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The Collected Stories of Wolfgang Hildesheimer
The funny and bittersweet stories of Wolfgang Hildesheimer are peopled with delightful eccentrics: an insomniac who makes a midnight visit to his bird dealer to purchase an owl (not gift-wrapped) that he might carry it to Athens; a world-famous pianist whose lifelong dream is to be an insurance agent; a retired magician who with his last conjure turns himself into a nightingale.
Here also are accounts of unlikely historical figures such as Theodor Pilz, a man whose "contribution to the history of Western civilization was expressed in the nonexistence of works which never came into being thanks to his courageous, self-sacrificing interference," and Rudolf Westcotte who at twenty-two "placed the final and decisive accents on easel painting in his time, after which he picked up the chisel, using a few well-aimed strokes to correct the - by his lights, imperfect - state of sculpture." Having mastered the more traditional arts, Westcotte turns next to topiary and finally, in what proves to be a fatal decision, to tattooing to express his genius.
The book concludes with the masterful "Missives to Max," an epistolary meditation on age and the modern age, on quotidian and universal existence. In a serendipitous ramble the correspondent allows a pun or double entendre to lead him from one topic to the next. In such multilayered prose the translator's art is at its highest, and the nuance and whimsy of the original are preserved with faithfulness and elegance.
Here also are accounts of unlikely historical figures such as Theodor Pilz, a man whose "contribution to the history of Western civilization was expressed in the nonexistence of works which never came into being thanks to his courageous, self-sacrificing interference," and Rudolf Westcotte who at twenty-two "placed the final and decisive accents on easel painting in his time, after which he picked up the chisel, using a few well-aimed strokes to correct the - by his lights, imperfect - state of sculpture." Having mastered the more traditional arts, Westcotte turns next to topiary and finally, in what proves to be a fatal decision, to tattooing to express his genius.
The book concludes with the masterful "Missives to Max," an epistolary meditation on age and the modern age, on quotidian and universal existence. In a serendipitous ramble the correspondent allows a pun or double entendre to lead him from one topic to the next. In such multilayered prose the translator's art is at its highest, and the nuance and whimsy of the original are preserved with faithfulness and elegance.
197 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 21, 2021
". . . standing among cloth-draped cages in the nocturnal dimness of the bird shop. The owner asked me what I would like.
"An owl, please," I said.
"Aha," he said, winking, as if relishing the shrewd expertise of his client. "You're a connoisseur. Most customers make the mistake of selecting an owl in the daylight. Should I gift-wrap it?"
"No. It's for me. I'd like to carry it to Athens."" (pp 79-80)
What imagination could conjure the "owl of Athena", not literally but as the basis for a short story? The stories of Wolfgang Hildesheimer try to contain the imagination of the author who pens tales like this. This is the first English-language appearance for 19 stories, most of them very short, by the witty, whimsical author of a controversial Mozart biography (1982) and four novels. Many of the pieces here take the form of literary/academic parodies, with provocative views of culture emerging indirectly, but effectively.
In writing them Hildsheimer shares the journey of a man carrying the owl (owlet, to be exact) along with an amazing panoply of other characters in this small book. There is the retired magician who goes out in what some might call "Keatsian" glory, and a concert Pianist whose dream occupation turns on end the real-life struggles of so many famous composers and performers. The response of the owner of the bird shop in the excerpt above from "I Carry an Owl to Athens" captures the epitome of Hildesheimer's style. "I Am Not Writing a Book on Kafka" satirizes the little world of biographical scholars, clinging like parasites to their chosen subjects. "1956--A Pilz Year" pays hilarious centenary tribute, complete with footnotes, to one Gottlieb Theodore Pilz, little-known apostle of sloth ("the pioneer of sitting in the sun"), whose contribution to Western civilization "was expressed in the non-existence of works which never came into being thanks to his courageous, self-sacrificing interference." (In 1836, for instance, "at the height of his powers," he "managed to talk Delacroix out of painting a series of colossal pictures of various jungle scenes.") Several stories explore the notion of a self-divided artist: in "Portrait of a Poet," it is revealed that Nobel-winning poet Sylvan Hardemuth was really literary critic Alphons Schwerdt, who wrote all those pseudonymous poems--intentionally awful, crassly derivative--in order to give himself a target for scathing, witty reviews; and one very Woody Allenish entry tells of the famous pianist who's secretly a frustrated insurance agent ("a double talent of unwonted proportions"). Hildesheimer sometimes pens an existential fable, often with surreal touches reminiscent of (among others) Donald Barthelme. One man, desperate for solitude (a recurring theme throughout the collection), turns himself into a nightingale; another builds himself a tiny apartment many stories up, virtually in thin air--a doomed experiment in sell-sufficiency.
