“I can allow myself to write the truth; all the people for whom I have lied throughout my life are dead…” writes the heroine of Marlen Haushofer’s The Wall, a quite ordinary, unnamed middle-aged woman who awakens to find she is the last living human being. Surmising her solitude is the result of a too successful military experiment, she begins the terrifying work of not only survival, but … but self-renewal. The Wall is at once a simple and moving talk – of potatoes and beans, of hoping for a calf, of counting matches, of forgetting the taste of sugar and the use of one’s name – and a disturbing meditation on 20th century history.
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I saw the dichotomous reviews about this story and that it is a translation from German, but gave it a shot. There were definitely some slow parts…like life when you are putting one foot in front of the other and just getting through something because you have to. Overall I found it so interesting and inspiring in the way the main character …
Great read.
What can I say, still thinking about this book, after reading it a week ago.
Very thought provoking. The Author must have lived in this situation which is very disturbing in a lot of ways.
I liked this book very much, it makes you want to see how she copes with each new experiance that comes her way.
A fascinating account of a woman who finds she seems to be the only person left in the world, and her day-to-day struggles to find the means, and more importantly, the will to survive. Very little action, but very absorbing.
One of the strangest but most compelling stories I’ve read recently was the 1963 novel The Wall by Austrian writer Marlen Haushofer.
When it was first published, critics ignored Ms. Haushofer’s latest offering, but 15 years later (about 8 years after the author had passed away) she was rediscovered by feminists and the antinuclear movement. The …
Just an easy, fun read that is in one word, unusual. Isn’t that the reason for reading novel’s? Enjoy.
LMM
Such a great way to explain how it feels to be cut off from life because of depression. I felt like I could feel everything the author was feeling. Read this book
Enjoyed this book. Quick read and an ending that stays with you long after the last page
A real downer. Look elsewhere if you want something meaningful and uplifting. I just kept waiting for something to happen and well, it just didn’t. A woman’s lonely survival and reflections of solitude in a grim and lonely world.
Wonderful
Wonderful, sad story. I had a love/ hate relationship with this story, which made me love it all the more. I’m drawn to stories that make you think outside the box, that don’t have predictable endings. Well done!
I’m not sure why this is considered a classic. Okay from a SF point of view but no more.
Very difficult to define. Not for everyone. Probably would appeal to mature women.
Haunting.
Different and a story without an ending without an explanation for the whole story line. Kind of disappointing.
A must read especially in our troubled times. Who knows?
this book was so highly recommended that i felt i had to read it. the IDEA behind it and, i think, the intent, of it are haunting. maybe it loses something in the translation.
after a holocaust, a woman becomes isolated behind an invisible barrier wall. her only companions are a faithful dog and a cat. the story follows her efforts to survive …
Strange story. But compelling