Elfriede Jelinek
Encyclopedia
Elfriede Jelinek (born October 20, 1946) is an Austria
n playwright and novelist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature
in 2004 for her "musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that, with extraordinary linguistic zeal, reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power."
, Styria, Austria. She was raised in Vienna
by her Romanian-German
mother and Czech
Jewish father (whose surname "Jelinek" means "little deer" in Czech
). Her father was a chemist
, who managed to avoid persecution during the Second World War by working in strategically important industrial production. However, several dozen family members became victims of the Holocaust. Her mother, with whom she shared the household even as an adult, and with whom she had a difficult relationship, was from a formerly prosperous Vienna
family. As a child, Elfriede suffered from what she considered an over-restrictive education in a Roman Catholic convent school in Vienna. Her mother planned a career for her as a musical wunderkind. Elfriede was instructed in piano, organ, guitar, violin, viola and recorder from an early age. Later, she went on to study at the Vienna Conservatory, where she graduated with an organist diploma. Jelinek also studied art history
and drama at the University of Vienna
. However, she had to discontinue her studies due to an anxiety disorder that prevented her from following courses.
Jelinek started writing poetry at a young age. She made her literary debut with the collection Lisas Schatten in 1967.
She married Gottfried Hüngsberg on June 12, 1974; she has no children.
. In fact, despite the author's own differentiation from Austria (due to her criticism of Austria's Nazi-past) Jelinek's writing is deeply rooted in the tradition of Austrian literature
, showing the influence of Austrian writers such as Ingeborg Bachmann
and Robert Musil
.
Jelinek's political positions, in particular her feminist stance and her Communist Party affiliations, are of vital importance to any assessment of her work. They are also a part of the reason for the controversy directed at Jelinek and her work.
from 1974 to 1991. She became a household name during the 1990s due to her vociferous clash with Jörg Haider
's far-right Freedom Party
. Following the 1999 National Council
elections and the subsequent formation of a coalition cabinet consisting of the Freedom Party and the Austrian People's Party
, Jelinek became one of the new cabinet's most vocal critics. Many foreign governments moved swiftly to ostracize Austria's administration, citing the Freedom Party's alleged nationalism and authoritarianism
. The cabinet construed the sanctions against it as directed against Austria as such, and attempted to prod the nation into a national rallying (Nationaler Schulterschluss) behind the coalition parties. This provoked a temporary heating of the political climate severe enough for dissidents such as Jelinek to be accused of treason
by coalition supporters.
Jelinek also petitioned for the release of Jack Unterweger
, who was imprisoned for the murder of a prostitute, and who was regarded by intellectuals and politicians as an example of successful rehabilitation. Unterweger murdered ten more women within two years of his release, and committed suicide after his arrest.
. In the wake of the Fritzl case, for example, she was accused of "executing 'hysterical' portraits of Austrian perversity". Likewise, her political activism encounters divergent and often heated reactions. Despite the controversy surrounding her work, Jelinek has won many distinguished prizes; among them are the Georg Büchner Prize in 1998; the Mülheim Dramatists Prize in 2002 and 2004; the Franz Kafka Prize
in 2004; and the Nobel Prize in Literature
, also in 2004.
Female sexuality, its abuse, and the battle of the sexes in general are prominent topics in her work. Texts such as Wir sind Lockvögel, Baby! (We are Decoys, Baby!), Die Liebhaberinnen (Women as Lovers) and Die Klavierspielerin (The Piano Teacher) showcase the brutality and power play inherent in human relations in a style that is at times ironically formal and tightly controlled. According to Jelinek, power and aggression are often the principal driving forces of relationships
. Her provocative novel Lust contains graphically-delineated descriptions of sexuality, aggression and abuse. It received poor reviews by many critics, some of whom considered it little more than pornography, but was considered misunderstood and undervalued by others, who noted the power of the cold descriptions of moral failures.
In her later work, Jelinek has somewhat abandoned female issues to focus her energy on social criticism
in general, and Austria's difficulties in admitting to its Nazi
past in particular; an example is Die Kinder der Toten (The Children of the Dead).
Her plays often emphasise choreography. In Sportstück, for example, the issue of violence and fascism in sports is explored. Some consider her plays taciturn, others lavish, and others still a new form of theatre altogether.
