are very popular in English-speaking countries. The old style of “straggled sentences that never end” is considered interesting there, while in this country it denies the author’s popularity, according to her interpretation of the mixed reception.

Friendly Max

His friend Jürgen Kaiser says that “Max” was sociable and close to his hometown, and had a special sense of humor. This is reflected in a dozen or so letters. There are delicious and clever jokes about sauerkraut. Sebald scribbles endlessly over the entire surface of the paper, then returns to “elegant” writing.

The writer is remembered in a very different way as a smartly dressed passenger clearly carrying a small leather backpack, and a former gondolier driver. A visit to the city library solves the mystery of the previously unknown man.

In this meaningful evening, which her colleague Ursula Lipsch helped expertly prepare and conduct, W.G. Sebald comes a little closer, becomes more human and yet remains an enigmatic artist.