Hi everyone,
I haven't been on in a while but I have been busy! I'm currently working on Alraune chapter eleven. Trying to translate an entire novel is a lot of work and very slow going! I'm still hoping to have the entire book done by Christmas so John Smith of Sidereal press can publish it this spring.

Those wanting a sneak peak at it or wishing more Hanns Heinz Ewers material like poems, essays, fables and photos can check out my scibd site:

[www.scribd.com]

Quite a bit of stuff there!

-joe

Hanns Heinz Ewers German Text Online

Very little Hanns Heinz Ewers material is available online these days and in addition to my translations I'm trying to make it easier for those that prefer to read the original in German to find online material. The following texts have been made available courtesy of:

Harvard University, Rochester University, University of Toronto, University of California and Google digitized books.

They are offered as ebooks now in the public domain in the United States and Canada. I have simply gathered them together into one place where they can be found more easily.

You will need to go to my website:
[anarchistworld.com]
for the links at the bottom of the page. They will not load as scribd documents. Enjoy!


Alraune by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1911

Der Zauberlehrling oder die Teufelsjäger by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1909

Das Cabaret by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1904

Ein Fabelbuch by Theodor Etzel and Hanns Heinz Ewers 1901

Deutsche Kriegslieder by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1914

Der gekreuzigte Tannhäuser und andere Grotesken by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1916

Die verkaufte Großmutter by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1922

Steinerne Herzen by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 14, Detroit (Michigan) 12.11.1898

Errare humanum? (Ps: Nazi) by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 19.11.1898

Mein Liebchen, die Malerin by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 16.09.1899

Rote Flammen part 1 by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 21.10.1899

Rote Flammen part 2 by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 21.10.1899

Pferdebahn und Sperling by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 21.10.1899

Schatten by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 28.10.1899

Der Fall Sternberg (Ps: I.H. Bergfeldt) by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 04.11.1899

? ? ? G (späterer Titel: Sphinx) by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 19.11.1898

Die toten Augen part 1 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Die toten Augen part 2 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Die toten Augen part 3 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Die toten Augen part 4 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Das Wundermädchen von Berlin Schauspiel in vier Akten by Hanns Heinz Ewers Georg Müller, München 1913

Hans Krüger-Welf "Hanns Heinz Ewers. Die Geschichte seiner Entwicklung." Leipzig 1922

Der Roman der XII 1909 includes Hanns Heinz Ewers

My translation of Alraune is now available as an e-book!


[www.lulu.com]

Important Notice

This ebook edition of Alraune is intended as a low cost alternative for those wishing to explore the literature of Hanns Heinz Ewers for the first time. Other Hanns Heinz Ewers titles can be found at:
[stores.lulu.com]



In March, 2010, in time for the World Horror Convention, Side Real Press will be coming out with a special high quality signed and numbered limited edition. This will be limited to 350 copies of the book and will include the Mahlon Blaine illustrations and other interesting material. This special edition is expected to sell out quickly.


I am taking copies as payment and would appreciate anyone interested in purchasing one of these beautiful books to consider buying it from me. I will sign and personalize all copies that I personally sell. Email me at:

anarchistbanjo@live.com

Email me for more information. Otherwise this book may be purchased directly from Side Real Press.

[www.siderealpress.co.uk]


Sometime in 2011 a 1911-2011 Centennial Edition will come out as a regular hardcover with lots of additional information and research. Anyone wanting to be put on a mailing list to be kept informed of new materials should email me at:

anarchistbanjo@live.com



Or simply visit my website!

Anarchistworld.com

anarchistbanjo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Alraune [ewersalraune.wordpress.com]
>


The idea of a woman grown like a mandrake, and without soul, is appealing.

I have tried reading the first chapter of Alraune. It's difficult. Situations and the locale are sketchily described at best. Occasionally there are colorful decadent descriptions, which stir the imagination, but then sentences slide off elsewhere. Characters suddenly appear, without much introduction, and enter into conversations. It's all very confusing. Who are they, what's going on here, where are they, and what is the meaning of this? It holds together unclearly, or chaotically.