Jelinek's novel, Die Klavierspielerin was filmed as The Piano Teacher
by Austrian director Michael Haneke
, with French actress Isabelle Huppert
as the protagonist.
In late April 2006, Jelinek spoke out to support Peter Handke
, whose play Die Kunst des Fragens (The Art of Asking) was removed from the repertoire of the Comédie-Française
for his alleged support of Slobodan Milošević
.
, whom she praises as a "living classic", would have been a more worthy recipient.
Jelinek was criticized for not accepting the prize in person; instead, a video message was presented at the ceremony. Others appreciated how Jelinek revealed that she suffers from agoraphobia
and social phobia
, paranoid conditions that developed when she first decided to write seriously. Both conditions are anxiety disorders which can be highly disruptive to everyday functioning yet are often concealed by those affected, out of shame, or feelings of inadequacy. Jelinek has said that her anxiety disorders make it impossible for her to go to the cinema or board an airplane (in an interview she wished to be able to fly to New York to see the skyscrapers one day before dying), and she felt incapable of taking part in any ceremony. However, she stated in another tape message: "I would also very much like to be in Stockholm, but I cannot move as fast and far as my language."
In 2005, Knut Ahnlund
left the Swedish Academy
in protest, describing Jelinek's work as "whining, unenjoyable public pornography", as well as "a mass of text shovelled together without artistic structure". He said later that her selection for the prize "has not only done irreparable damage to all progressive forces, it has also confused the general view of literature as an art".
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n playwright and novelist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
in 2004 for her "musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that, with extraordinary linguistic zeal, reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power."
Biography
Jelinek was born on October 20, 1946, in MürzzuschlagMürzzuschlag
Mürzzuschlag is a town in northeastern Styria, Austria, the capital of the Mürzzuschlag District. It is located on the Mürz river near the Semmering Pass, the border with the state of Lower Austria, about southwest of Vienna. The population is 8,745...
, Styria, Austria. She was raised in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
by her Romanian-German
Germans of Romania
The Germans of Romania or Rumäniendeutsche were 760,000 strong in 1930. They are not a single group; thus, to understand their language, culture, and history, one must view them as independent groups:...
mother and Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Jewish father (whose surname "Jelinek" means "little deer" in Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
). Her father was a chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, who managed to avoid persecution during the Second World War by working in strategically important industrial production. However, several dozen family members became victims of the Holocaust. Her mother, with whom she shared the household even as an adult, and with whom she had a difficult relationship, was from a formerly prosperous Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
family. As a child, Elfriede suffered from what she considered an over-restrictive education in a Roman Catholic convent school in Vienna. Her mother planned a career for her as a musical wunderkind. Elfriede was instructed in piano, organ, guitar, violin, viola and recorder from an early age. Later, she went on to study at the Vienna Conservatory, where she graduated with an organist diploma. Jelinek also studied art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and drama at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. However, she had to discontinue her studies due to an anxiety disorder that prevented her from following courses.
Jelinek started writing poetry at a young age. She made her literary debut with the collection Lisas Schatten in 1967.
She married Gottfried Hüngsberg on June 12, 1974; she has no children.
Work and politics
Her work was largely unknown outside the German-speaking world before she won the Nobel Prize, and it was said to resemble that of acclaimed Austrian playwright Thomas BernhardThomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet. Bernhard, whose body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since World War II," is widely considered to be one of the most important German-speaking authors of the postwar era.- Life :Thomas Bernhard was...
. In fact, despite the author's own differentiation from Austria (due to her criticism of Austria's Nazi-past) Jelinek's writing is deeply rooted in the tradition of Austrian literature
Austrian literature
Austrian literature is the literature written in Austria, which is mostly, but not exclusively, written in the German language. Some scholars speak about Austrian literature in a strict sense from the year 1806 on when Francis II disbanded the Holy Roman Empire and established the Austrian Empire...
, showing the influence of Austrian writers such as Ingeborg Bachmann
Ingeborg Bachmann
Ingeborg Bachmann was an Austrian poet and author.-Biography:Bachmann was born in Klagenfurt, in the Austrian state of Carinthia, the daughter of a headmaster. She studied philosophy, psychology, German philology, and law at the universities of Innsbruck, Graz, and Vienna...
and Robert Musil
Robert Musil
Robert Musil was an Austrian writer. His unfinished long novel The Man Without Qualities is generally considered to be one of the most important modernist novels...
