Reading W. G. Sebald: Adventure and Disobedience (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture) (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture)

W. G. Sebald was born in 1944 in Germany. He found his way as a young academic to England and a career as professor of German. Only between the late 1980s and his untimely death in 2001 did he concentrate on nonacademic writing, crafting a new kind of prose work that shares features with but remains distinct from the novel, essay, travel writing, and memoir forms and gaining elevation to the first rank of writers internationally. No less a critic than Susan Sontag was moved to ask "Is literary greatness still possible?," implying that it was and that she had found it embodied in his writing. Deane Blackler explores Sebald's biography before analyzing the reading practice his texts call forth: that of a "disobedient reader," a proactive reader challenged to question the text by Sebald's peculiar use of poetic language, the pseudoautobiographical voice of his narrators, the seemingly documentary photographs he inserted into his books, and by his exquisite representations of place. Blackler reads Sebald's fiction as adventurous and disobedient in its formulation, an imaginative revitalization of literary fiction for the third millennium. W. G. Sebald Was Born In 1944 In A Remote Village In Southern Germany. He Found His Way As A Young Academic To England And A Career As A Lecturer In German, Then As Professor Of German, And Ultimately As Professor Of European Literature. Only Between The Late 1980s And His Untimely Death In 2001 Did He Concentrate On Nonacademic Writing, Fashioning A New Kind Of Prose Work That Shares Features With But Remains Distinct From The Novel, Essay, Travel Writing, And Memoir Forms. Deane Blackler Briefly Explores Sebald's Biography Before Taking Up An Analysis Of The Reading Practice Sebald's Texts Call Forth: That Of A Disobedient Reader, A Proactive Reader Challenged To Question The Text By Sebald's Peculiar Use Of Poetic Language, The Pseudoautobiographical Voice Of His Narrators, The Seemingly Documentary Photographs He Inserted Into The Books, And By His Representations Of Place. Blackler Reads Sebald's Prose Fiction As Adventurous And Disobedient In Its Formulation, As A Revitalizing Of Literary Fiction For The Third Millennium.--book Jacket. A Pre-amble -- Encounter With Disobedience -- From W To The Norwich-london Road -- Views From A Coign Of Vantage -- The Traveling Narrator And His Disobedient Companion -- Traveling With A Cheap Camera, Imagine That! -- Spatial Trajectories : Catching Trains Of Thought To Textual Spaces -- A Farewell Note. Deane Blackler. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [231]-249) And Index. A daring new view of Sebald's works and the reading practice they call forth.W. G. Sebald was born in 1944 in Germany. He found his way as a young academic to England and a career as professor of German. Only between the late 1980s and his untimely death in 2001 did he concentrate on nonacademic writing, crafting a new kind of prose work that shares features with but remains distinct from the novel, essay, travel writing, and memoir forms and gaining elevation to the first rank of writers internationally. No less a critic than Susan Sontag was moved to ask'Is literary greatness still possible?,'implying that it was and that she had found it embodied in his writing. Deane Blackler explores Sebald's biography before analyzing the reading practice his textscall forth: that of a'disobedient reader,'a proactive reader challenged to question the text by Sebald's peculiar use of poetic language, the pseudoautobiographical voice of his narrators, the seemingly documentary photographs he inserted into his books, and by his exquisite representations of place. Blackler reads Sebald's fiction as adventurous and disobedient in its formulation, an imaginative revitalization of literary fiction for the third millennium. Deane Blackler received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 2005 from the University of Tasmania. A daring new view of Sebald's works and the reading practice they call forth. W. G. Sebald was born in 1944 in Germany. He found his way as a young academic to England and a career as professor of German. Only between the late 1980s and his untimely death in 2001 did he concentrate on nonacademic writing, crafting a new kind of prose work that shares features with but remains distinct from the novel, essay, travel writing, and memoir forms and gaining elevation to the first rank of writers internationally. No less a critic than Susan Sontag was moved to ask "Is literary greatness still possible?," implying that it was and that she had found it embodied in his writing. Deane Blackler explores Sebald's biography before analyzing the reading practice his textscall that of a "disobedient reader," a proactive reader challenged to question the text by Sebald's peculiar use of poetic language, the pseudoautobiographical voice of his narrators, the seemingly documentary photographs he inserted into his books, and by his exquisite representations of place. Blackler reads Sebald's fiction as adventurous and disobedient in its formulation, an imaginative revitalization of literary fiction for the third millennium. Deane Blackler received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 2005 from the University of Tasmania. CONTENTS ......Page 8 PREFACE ......Page 10 NOTES TOWARD AN ITINERARY......Page 14 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......Page 16 Introduction: A Pre-amble......Page 18 1: Encounter with Disobedience......Page 57 2: From W to the Norwich–London Road......Page 70 3: Views from a “Coign of Vantage”......Page 110 Stage 1: The Traveling Narrator and His Disobedient Companion......Page 111 Stage 2: Traveling with a Cheap Camera — Imagine That!......Page 154 Stage 3: Spatial Trajectories — Catching Trains of Thought to Textual Spaces......Page 204 CONCLUSION: A Farewell Note ......Page 244 WORKS CITED ......Page 248 INDEX ......Page 268