I'm sorry. What is the special attraction of this book? Is Hanns Heinz Ewers similar to some other weird writer?

I'm not sure I can answer all your questions as I didn't perceive any of those things as problems - in fact I really enjoyed it. and am looking forward to Side Real Press publishing more of his work. It's certainly chaotic and rambling, but to be honest I'm struggling with well structured/plotted novels these days.

I presume that you have read all of Alraune then. Does it have delicious weird/supernatural imagery? Or is it more of a psychological study of a woman that is apart from the rest of society?

I wouldn't say that its either of those things, particularly - although I can't say that I considered the novel in a lot of depth, as it is a fairly wild ride and I mainly just hung on and enjoyed it as that. It's a hard book to make analyse in a linear way, but I'll try: it certainly fits into the decadent tradition (to my relatively limited knowledge of the movement) and the 'Gothic,' reminding me of Poe, but also a little of Frankenstein and Faust, but more witty or even comic - and even a little surreal or absurd (a little like Meyrink, maybe...). But I can't say that I've ever read a novel quite like it. Its certainly supernatural, although I can't say that its supernatural imagery has stuck with me more than its grotesque and decadent imagery has. If its a psychological novel about gender then I can't say that it is very successful in that respect. I wouldn't say that it couldn't be read with that perspective, but, from what I remember, I didn't dwell on it in that way at the time. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there's plenty of symbolism in the novel that I missed, but mainly it is the novel's grotesque and weird qualities that I enjoyed. It could be considered a flawed novel and it could be argued that HHE losses control of his novel in many places, but tbh I like that. It is also probably a novel guilty of delighting in its own cleverness and maybe guilty of thinking its more clever than it is (aren't we all), but again, I enjoyed its precociousness. I'd certainly read it again and I imagine that a further reading would add greatly to my limited understanding. To be honest, I think its a novel that if you get on board with it from the start, then you'll go with it - but if you don't then you might well hate it. Not much help, sorry! :)

Not a bad description, save that I'm not at all sure Ewers loses control here. I've not had the chance to read his Vampire, but I have read the other two novels in the Frank Braun trilogy (The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Alraune), as well as a couple of collections of his shorter works, and I would agree that he fits quite well into the Decadent movement... in fact, he himself says as much somewhere (though the exact memory escapes me). Personally I prefer Alraune to The Sorcerer's Apprentice, though others would disagree with that.

Part of the difference may, also, be the difference in translators. Meaning no disrespect to Bandel, I found his prose a bit too literalistic in its approach, resulting in a somewhat flat feel. Now I am perfectly aware of the flaws of the Endore translation, but I did find his prose to be more imaginative and poetic in feel, and this is something I find very much present in those pieces which I have read which were translated by Ewers himself. This approach, to me, enhances the effect of the surreal imagery and bizarre incidents tremendously, as much of the Decadent approach really does focus on the impressionistic imagination.

I would suggest going for the perennial favorite among Ewers' works, "The Spider", which can be found in any number of anthologies old and new. If you don't care for that one, likely HHE will not be to your taste. As for other weird writers... he does remind me at times of Erckmann-Chatrian in particular....

Yeah, I wouldn't like to overcommit myself too strongly to the stance the HHE loses control of his novel, I think I'd prefer to say that it is a little idiosyncratic, which is no bad thing imo, but maybe too much so for some people's tastes...

Again, I wouldn't want to overstate this, but I'd say that it could be argued that it is slightly modernist (or proto-modernist?) in its approach, if not in its techniques, although I don't want to get into the whole modernism-bashing debate here. I couldn't put my finger on it, yet for some reason Alraune reminded me slightly of Moravagine by Blaise Cendrars (who I guess is more proto-post modernist than modernist?), although please don't ask me to back that statement up in any way! It could just be that I read them at approximately the same time...

Anyway, I only know the Bandel translation, which I really enjoyed.