.
Jelinek's political positions, in particular her feminist stance and her Communist Party affiliations, are of vital importance to any assessment of her work. They are also a part of the reason for the controversy directed at Jelinek and her work.
Brief history of Jelinek's political engagements
Jelinek was a member of Austria's Communist PartyCommunist Party of Austria
The Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II...
from 1974 to 1991. She became a household name during the 1990s due to her vociferous clash with Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
's far-right Freedom Party
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
. Following the 1999 National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
elections and the subsequent formation of a coalition cabinet consisting of the Freedom Party and the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
, Jelinek became one of the new cabinet's most vocal critics. Many foreign governments moved swiftly to ostracize Austria's administration, citing the Freedom Party's alleged nationalism and authoritarianism
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
. The cabinet construed the sanctions against it as directed against Austria as such, and attempted to prod the nation into a national rallying (Nationaler Schulterschluss) behind the coalition parties. This provoked a temporary heating of the political climate severe enough for dissidents such as Jelinek to be accused of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
by coalition supporters.
Jelinek also petitioned for the release of Jack Unterweger
Jack Unterweger
Johann "Jack" Unterweger was an Austrian serial killer who murdered prostitutes in several countries. First convicted of a 1974 murder, he was released in 1990 due in part to a campaign by intellectuals and politicians, who regarded Unterweger as an example of rehabilitation...
, who was imprisoned for the murder of a prostitute, and who was regarded by intellectuals and politicians as an example of successful rehabilitation. Unterweger murdered ten more women within two years of his release, and committed suicide after his arrest.
Jelinek's work
Jelinek's work is multi-faceted and highly controversial. It has been by turns praised and condemned by leading literary criticsLiterary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
. In the wake of the Fritzl case, for example, she was accused of "executing 'hysterical' portraits of Austrian perversity". Likewise, her political activism encounters divergent and often heated reactions. Despite the controversy surrounding her work, Jelinek has won many distinguished prizes; among them are the Georg Büchner Prize in 1998; the Mülheim Dramatists Prize in 2002 and 2004; the Franz Kafka Prize
Franz Kafka Prize
The Franz Kafka Prize is an international literary award presented in honour of Franz Kafka, the German language novelist. The prize was first awarded in 2001 and is co-sponsored by the and the city of Prague, Czech Republic. At a presentation held annually at the end of October in the Old Town...
in 2004; and the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, also in 2004.
Female sexuality, its abuse, and the battle of the sexes in general are prominent topics in her work. Texts such as Wir sind Lockvögel, Baby! (We are Decoys, Baby!), Die Liebhaberinnen (Women as Lovers) and Die Klavierspielerin (The Piano Teacher) showcase the brutality and power play inherent in human relations in a style that is at times ironically formal and tightly controlled. According to Jelinek, power and aggression are often the principal driving forces of relationships
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
. Her provocative novel Lust contains graphically-delineated descriptions of sexuality, aggression and abuse. It received poor reviews by many critics, some of whom considered it little more than pornography, but was considered misunderstood and undervalued by others, who noted the power of the cold descriptions of moral failures.
In her later work, Jelinek has somewhat abandoned female issues to focus her energy on social criticism
Social criticism
The term social criticism locates the reasons for malicious conditions of the society in flawed social structures. People adhering to a social critics aim at practical solutions by specific measures, often consensual reform but sometimes also by powerful revolution.- European roots :Religious...
in general, and Austria's difficulties in admitting to its Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
past in particular; an example is Die Kinder der Toten (The Children of the Dead).
Her plays often emphasise choreography. In Sportstück, for example, the issue of violence and fascism in sports is explored. Some consider her plays taciturn, others lavish, and others still a new form of theatre altogether.
Jelinek's novel, Die Klavierspielerin was filmed as The Piano Teacher
The Piano Teacher
The Piano Teacher is a 2001 film directed by Michael Haneke, starring Isabelle Huppert and Benoît Magimel. The film is based on the novel Die Klavierspielerin by Elfriede Jelinek who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004.- Plot :...
by Austrian director Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke is a German born Austrian filmmaker and writer best known for his bleak and disturbing style. His films often document problems and failures in modern society. Haneke has worked in television‚ theatre and cinema. He is also known for raising social issues in his work...
