Correction

by Thomas Bernhard

Book Overview

The scientist Roithamer has dedicated the last six years of his life to "the Cone," an edifice of mathematically exact construction that he has erected in the center of his family's estate in honor of his beloved sister. Not long after its completion, he takes his own life. As an unnamed friend pieces together--literally, from thousands of slips of papers and one troubling manuscript--the puzzle of Rotheimer's breakdown, what emerges is the story...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400077605
• ISBN13: 9781400077601
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Peak Bernhard

I had read "Wittgenstein's Nephew" and "The Loser" and was prepared to regard Bernhard as interesting and innovative but not compelling, certainly not the Austrian novelist Handke is; but a Bernhard fan urged this on me. Even though I usually favor comic novels, and value richness of language and varied sentence structure per se, I think Bernhard's run-on style has more pertinence and dramatic force in this tragic tale than in his more humorous efforts. This was a memorable experience on two levels--the level of its subject matter and the level of the aptness and suppleness of Bernhard's craft. If you haven't read any Bernhard before, start with this one. The two Muldoons (!) reviewing here are right on target.

Thus Roithamer

Bernhard's novel "Correction" tells us the story of two friends. The main character, Roithamer, commit suicide (as we know from the first page of the book) and his friend (the person who tells the story) take charge of his legacy: A huge mass of calculations and thinkings about the construction of a Cone (in the center of a forest called Kobernauss) for the "supreme happiness" of Roithamer' sister (who is expected to dwell in it). Following this main idea Bernhard writes a superb novel dealing with the loneliness of an exceptional man in a stupid, brutal and destructive society that consider mad to those people with true artistic and intellectual interests. Strong thoughts and strong beauty are the main virtues of this book. I have read almost all the works by Thomas Bernhard and this one, I think, is the kernel of all his production. It is, maybe, his greatest masterpiece (in narrative) besides his five-volume autobiography. We encounter, here, for example, that wild irony and humour of his plays for the scene and his deep view of the world. Yes, "depth" is the magical word dealing with Bernhard works. And against the depth is all the superfluidity and foolishness of the surroundings in our way of life. Superfluidity which threatens us in every moment wanting to kill us intellectually and spiritually. Only knowledge can save us but then (considering knowledge only) our life is difficult when not terrible.I will say nothing of Mdme. Wilkins translation as I think that there is no alternative for reading this novel in English. Translating Bernhard is very difficult. Long sentences, with periodic and obsessive motives which repeat and repeat producing an amazing and incredible effect. Bernhard is a master of rhythm and precision and his style is a musical one.

Thus Roithamer

Bernhard's novel "Correction" tells us the story of two friends. The main character, Roithamer, commit suicide (as we know from the first page of the book) and his friend (the person who tells the story) take charge of his legacy: A huge mass of calculations and thinkings about the construction of a Cone (in the center of a forest called Kobernauss) for the "supreme happiness" of Roithamer' sister (who is expected to dwell in it). Following this main idea Bernhard writes a superb novel dealing with the loneliness of an exceptional man in a stupid, brutal and destructive society that consider mad to those people with true artistic and intellectual interests. Strong thoughts and strong beauty are the main virtues of this book. I have read almost all the works by Thomas Bernhard and this one, I think, is the kernel of all his production. It is, maybe, his greatest masterpiece (in narrative) besides his five-volume autobiography. We encounter, here, for example, that wild irony and humour of his plays for the scene and all his personal universe and obsessions. I will say nothing of Mdme.Wilkins translation as I think that there is no alternative for reading this novel in English. Translating Bernhard is very difficult. Long sentences, with periodic and obsessive motives which repeat and repeat producing an amazing and incredible effect. Bernhard is a master of rhythm and precision and his style is a musical one.

With special attention to the Cone.

This novel is essentially about a man (two men, really, in sequence although at times it feels like the narrator is of one piece) in a little dark room who cannot turn his brain off and has an incessant need to share it with you (the reader). I found the passage about the stuffing of the big black bird to be incredibly hilarious. People who aspire to be well-read must put Thomas Bernhard on the top of their reading list. Adjectives like obsession and neurotic don't do this particular book justice. I've read most of Bernhard's books (as translated in English) and this is certainly one of his strongest. I recommend this book to everyone -- graduate students, widows, orphans, the mentally ill, little children. Five stars absolutely.

However difficult Bernhard's prose may be, it's excelent.

I consider Correction as one the best works of his author. I've read Miguel Saenz' translation into Spanish and I've found it excellent. I can't quite say wether English traslation is as good or it's not. The main Bernhard obsession are shown in this book. His peculiar, rather tough style is displayed in all its intensity as well. Amongst the former the suicide topic and the relationship between the man and Nature are worth mentioning. Among the latter, I guess those endlessly soliloques whose secret only Bernhard seems to know, would be the most characteristic. The plot is based upon Wittgenstein's life or, rather, upon Wittgenstein's philosophy. The method of this philospher has been described as a spiral -rather than lineal way of thought. He rounds the same issues all the time but getting deeper and deeper every time. In Bernhard prose, the same process can be verified. In a lineal following of the plot, not many things can be registered. But the thoughts of the protagonist are able to discover always a new view of those few issues he is obsessed with. At last, the suicide of his friend (known for the reader since the first page) can be interpreted as his last step in his impossible way from civilization (in wich he has been thrown against his will) back to Nature. Highly significative in this regard is the place where the suicide takes place: a spot in the woods exactly in the half of the way between the town and his house in the mountains. The style and the strange use of the lenguage can be interpreted in the same way. Wittgenstein once said: "When you can't talk about things is better to keep silence." Bernhard try to fight this assumption by writing. No matter what he is writing about, keep writing, unceaselessly, correcting the former phrase with the current one, and recorrecting it again, and again and againg. This effort is highly evident Bernhard work. Like the life of the suicidal, his literature is a continuos process of correction, of amending, improvement, redefinition. But is never enough. There is no end, no limit, measure bound in this toil. Written words in Bernhard are just useful to realize they can't quite convey what they are trying to. But is not a failure what he gets as a result. On the contrary, by means of suggesting what he is not able to convey, he remarks exactly what the rest of the literature always tries to hide: its dispatched of the essential, its lack of hinges, its desperately seeking in a world where no points of reference have been left.