A Whole Life
Jul 2015 · Pan Macmillan
4.6star
10 reviewsreport
Ebook
160
Pages
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About this ebook
A tender tale of solitude and the search for beauty in the Austrian Alps, shortlisted for the Booker International Prize.
Like John Williams' Stoner or Denis Johnson's Train Dreams, A Whole Life is an exquisite novel that moves readers with its message of truth and solace. It explores the moments, both big and small, that shape our lives.
Andreas spends his entire life in the Austrian Alps, taken in by a farming family as a young boy. A man of few words, he expresses his love for Marie by having friends light her name across the mountain at dusk. When Marie dies in an avalanche, pregnant with their first child, Andreas' heart is shattered. He leaves his valley only once more, to fight in World War II, where he is taken prisoner in the Caucasus. Upon returning, he finds modernity encroaching on his remote haven. . .
‘It is at once heart-rending and heart-warming. A Whole Life, for all its gentleness, is a very powerful book.’ – Jim Crace, author of Harvest
Like John Williams' Stoner or Denis Johnson's Train Dreams, A Whole Life is an exquisite novel that moves readers with its message of truth and solace. It explores the moments, both big and small, that shape our lives.
Andreas spends his entire life in the Austrian Alps, taken in by a farming family as a young boy. A man of few words, he expresses his love for Marie by having friends light her name across the mountain at dusk. When Marie dies in an avalanche, pregnant with their first child, Andreas' heart is shattered. He leaves his valley only once more, to fight in World War II, where he is taken prisoner in the Caucasus. Upon returning, he finds modernity encroaching on his remote haven. . .
‘It is at once heart-rending and heart-warming. A Whole Life, for all its gentleness, is a very powerful book.’ – Jim Crace, author of Harvest
Ratings and reviews
4.6
10 reviews
alan jones
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April 8, 2020
A moving, short novel, about one man's life - his joys and his sorrows, his losses and (there aren't many) gains. Sympathetically translated. You'll be moved by this person's stoicism and resolve. It's a novel which makes you see how alone some people are in their lives. Worth a read. Moving.
Trond Underland Berntzen
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April 27, 2016
Although the book is not my favorite genre, I did enjoy its insight into a life completely unknown to me.
Mick Shircore
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January 24, 2016
Wasn't sure about the topic of this book to start with as it wasn't my normal 'go for', but having started it after reading a Waterstones write up, I found I just became swept along with the narrative. A fairly short book but one I found myself easily absorbed in. Nice :-)
About the author
Robert Seethaler is an Austrian living in Berlin. He is the author of several novels, including A Whole Life and The Tobacconist. He also works as an actor, starring in Paolo Sorrentino's Youth.
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