, with French actress Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert is a French actress who has appeared in over 90 film and television productions since 1971. She has had 14 films in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the Best Actress Award twice, for Violette Nozière and La pianiste . She is also the most...
as the protagonist.
In late April 2006, Jelinek spoke out to support Peter Handke
Peter Handke
Peter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen...
, whose play Die Kunst des Fragens (The Art of Asking) was removed from the repertoire of the Comédie-Française
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
for his alleged support of Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
.
The Nobel Prize
Jelinek said she felt very happy to receive the Nobel Prize, but she also felt "despair for becoming a known, a person of the public". Known for her modesty and subtle self-irony, she – a reputed feminist writer – wondered if she had been awarded the prize mainly for "being a woman", and suggested that among authors writing in German, Peter HandkePeter Handke
Peter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen...
, whom she praises as a "living classic", would have been a more worthy recipient.
Jelinek was criticized for not accepting the prize in person; instead, a video message was presented at the ceremony. Others appreciated how Jelinek revealed that she suffers from agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
and social phobia
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life...
, paranoid conditions that developed when she first decided to write seriously. Both conditions are anxiety disorders which can be highly disruptive to everyday functioning yet are often concealed by those affected, out of shame, or feelings of inadequacy. Jelinek has said that her anxiety disorders make it impossible for her to go to the cinema or board an airplane (in an interview she wished to be able to fly to New York to see the skyscrapers one day before dying), and she felt incapable of taking part in any ceremony. However, she stated in another tape message: "I would also very much like to be in Stockholm, but I cannot move as fast and far as my language."
In 2005, Knut Ahnlund
Knut Ahnlund
Knut Emil Ahnlund is a Swedish literary historian, writer, and member of the Swedish Academy.Ahnlund is an expert on 19th and 20th century Nordic, especially Danish, literature. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on Henrik Pontoppidan, and has later written on Gustav Wied and Sven Lidman, among...
left the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
in protest, describing Jelinek's work as "whining, unenjoyable public pornography", as well as "a mass of text shovelled together without artistic structure". He said later that her selection for the prize "has not only done irreparable damage to all progressive forces, it has also confused the general view of literature as an art".
Novels
- bukolit. hörroman; Wien 1979 ISBN 3853940234
- wir sind lockvögel baby!; Reinbek 1970 ISBN 349912341X
- Michael. Ein Jugendbuch für die Infantilgesellschaft; Reinbek 1972 ISBN 3499250128
- Die Liebhaberinnen; Reinbek 1975 ISBN 3499250640
- Die AusgesperrtenDie AusgesperrtenWonderful, Wonderful Times is a novel by Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek, published in 1980 by Rowohlt Verlag. It was Jelinek's fifth book. An English version, translated by Michael Hulse, was released in 1990 by Serpent's Tail...
; Reinbek 1980 ISBN 349803314X - Die KlavierspielerinDie KlavierspielerinThe Piano Teacher is a novel by Austrian Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek, first published in 1983 by Rowohlt Verlag....
; Reinbek 1983 ISBN 3498033166 - Oh Wildnis, oh Schutz vor ihr; Reinbek 1985 ISBN 3499134071
- Lust; Reinbek 1989 ISBN 3498033239
- Die Kinder der Toten; Reinbek 1997 ISBN 3499221616
- Greed; Reinbek 2000 ISBN 349923131X
- Neid: Privatroman; 2007
Plays
- Was geschah, nachdem Nora ihren Mann verlassen hatte; oder Stützen der GesellschaftenWas geschah, nachdem Nora ihren Mann verlassen hatte; oder Stützen der GesellschaftenWas geschah, nachdem Nora ihren Mann verlassen hatte; oder Stützen der Gesellschaften is a play by Elfriede Jelinek...
(What Happened after Nora Left Her Husband; or Pillars of Society) premiered in Graz, Austria (October 1979) With Kurt Josef Schildknecht as director. - Clara S, musikalische TragödieClara S, musikalische TragödieClara S, musikalische Tragödie is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 1982....
(Clara S, a Musical Tragedy) Premiered at Bonn (1982) - Burgtheater. Posse mit GesangBurgtheater. Posse mit GesangBurgtheater. Posse mit Gesang is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 1985....
