FSG is to reissue Michael Roloff's 1972 translation of Peter Handke's The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick. That novel was made into a film and, should anyone be casting for a biopic, I've just noticed the ideal candidate to play the author.
For the record, I read less than half of Crossing the Sierra de Gredos, the most recent novel to be translated, before giving up. I hope the as-yet-untranslated and, above all, shorter novels he's published since counters the career trajectory Ellis Sharp recognises in other fine writers, because "excruciating tosh" is about right in this case.
Powered by Blogger.
the goalie translator wishes to leave a brief comment. steve, what is the state of mind that the first page of GOALIE puts the reader in?
ReplyDeleteas to DEL GREDOS. I tend to agree that it can be a bit of a slog. but there are wonderful stretches too. as a critic of modernity handke is best at his laconic best. it got some unexpected sensitive reviews in the u.s. aside the to be expected ny times stupidity then reprinted in the international herald tribune. the forthcoming DON JUAN is a kind of summa performance of the three assayings [on tiredness, the jukebox, and the succcessful day]; it's pure writing, pure fuguing, and at handke's 30-40 words a great eight symphony.
here is a link to my commentary on that:
http://www.artscritic.blogspot.com
MICHAEL ROLOFF
Member Seattle Psychoanalytic Institute and Society
this LYNX will LEAP you to all my HANDKE project sites and BLOGS:
http://www.roloff.freehosting.net/index.html