
Of Seven Fir Trees and the Snow
Early Stories
Thomas Bernhard(Author)
Seagull Books London Ltd (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 27. March 2026
Book
Hardback
200 pages
978-1-80309-545-5 (ISBN)
Description
These newly translated stories chart the making of a literary provocateur, one experiment and ethical dilemma at a time.
Before Thomas Bernhard became one of the most provocative voices in modern literature, he was a young writer testing the limits of form and subject. Of Seven Fir Trees and the Snow offers an unprecedented look at his evolution, from his earliest published work at nineteen to the emergence of his unmistakable voice. Translated into English for the first time, in these stories, Bernhard moves from stark naturalism to fairy-tale simplicity to the eerie, stripped-down surrealism reminiscent of science fiction. At the same time, he grapples with the fundamental ethical questions that would define his career: how does one navigate personal autonomy in a world fractured by the upheavals of the twentieth century?
Selected and arranged in chronological order by Douglas Robertson, this collection traces Bernhard's transformation from an ambitious chronicler of Austrian rural life to a writer in dialogue with the broader currents of world literature. A rare glimpse into the making of a literary icon, this volume is essential reading for both longtime admirers and those discovering Bernhard's singular genius for the first time.
Before Thomas Bernhard became one of the most provocative voices in modern literature, he was a young writer testing the limits of form and subject. Of Seven Fir Trees and the Snow offers an unprecedented look at his evolution, from his earliest published work at nineteen to the emergence of his unmistakable voice. Translated into English for the first time, in these stories, Bernhard moves from stark naturalism to fairy-tale simplicity to the eerie, stripped-down surrealism reminiscent of science fiction. At the same time, he grapples with the fundamental ethical questions that would define his career: how does one navigate personal autonomy in a world fractured by the upheavals of the twentieth century?
Selected and arranged in chronological order by Douglas Robertson, this collection traces Bernhard's transformation from an ambitious chronicler of Austrian rural life to a writer in dialogue with the broader currents of world literature. A rare glimpse into the making of a literary icon, this volume is essential reading for both longtime admirers and those discovering Bernhard's singular genius for the first time.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Greenford
United Kingdom
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
476 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80309-545-5 (9781803095455)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Thomas Bernhard (1931-89) grew up in Salzburg and Vienna, where he studied music. In 1957 he began a second career as a playwright, poet, and novelist. He went on to win many of the most prestigious literary prizes in Europe, including the Austrian State Prize, the Bremen and Bruechner prizes, and Le Prix Seguier. Douglas Robertson is a translator based in Keystone, Florida. He has translated many works from German into English and has studied Thomas Bernhard's work for over ten years.
Content
Translator's Acknowledgment
1.The Red Light
2.The Settlers
3.A Big-City Afternoon
4.Of Seven Fir Trees and the Snow
5.Crazy Magdalena
6.The Legacy
7.The Poorhouse of St. Laurin
8.Great, Inconceivable Hunger
9.A Winter's Day in the Mountains
10.The Decline of the West
11.The Landscape of the Mother
12.An Oldish Man Named August
13.The Story of a Man Who Left Home to See the World
14.The Pig-Keeper
15.Occurrences
16.A Springtime
17.A Witness's Testimony
18.A Young Writer
19.A Country Confidence Man
20.A Woman from the Foundry and the Man with the Rucksack
21.Lowlands
Translator's Notes
1.The Red Light
2.The Settlers
3.A Big-City Afternoon
4.Of Seven Fir Trees and the Snow
5.Crazy Magdalena
6.The Legacy
7.The Poorhouse of St. Laurin
8.Great, Inconceivable Hunger
9.A Winter's Day in the Mountains
10.The Decline of the West
11.The Landscape of the Mother
12.An Oldish Man Named August
13.The Story of a Man Who Left Home to See the World
14.The Pig-Keeper
15.Occurrences
16.A Springtime
17.A Witness's Testimony
18.A Young Writer
19.A Country Confidence Man
20.A Woman from the Foundry and the Man with the Rucksack
21.Lowlands
Translator's Notes