On the Marble Cliffs

by Ernst Jünger and Ernst Juenger

Book Overview

Now in a new translation, an imaginative, darkly radiant fable about a pair of brothers, formerly warriors, whose idyll is shattered by an encroaching fascistic force.

Set in a world of its own, Ernst J?nger's On the Marble Cliffs is both a mesmerizing work of fantasy and an allegory of the advent of fascism. The narrator of the book and his brother, Otho, live in an ancient house carved out of the great marble cliffs that overlook...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1681376253
• ISBN13: 9781681376257
• Release Date: January 2023
• Publisher: New York Review of Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.9" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Multi-Layered and Difficult

I have the 1947 English translation by Stuart Hood, so I cannot say what changes were made for this Penguin edition. Maybe the first work of Juenger's later phase, where he is more interested in broader issues which are hidden in a symbolic narrative. The narrative itself is interesting, being a study in the advance of fascism, but the metaphors and symbolism are perhaps lost a bit in translation. I found myself frustrated at many turns, knowing that there was some hidden meaning on the page before me, but which was obscured--perhaps due to translation, time or lack of context. Still, an interesting book. I plan on revisiting after I've worked through more of Juenger's later works.

a short note about the first customer review

Its wrong that the Magic Realism is a typical latin-american genre. In german literature after 1945 (even before the latin magic realism existed) we have a "Strömung" called "Magischer Realismus" - but its darker than the latin one. unfortunately the world didnt took notice about the german "Magischer Realismus" and forgot such great german-magic-realism authors like: Ernst Kreuder, Hermann Kasack, Kaschnitz, Langgässer, Hans Henny Jahnn, Frido Lampe ...Than, in the 60s, latin authors like Garcia-Marquez and Ruan Rulfo became famous and the hole world spoke about the "new sensation".so, when you like Jünger, you have to read one of these authors.

Beauty and the beast

(...) The author may have been a beast, but his prose is of utmost beauty. A wonderful specimen of magical realism, this novel rivals the best of Marquez. From a German standpoint, this typically Latin-American genre takes on a whole new spin. Even the fantastical is described with incredible precision. The thick symbolism explores whole new dimensions. Don't be blinded by the superpowered dogs or snake-taming boy. You only need to look as far as the flower collection of the botantist narrator. The geometries excrutiatingly detailed there echo throughout the entire book in a rich and subtle symbolism. On the Marble Cliffs is a work of genius. (...)

Another One to Save From the Out-of-Print Oblivion

EJ's "On the Marble Cliffs" is one of those literary classics that suffers from the reputation of its author. Because of his position as a German army official during the occupation of France in WWII, Junger is one of the more controversial authors of the century. He is also one of the best, but his work goes largely unread in the English-speaking world. Even today, people in the countries that made up the Allied powers look upon all Germans of the time as Nazis; we seem unable to tell the difference between party officials and Germans who were forced to do what they could considering the circumstances. However, this book- as well as Junger's unpublished-in-English diaries of WWII- tell the story of the part of Germany that resisted in the only way that it could. "On the Marble Cliffs" is an allegorical account of what would eventually become the great tragedy of the century. Some of the metaphors Junger uses are obvious. Some are extremely confused. However, the book's literary merit shines through in every page. It is largely hailed as the only classic produced under the Third Reich; and it is one of the few pieces of literary resistance that passed through the censors. Yet it has been out of print for years, and almost unattainable to anyone interested. To get my copy, I had to talk to a store in Kentucky who had contact with a store in Canada that sold me a paperback copy for $30. This seems to be somewhat of a tragedy considering the value of the book. This situation is due primarily to a misunderstanding of Junger himself, which could easily be remedied if HIS BOOKS WERE STILL IN PRINT!