The strength of which is in his ability to turn the world upside down, to create a story out of a throw-away line, to dwell masterfully on the metaphors of the world and our lives in it. Readers with a taste for cross-cultural drollery and dark whimsy will find this an impressive performance. I found the result of his imaginings to be delightful, often humorous stories of people that I know I would like to meet, and, fortunately, thanks to Wolfgang Hildesheimer (and the excellent translation of his stories by Joachim Neugroschel) I already have.
"An owl, please," I said.
"Aha," he said, winking, as if relishing the shrewd expertise of his client. "You're a connoisseur. Most customers make the mistake of selecting an owl in the daylight. Should I gift-wrap it?"
"No. It's for me. I'd like to carry it to Athens."" (pp 79-80)
What imagination could conjure the "owl of Athena", not literally but as the basis for a short story? The stories of Wolfgang Hildesheimer try to contain the imagination of the author who pens tales like this. This is the first English-language appearance for 19 stories, most of them very short, by the witty, whimsical author of a controversial Mozart biography (1982) and four novels. Many of the pieces here take the form of literary/academic parodies, with provocative views of culture emerging indirectly, but effectively.
In writing them Hildsheimer shares the journey of a man carrying the owl (owlet, to be exact) along with an amazing panoply of other characters in this small book. There is the retired magician who goes out in what some might call "Keatsian" glory, and a concert Pianist whose dream occupation turns on end the real-life struggles of so many famous composers and performers. The response of the owner of the bird shop in the excerpt above from "I Carry an Owl to Athens" captures the epitome of Hildesheimer's style. "I Am Not Writing a Book on Kafka" satirizes the little world of biographical scholars, clinging like parasites to their chosen subjects. "1956--A Pilz Year" pays hilarious centenary tribute, complete with footnotes, to one Gottlieb Theodore Pilz, little-known apostle of sloth ("the pioneer of sitting in the sun"), whose contribution to Western civilization "was expressed in the non-existence of works which never came into being thanks to his courageous, self-sacrificing interference." (In 1836, for instance, "at the height of his powers," he "managed to talk Delacroix out of painting a series of colossal pictures of various jungle scenes.") Several stories explore the notion of a self-divided artist: in "Portrait of a Poet," it is revealed that Nobel-winning poet Sylvan Hardemuth was really literary critic Alphons Schwerdt, who wrote all those pseudonymous poems--intentionally awful, crassly derivative--in order to give himself a target for scathing, witty reviews; and one very Woody Allenish entry tells of the famous pianist who's secretly a frustrated insurance agent ("a double talent of unwonted proportions"). Hildesheimer sometimes pens an existential fable, often with surreal touches reminiscent of (among others) Donald Barthelme. One man, desperate for solitude (a recurring theme throughout the collection), turns himself into a nightingale; another builds himself a tiny apartment many stories up, virtually in thin air--a doomed experiment in sell-sufficiency.
The strength of which is in his ability to turn the world upside down, to create a story out of a throw-away line, to dwell masterfully on the metaphors of the world and our lives in it. Readers with a taste for cross-cultural drollery and dark whimsy will find this an impressive performance. I found the result of his imaginings to be delightful, often humorous stories of people that I know I would like to meet, and, fortunately, thanks to Wolfgang Hildesheimer (and the excellent translation of his stories by Joachim Neugroschel) I already have.
September 11, 2014
A guy crawls inside a guitar. A society party spins on as the artificial island where it is being held slowly sinks. A man buys an owl (not gift-wrapped) to take it to the Parthenon in Athens. A guy buys a locamotive from another guy in a bar. A world-reknown concert pianist dreams of selling insurance. One man's life is celebrated due to the seeemingly benign things he prevented from happening.
Hildesheimer's gentle, quirky stories are highbrow without being fussy. This collection is great because you can dip in to one of the stories for a quick read. They are not really tied together (except maybe in tone and a bit thematically... all rather satirical, civilized and expressing the notion that we humans are kind of silly and mediocre creatures).
Recommended to have on the train or by the bedside if you dig cerebral, absurd humor.
Hildesheimer's gentle, quirky stories are highbrow without being fussy. This collection is great because you can dip in to one of the stories for a quick read. They are not really tied together (except maybe in tone and a bit thematically... all rather satirical, civilized and expressing the notion that we humans are kind of silly and mediocre creatures).
Recommended to have on the train or by the bedside if you dig cerebral, absurd humor.
January 7, 2026
what a bizarre, lovely surprise. i really did not expect this to be as beautiful. marvel of a translation. kind of like borges in that a lot of the stories are interested in or spin situations around our categories of producing & appreciating art. the last story is a marvel of daily life lived on a linguistic register. slight issue for me is the ending of some of these stories. i cannot even remember when or where i acquired this!
February 23, 2019
Some of the stories are really funny.
September 6, 2019
Masterful stories
June 28, 2012
Archly funny, surrealistic short stories
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews