Telegrams of the Soul

by Peter Altenberg, Peter Wortsman (Translation)

"If it be permitted to speak of 'love at first syllable, ' then that's what I experienced in my first encounter with this poet of prose." So wrote Thomas Mann of the work of Peter Altenberg. A virtuoso Fin de Siecle Viennese innovator of what he called the "telegram style" of writing, Altenberg's signature short prose straddles the line between the lyrical and the narrative, fiction and observation, harsh verity and whimsical vignette. Inspired by the prose poems of Charles Baudelaire, the tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Viennese Feuilleton, a light journalistic reflection current in his day, Altenberg carved out a spare, strikingly modern aesthetic that speaks with an eerie prescience to our own impatient time. Peter Wortsman's new selection and translation reads like a sly lyrical wink from the turn-of-the-century of the telegram to the turn-of-the-millennium of e-mail.

Peter Altenberg, also known as Richard Englander, 1859-1919, was born into a well-to-do Viennese Jewish family, lived in hotels and listed as his official address the Cafe Central, Vienna's intellectual clubhouse (also the sometime haunt of Leon Trotsky and his chess partner Vladimir Ilyich Lenin). A renowned eccentric, Altenberg pioneered the very notion of loose-fitting leisure attire, designed a line of necklaces and favored sandals, walking sticks, slivovitz and the company of prostitutes. His literary admirers included Karl Kraus, Heinrich and Thomas Mann, Robert Musil and Arthur Schnitzler.

Recipient of the Beard's Fund Short Story Award, Peter Wortsman is the author of "A Modern Way To Die: Small Stories and Microtales" and the play "The Tattooed Man Tells All." His translations from the German include "Posthumous Papers of a Living Author" by Robert Musil and "Peter Schlemiel: The Man Who Sold His Shadow" by Adelbert von Chamisso.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Short Stories, Essays, German Literature, Literature

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Eddie Watkins]

Well this guy's a real charmer and character. Supposedly inspired by Baudelaire's Paris Spleen, but in temperament more like Henri Rousseau (similarly "innocent" but much more wily, and like Rousseau his imagination was stoked by exotica envisioned from deep within an urban comfort zone). Altenberg also has a plein aire feeling. Reading this book of sketches and flights of fancy and feuilletons one can easily see him ensconced in his cafe (with his celebrated walrus mustache) watching what's before him while dashing off piece after piece. He championed a life of bohemian leisure, attired himself in very loose fitting clothing (which I think he designed himself) and open-toed sandals, and passed his days as an endearing public eccentric sipping coffee and ogling lovely adolescent girlies. He had a very good run in artsy free-spirited fin de siecle Vienna and into the early 20th c., but apparently ended his days in a mental hospital.

For some reason the translator of these pieces felt the need to champion Altenberg at the expense of Schnitzler & Hofmannsthal (calling them dowdy and dated). I would agree that Altenberg reads like more of 21st c. author than Schnitzler and Hofmannsthal, perhaps because his writing style is so spontaneous and resolutely present-tense, but all three of these writers are applicable to readers of today for different reasons.

[Jola]

Review to come.

[Mayk Can Şişman]

Avusturya edebiyatındaki o kan donduran depresiflik -ki bayılırım- bu kitapta yok. Biraz dağınık bir kitap. Kısa metinler okumayı sevenler bu kitabı sever. Kitaba bayılmadım ama cümlelerin arasında kaybolmayı sevdim.

[AC]

http://books.google.com/books?id=ovii...

This is not the whole book - but gives a flavor of it - interesting -- a bit like Seinfeld's Uncle Leo -- was ist so nur...?

[Kaya Tokmakçıoğlu]

Fin de siècle Viyanası "gidenin ve gelmekte olanın" çok iyi gözlemlenebileceği bir laboratuvar. Büyük Savaş öncesine devrolan miras içinde Schnitzler, von Hofmannsthal vd. kadar etkisi olan bir diğer isim de Peter Altenberg. "Ruhun Telgrafları"nın özgün adı "Semmering 1913" ve Altenberg günümüzde artık kayak sporuyla anılan bu yerde geçirdiği birkaç aya dair gözlemlerinde çökmekte olan bir imparatorluğa, onun küçük insanlarına ve gündelik hayatına bir bakış fırlatıyor. Fragmanter, delişmen ve Karl Kraus'un cüretini çağrıştıran bir üslup ve edebî dil...

[Lauren Albert]

This book was a tremendous disappointment. I'd long looked forward to reading this as I had heard wonderful things about this Austrian eccentric. His fans included such great writers as Thomas Mann and Robert Musil. There were some gems but an awful lot of tedious pieces as well. Most of his work has never been translated into English. I wonder if the problem is either a poor translation or a poor selection from his writings. As always, I've put passages from it on my Notes page. 4/09

[Elazar]

How wonderfully refreshing! A delightful collection of short prose poems written more than 100 years ago. Highly recommended. I hope that more of his books will be translated. Otherwise I may need to learn reading in German...

[Matan Tal]

Altenberg's work is like a collection of tweets or short posts. Half prosaic ideas and situations depicted by a sensitive soul. One of my all time favourite writers. He is already forgotten. almost unrecoverably forgotten. He describes scenes with beauty and with a unique touch. and he does it in a short way with total freedom of form. Probably, the main reason he's almost unrecoverably forgotten, is because of the way he describes little girls. Which is on the verge of paedophilia.

[Feck]

There are certain things I cannot abide, especially when he talks about young ladies, but his prose is beautiful and the sketches are funny, whimsical, and often haunting. The final sketch was masterful, and tragic. A poignant way to end his writing, and this collection.

[Kirsten]

I read most of this through selected selections. I enjoyed each piece both for itself and as an influence on several writers I love/d. There's something so lovely about finding a classic that speaks to the modern; something that provides connection and perspective.

[Turgut A.]

Kitabın adı çok güzel. Fakat çok özensiz bir baskı. Çok özensiz bir çeviri olduğu için. Ciddiye alamadım. Meseleler de yeterince estetik ve zekadan yoksun gibi geldi ama bu muhtemelen çevirinin sorunu.

[Alex Kalamaroff]

I remember greatly enjoying reading this.

[Yonina]

Honestly a drag. Altenberg comes off like a cheerful budget Nietzsche. I really liked some sections before going all in and I was disappointed.

[James Tregonning]

brief, but not brief enough

[Viet]

from Telegrams of the Soul by Peter Altenberg (translated from the German by Peter Wortsman):

"Poverty"

Conversation with my ten-year-old dinner guest, Karoline B., the little daughter of a poor widow, perfection in the making, already a profoundly human creature.
"Tomorrow, Sir, I have to travel far out to the 'Doll Doctor' in the Fifth District!"
"What ever for?"
"Somebody gave me a doll. She only has a top half."
"Curious!"
"Why curious?! If she'd had a bottom half, too, they damn sure wouldn't have given her to me!"

[Kobe Bryant]

Sounds like he had a cool life

[Ttonistown]

Altenberg is one of my new favorite authors. Although his prose is over 100 years old, his pieces remain relevant. Absolutely loved this book!