"The Spider," the only thing I have ever read of Ewers's, is indeed very good. There is what appears to be a curious Japanese ripoff of it, by Edogawa Rampo, but I forget the title.

What did attract me about the little I have read of Alraune, despite my negative comment above, was Ewer's obvious intensity and reckles daring at decadence.

I have just now read "The Spider" online. Masterful. One can only feel respect for this man. Still, I don't find him to be as great a poet or as profound as Poe. He is more matter of fact. Nevertheless, and authority, with incredible power of observation. To me though, the application of spiders's mating onto humans, is a too commonplace idea. However, he does it so incredibly well, that I am deeply impressed. In fact, I was so severely disturbed by this story, it stirred up painful memories of two beautiful women who bewitched me, and whom I was unable to defend my person against, that I had to make myself a drink. Vodka and sloe juice. I am holding it in my hand right now. Oh, God please forgive me, drink in the middle of the week, my day tomorrow will be spoiled. But, I must . . .

No, I would agree that he is certainly not on the level of Poe; but I do find him quite worth seeking out. (I really would like to get my hands on a copy of Vampire at an affordable price. Maybe, one of these days....)

Perhaps I should give Bandel's translation another go; I was just not at all taken with it when I tried it a few years ago. I will say, though, that I am very glad to have someone working on translating a goodly amount of HHE as I think a revival of his work, and an expansion of what has been previously available in English, is long overdue; so my hat is off to Bandel for his efforts in this regard. I simply wish it had more of the "verbal magic" I find in some of the earlier translations....

I should have mentioned a couple of other writers which his work reminds me of (at times): Maurice Level, who had a very realistic approach yet could convey a genuine chill and sense of the eerie when he chose; and Guy de Maupassant, who I would think influenced him directly (though he assimilated that influence and quite successfully made it his own); perhaps, too, a touch of Huysmans here and there....

Talking of Poe, can anyone here recommend a decent annotated complete works? Preferable a reasonably priced hard cover. I'm not so worried about getting all his poetry again as I do have a complete works of that, but obviously if its included, then that would be nice too. I've read good things about the Peithman edition - anyone know of it? Also a good Poe biography recommendation would be appreciated. There's the Peter Ackroyd one, but I can't imagine that it would be very good...

Apologies for the off topic nature of this post btw, but I didn't think it worth starting a new thread.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 22 Nov 12 | 06:53PM by The English Assassin.

My recommendation would be the Mabbott set. Unfortunately, the hardbound are not all that affordable, and it isn't in a single volume -- there is one of his complete poems (including a fair number few people know about), two of his tales and sketches, and at least one of his major critical writings, and one devoted entirely to Eureka. However, a few things are missing here, such as the uncompleted Journal of Julius Rodman, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, etc. Unfortunately, Prof. Mabbott did not live to complete his work on these, which he intended to be published separately.

[www.amazon.com]

As you can see, even the trade paperback are rather high, but they are definitely worth it, as they include not only the works themselves, but copious notes, variorum readings (which in some cases can make a very large difference indeed), and a tremendous amount of fascinating information about all the pieces, as well as other matter.

jdworth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My recommendation would be the Mabbott set.
> Unfortunately, the hardbound are not all that
> affordable, and it isn't in a single volume --
> there is one of his complete poems (including a
> fair number few people know about), two of his
> tales and sketches, and at least one of his major
> critical writings, and one devoted entirely to
> Eureka. However, a few things are missing here,
> such as the uncompleted Journal of Julius Rodman,
> The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, etc.
> Unfortunately, Prof. Mabbott did not live to
> complete his work on these, which he intended to
> be published separately.
>
> [www.amazon.com]-
> alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Poe+University+of+Illin
> ois
>
> As you can see, even the trade paperback are
> rather high, but they are definitely worth it, as
> they include not only the works themselves, but
> copious notes, variorum readings (which in some
> cases can make a very large difference indeed),
> and a tremendous amount of fascinating information
> about all the pieces, as well as other matter.

They sound great, but too rich for my meagre means right now, alas...