(Burgtheater. Farce with Songs) Premiered at Bonn (1985) - Begierde und Fahrererlaubnis (eine Pornographie)Begierde und Fahrererlaubnis (eine Pornographie)Begierde und Fahrererlaubnis is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 1986....
(Desire and Permission To Drive – Pornography) Premiered at the Styrian Autumn, Graz (1986) - Krankheit oder Moderne Frauen. Wie ein Stück (Illness or Modern Women. Like a Play) Premiered at Bonn, (1987) ISBN 9783922009887
- Präsident Abendwind. Ein Dramolett, sehr frei nach Johann Nestroy (President Abendwind. A dramolet, very freely after Johann Nestroy) Premiered at the Tyrol Landestheater, Innsbruck (1992)
- Wolken. Heim (Clouds. Home) Premiered at Bonn (1988) ISBN 9783882431476
- Totenauberg. Premiered at the Vienna Burgtheater (Akademietheater) (1992) ISBN 9783498033262
- Rastätte oder Sie machens alle. Eine Komödie (Service Area or They're All Doing It. A Comedy) Premiered at the Burgtheater, Vienna (1994)
- Stecken, Stab und Stangl. Eine Handarbeit (Rod, Staff, and Crook – Handmade) Premiered at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg (1996)
- Ein SportstückEin SportstückEin Sportstück is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 1998.The playwright examines our obsession with the publicly waged battle of sports....
(A Sport Play) Premiered at the Burgtheater, Vienna (1998) - er nicht als er (zu, mit Robert Walser) (him not himself – about/with Robert Walser) Premiered at the Salzburg Festival in conjunction with the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg (1998)
- Das Lebewohl (Les Adieux) Premiered at the Berliner Ensemble (2000)
- Das Schweigen" ("Silence") Premiered at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg (2000)
- Der Tod und das Mädchen IIDer Tod und das Mädchen IIDer Tod und das Mädchen II is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 2000....
(Death and the Maiden II) Premiered at EXPOL 2000 in Hanover in conjunction with the Saarbrücken Staatstheater and ZKM Karlsruhe (2000) ISBN 9783442761623 - MACHT NICHTS - Eine Kleine Trilogie des Todes ("NO PROBLEM – A Little Trilogy of Death") Premiered at the Zürich Schauspielhaus (2001) ISBN 9783499226830
- In den Alpen ("In the Alps") Premiered at the Munich Kammerspiele in conjunction with the Zürich Schauspielhaus (2002) Berlin: Berlin Verlag. (2002) 259 pages. ISBN 9783827004574
- Prinzessinnendramen: Der Tod und das Mädchen I-III und IV-V (Dramas of Princesses: Death and the Maiden I-III and IV-V) Parts I-III premiered at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg (2002) Parts IV-V premiered at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin (2002)
- Das WerkDas WerkDas Werk is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 2003....
. (The Works) Premiered at the Vienna Burgtheater (Akademietheater) (2003) - BambilandBambilandBambiland is a play by Elfriede Jelinek, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature. The play caused a sensation because of its protest against the Guantanamo Bay prison. In typical Jelinek style, there are many acts of violence, both physical and sexual. The text of the play is available on...
Premiered at the Burgtheater, Vienna (2003) ISBN 9783498032258 - Irm und Margit A part of "Attabambi Pornoland" Premiered at the Zürich Schauspielhaus (2004)
- Ulrike Maria Stuart Premiered at Thalia Theater HamburgThalia Theater (Hamburg)The Thalia Theater is one of the three state-owned theatres in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1843 by Charles Maurice Schwartzenberger and named after the muse Thalia...
(2006) - Über Tiere 2006
- RechnitzRechnitzRechnitz is a municipality in Burgenland in the Oberwart district in Austria with a population of 3,133.- Geography :The municipality is located in southern Burgenland, on the border with Hungary, near Bozsok and Szombathely...
(Der Würgeengel) 2008 - Die Kontrakte des Kaufmanns. Eine WirtschaftskomödieDie Kontrakte des Kaufmanns. Eine WirtschaftskomödieDie Kontrakte des Kaufmanns. Eine Wirtschaftskomödie is a play by Elfriede Jelinek. It was first published in 2009....
(2009)
Translations
- Die Enden der Parabel (Gravity's RainbowGravity's RainbowGravity's Rainbow is a postmodern novel written by Thomas Pynchon and first published on February 28, 1973.The narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military, and, in particular, the quest...
