Childhood, Youth, and Autobiography in the Work of Walter Matthias Diggelmann
| Autor: | H. M. Waidson |
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| Rok vydání: | 1974 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies. 10:213-225 |
| ISSN: | 1911-026X 0037-1939 |
| Popis: | Walter Matthias Diggelmann's publications in book form began in 1959, and between 1960-9 he published five novels and one volume of short stories; a further fictional volume, `a diary in stories,' appeared in 1972. These are the principal writings by this Swiss author which are the subject of description here. Usually Diggelmann's fiction is rich in incident and in the variety of the backgrounds evoked, and the action moves with speed and clarity. The central figures of the novels may be problematic in a number of ways, though at the same time they are capable of impulsive, spontaneous action. This essay notices that childhood and youth are periods in the lives of Diggelmann's heroes when they undergo emotionally significant experiences; there may well be an interweaving of fiction and autobiography here. In some novels a protagonist in early middle age may look back to his youth; in others a young person's reactions to the contemporary environment may receive more emphasis. Social and political issues which have been topical in Switzerland and elsewhere play a considerable part in Diggelmann's work. This author's writings are seen as a lively and substantial contribution to modern literature. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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