Bernhard's Biography

Author: Xu Jie (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) was one of Austria's most controversial writers, who repeatedly caused a stir in Europe, especially in his homeland, for his critical stance on reality. Having personally experienced the war disasters brought by fascism, he maintained a strong critical awareness and clear-headedness regarding the threat of fascism and the underlying soil that breeds it. Bernhard achieved remarkable success in his literary career, spanning novels, plays, and poetry, and held an undeniable position in contemporary German literature. His main representative works include the novels Frost, The Masters, Ambras, the plays Boris's Birthday, The Force of Habit, Heldenplatz, and the poetry collections In This World and in Hell, Under the Iron Moon, The Rose of the Wilderness. His works have been translated into 45 languages, and his plays have remained popular in major theaters worldwide. In the 1970s, Bernhard received dozens of prestigious literary awards, including Germany's most important Büchner Prize and the Austrian State Prize, among others. However, he quickly lost interest in these awards and refused to accept any literary honors thereafter, including the Nobel Prize in Literature. In the mid-1970s, Bernhard was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, but the Swedish committee ultimately decided to avoid the controversy due to his attitude toward the prize.