) novel by Thomas PynchonThomas PynchonThomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
; 1976 - Herrenjagd Drama by Georges FeydeauGeorges FeydeauGeorges Feydeau was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his many lively farces.-Biography:Georges Feydeau was born in Paris, the son of novelist Ernest-Aimé Feydeau and Léocadie Bogaslawa Zalewska. At the age of twenty, Feydeau wrote his first comic...
; 1983 - Floh im Ohr Drama by Georges FeydeauGeorges FeydeauGeorges Feydeau was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his many lively farces.-Biography:Georges Feydeau was born in Paris, the son of novelist Ernest-Aimé Feydeau and Léocadie Bogaslawa Zalewska. At the age of twenty, Feydeau wrote his first comic...
; 1986 - Der Gockel Drama by Georges FeydeauGeorges FeydeauGeorges Feydeau was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his many lively farces.-Biography:Georges Feydeau was born in Paris, the son of novelist Ernest-Aimé Feydeau and Léocadie Bogaslawa Zalewska. At the age of twenty, Feydeau wrote his first comic...
; 1986 - Die Affaire Rue de Lourcine Drama by Eugène Labiche; 1988
- Die Dame vom Maxim Drama by Georges FeydeauGeorges FeydeauGeorges Feydeau was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his many lively farces.-Biography:Georges Feydeau was born in Paris, the son of novelist Ernest-Aimé Feydeau and Léocadie Bogaslawa Zalewska. At the age of twenty, Feydeau wrote his first comic...
; 1990 - Der Jude von Malta Drama by Christopher MarloweChristopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
; 2001 - Ernst sein ist alles Drama by Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
; 2004 - Lyrik und Kurzgeschichten (latein)amerikanischer AutorInnen
Opera libretto
- Lost Highway (2003), adapted from the film by David Lynch, with music by Olga NeuwirthOlga NeuwirthOlga Neuwirth is an Austrian composer.As a child at the age of seven, Neuwirth began lessons on trumpet. She later studied composition in Vienna at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts under Erich Urbanner, while studying at the Electroacoustic Institute...
Jelinek's novels in English
- The Piano TeacherThe Piano TeacherThe Piano Teacher is a 2001 film directed by Michael Haneke, starring Isabelle Huppert and Benoît Magimel. The film is based on the novel Die Klavierspielerin by Elfriede Jelinek who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004.- Plot :...
(1988), translation of Die Klavierspielerin by Joachim NeugroschelJoachim NeugroschelJoachim Neugroschel was a well known literary translator from French, German, Italian, Russian, and Yiddish, and also to German. He also published poetry and was a poetry magazine founder.- Biography :...
. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 9781555840525. - Wonderful, Wonderful Times (1990), translation of Die Ausgesperrten by Michael Hulse. London: Serpent's TailSerpent's TailSerpent's Tail is a British independent publishing firm founded in 1986 by Pete Ayrton. It is notable for its translated works, particularly European crime fiction, and is the British publisher of Elfriede Jelinek and Lionel Shriver...
, ISBN 9781852421687. - Lust (1992), translated by Michael Hulse. London: Serpent's Tail, ISBN 9781852421830.
- Women as Lovers (1994), translation of Die Liebhaberinnen by Martin Chalmers. London: Serpent's Tail, 1994, ISBN 1852422378.
- Greed (2006), translation by Martin Chalmers. Serpent's Tail, ISBN 185242902X.
See also
- List of female Nobel laureates
- Gottfried Hüngsberg (German Wikipedia)
Further reading
Gérard Thiériot (dir.), "Elfriede Jelinek et le devenir du drame", Toulouse, Presses universitaires du Mirail, 2006. ISBN 9782858168699External links
- Official website
- Elfriede Jelinek Nobel Prize Lecture
- Elfriede Jelinek: New German dramatic art. Goethe-InstitutGoethe-InstitutThe Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
s - Elfriede Jelinek-Forschungszentrum
- Nobel site biography
- BBC synopsis
- Biography at FemBio
- Die Gewaltproblematik bei Elfriede Jelinek
- Elfriede Jelinek: Nichts ist verwirklicht. Alles muss jetzt neu definiert werden.
- Marjorie Perloff's article Vienna Roast: On Elfriede Jelinek
- Goethe Institut's entry on Elfriede Jelinek