German existentialist literature.

I'm currently reading some of the works of Camus and Sartre and really enjoying their works and I find the philosophy behind it really interesting. If I have the time I may look into some work by Simone de Beauvoir aswell. I'd like to do some similar reading in German. I've discovered Franz Kafka - and though there is some debate as to whether he was an existentialist or not, he is generally grouped in that area. I'm having difficulty finding similar authors - I know there's Jaspers, Nietzsche, Heidegger etc., however, to my knowledge they didn't actually write any novels, just essays, etc. I'm more interested in reading novels with the ideas expressed through the story - so in short, can anyone suggest any authors that might be worth a read? It might be worth noting I will not be reading these in German, but in translation, as if I were to attempt reading them in German I'd never finish them!

Reply 1

Bakunin

Nietzsche and Kierkegaard form the basics of exitentialism.

I would personally recommend giving various bits of literature an existentialist reading if you really understand existentialism.

A good start is Shelley's Frankenstein which starts with;

Did I request thee, Maker from my clay
To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?

Which in an existential light is a reference to 'throwness' (it's a Milton quote) and read from there in existential frames of reference.

After that try Harry Potter or Jane Austin, I don't care.

Reply 2

Birchington

20

Bakunin

Nietzsche and Kierkegaard form the basics of exitentialism.

Definately. Nietzche especially is a key starting point.

Reply 3

Brevity

11

If you can stomach it, Thomas Mann's 'The Magic Mountain' and 'Death In Venice' are supposedly great existentialist novels. Also, Dostoevsky's 'Notes From the Underground' is pretty seminal.

I also hear something about Stendhal (Red and Black, Charterhouse of Parma?) were meant to be existentialist, or perhaps that's just because Nietzsche saw fit to approve of them.

Reply 4

Milady de Winter

Dream Story, by Arthur Schnitzler, is a good way into this kind of literature. So is Herman Hesse - try Steppenwolf

Reply 5

rottcodd

3

kjc_us

I'm currently reading some of the works of Camus and Sartre and really enjoying their works and I find the philosophy behind it really interesting. If I have the time I may look into some work by Simone de Beauvoir aswell

If you can, read The Mandarins by Beauvoir - it's a big, fat chunky book but it's also an absolute cracker. I learnt a lot from that book. It doesn't heavily go into existentialism but it is a fairly prominent theme so might be your kind of thing. It's also interesting as a little biography of Camus and Sartre, as the characters in the novel are thinly-veiled doubles of them. Definately worth it.

Milady de Winter

Dream Story, by Arthur Schnitzler, is a good way into this kind of literature. So is Herman Hesse - try Steppenwolf

I swear every Christmas and birthday I ask somebody to buy me that book and they never do and then I forget about it for the rest of the year. Thanks to you for reminding me, I have now bought it for myself :biggrin:

Reply 6

Milady de Winter

rottcodd

I swear every Christmas and birthday I ask somebody to buy me that book and they never do and then I forget about it for the rest of the year. Thanks to you for reminding me, I have now bought it for myself :biggrin:

Delighted to be of service! :smile:

Reply 7

Da Bachtopus

12

I suppose Bruno Schultz is 'similar' to Kafka.

Reply 8

Faith In Chaos

1

Try some Hesse. Not strictly existential, but bloody brilliant anyway. I'm reading Gertrude at the moment. Siddhartha is amazing too if you're into Eastern Philosophy at all.

Reply 9

kjc_us

OP

14

Thanks for the help, all, I'll look into some of the authors you've mentioned. :smile:

Reply 10

Kink

14

The Magic Mountain by Mann...
I can't express my love of this book...love, love, love, love, love etc.

Reply 11

volts

Try 'the pigeon' by patrick suskind; a man has an existential crisis after seeing a pigeon on the doorstep of his flat.

Reply 12

vagabond

'Notes from the underground' is a quality introduction to existentialism

if you want to read kafka then i would recommend start with 'the metamorphosis' and then move onto 'the trial'

German existentialist literature.

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