City with Houses

ISBN: 0810119129

Author: Handler, Ernst-Wilhelm

Condition: New

From Publishers Weekly The 11 stories in this collection, first published in Germany in 1995, reveal Handler to be a formidable intellectual and literary talent, although his relentlessly insular and almost obsessive approach to narrative, form and subject makes many of these titles virtually inaccessible to the average reader. Handler's primary motif is a stream-of-consciousness narrative in which his protagonists relentlessly dissect or describe a situation, subject or story, often turning language and form inside out in the process. The author is at his best when he sticks to a simple format "Trigger," for example, delivers a haunting account of a transsexual prostitute's encounter with a violent client, while "The New Guys" picks apart what happens to a business when a new executive regime comes on the scene. Handler extends his reach a bit in "Language Game," an entertaining yarn in which he examines the path a beautiful, precocious girl takes as she explores her sexuality. Some of these stories are described in the afterword as preparatory sketches for later novels, and several are so arcane, with so many elliptical twists and turns, that they challenge even an attentive, detail-oriented reader to follow the brilliant but often erratic train of thought. Others are esoteric to the point of being obscure: a typical example is "Max," a meditation on the way machines could alter the nature of consciousness. Handler's writing is an acquired taste, but those with the patience and tenacity to wade through these stories will find themselves constantly challenged and enlightened by an extraordinarily vigorous mind. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Product Description A city with deteriorating houses. A pristine house seemingly without inhabitants. Inhabitants of a world no longer human. In this remarkable collection of stories, Ernst-Wilhelm Hndler transports us to a place where nothing is quite as we know it. Hndler creates a series of possible worlds, some resembling those we experience on a regular basis, others existing in startling opposition to everyday life. Review "This is [Hndler's] first publication. One can hardly believe this, since the eleven thought games, fantasy pieces and language exercises in this volume suggest an explored virtuosity, and thus maneuver themselves through an astonishing spectrum of literary forms. All that which leads ambitious young authors to fail is avoided. This book does not take its life solely from the author's biography, but rather allows that which truly measures literary rank-the experiences of strangers emerge from amongst the changing voices."--Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung"This is heavy stuff, but still a fascinating allegory about the state of affairs, not only in Germany but in all the world." --Booklist From the Back Cover A city with deteriorating houses. A pristine house seemingly without inhabitants. Inhabitants of a world no longer human. In this remarkable collection of stories, Ernst-Wilhelm Handler transports us to a place where nothing is quite as we know it. Handler creates a series of possible worlds, some resembling those we experience on a regular basis, others existing in startling opposition to everyday life. Narrated by businessmen, a philosopher, a prostitute who has undergone a sex change, and an old woman suffering from Alzheimer's, these stories unfold through experiments in thought, language, and voice that illustrate, reflect on, and reconfigure the problems that shape and unsettle our lives. First published in German in 1995, City with Houses announced the arrival of a major talent. Although at home in many spheres, Handler writes as a literary outsider. His unusual perspective shakes us from the slumber of our own houses and awakens us to the realities, the possibilities, and the wonders of our day. About the Author Ernst-Wilhelm Hndler was born in Regensburg, Germany, in 1953. He studied e