729. Wittgenstein's Nephew

Wittgenstein's Nephew
Thomas Bernhard
1982
Around 100 pages

I actually had to fork over some money to track this one down. Usually I'm savvy (i.e. cheap) enough to find a free copy. It's always the German novels that cause me issues, the troublemakers. Anyway, this was like the continuation of Concrete, but I'm not complaining. Thomas Bernhard is, though.

This is a largely autobiographical work, as our narrator has the same chronic lung disease that Bernhard suffered from. And like Bernhard, he befriends Paul Wittgenstein, the nephew of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Paul is being treated for an unnamed mental illness at the same time that our narrator is hospitalized for his lung ailment. 

This is a very short novel that I enjoyed quite a bit. Once again, Bernhard is relatable in his observations of being an invalid and the relationship between the sick and the healthy. And he rips apart Austrian high society, which is fun. 

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Title is a reference to Diderot's Rameau's Nephew.

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