Gargoyles by Thomas Bernhard (1967, translated by Richard and Clara Winston)

Our great thanks to Max u for the gift card that made it possible to read this book.

This is a post by Ambrosia Boussweau, European Correspondent of The Reading Life

Gargoyles is the fourth novel by Thomas Bernhard(1931 to 1989) we have so far read.  First there was his Wittgenstein's Nephew, then  Concrete, and after that Extinction.  I, as does Mel u, find his works compelling in an odd sort of way I cannot really articulate.  I know eventually I will be driven to read all nine of his novels.  (The Reading Life was very kindly given an advance review copy of the first bilingual edition of his early poetry and I hope to read and post  on that in November for German Literature Month.)

Gargoyles is set in Austria.  As the story opens, it is in part narrated by the son of the doctor, a doctor and his son are out on calls to his various patients.  They range from a musical prodigy locked in a cage, a woman on the verge of death and other macabre characters, hence the title Gargoyles.  It was very disturbing, especially since it rang so true, to listen to the doctor tell his son how horrible life was for the women in their area.  One thing we can expect, at least so far we have been so treated, is a long rant by  a mentally unbalanced a bit paranoid but at times supremely brilliant and erudite figure and Gargoyles has a great one.

Thomas Bernhard's work is very dark, quite over all contemptuous of humanity.  It is brilliant and a painful pleasure to enter his world but don't expect anything uplifting!  

Please share your experiences with Bernhard with us.

Ambrosia Boussweau, European Correspondent

The Reading Life