Only Revolutions

Only Revolutions is according to The House - House of Leaves the second novel by Mark Z. Danielewski. He appeared in 2006 in the United States at Pantheon Books, and was taken in the same year, the shortlist for the National Book Award for Fiction. The German edition was published in 2012 in the Klett- Cotta Verlag, also titled Only Revolutions.

Content

Only Revolutions is in its substantive radicalism to the limits of what is able to achieve the contemporary literature. The novel deliberately evokes the very great love stories, such as Tristan and Isolde or Romeo and Juliet, and provides this " eternal love stories " a modern American version compared to. In the center of the plot are Sam and Hailey. Both are forever sixteen - " Almighty sixteen years of age and freiiiiiii ". Their love story plays twice in 100 years of U.S. history, beginning with the Napoleonic Wars in 1863 and the assassination of JF Kennedy in 1963.

The novel can be read from both sides, even from the perspective of Sam and even from the perspective of Hailey, where the other view is upside down. The description of their desires, their feelings, ideas and thoughts contrasts, but in spite of all the differences is also a unit. The novel is a poetic puzzle, the meaning becomes clear if one reads the story of each of the two sides. The words are a mix of poetry and stream - of-consciousness - onomatopoeia and word formations are frequently used stylistic device. Even the typeface lives literally: In Hailey's story, for example, plant names printed in Sam's story animal names in bold, direct speech is in italics, and the font size is getting smaller in the course of the narrative, so that it ( ie, in the middle of the two narratives on the pages 180/181 ) is large exactly the same.

Shaping

Revolution only begins on both the front and on the back. The pages are arranged so that one half is read, but the other half is on the head. The page numbers are so opposite: On page 1 of Hailey's part are the first rows, the page is at the same time also page 360 of Sam's part whose last lines are upside down.

The initials of the eight-page sections are printed larger and bold. If you read them together, they result in Hailey's part: " Sam and Hailey and Sam and Hailey and ... ". Read from Sam's side, they give " Hailey and Sam and Hailey and Sam and ... ".

The stories are also preceded by the initials of the name of Hailey and Sam. H and S are respectively the 8th letter of the alphabet, from the front and from behind.

The main text of each half a page is exactly 90 words. Both stories, taken together, the results exactly 180 words on a full page. This is intended to encourage the reader to the book to turn 180 degrees and read the story of the other narrator. If both pages open, the number of words doubled to 360, so you read one complete revolution (360 degrees) with each open double page. Therefore, the endorsement on the dust jacket inside: " The publisher recommends that you change the reading after each eight pages between Sam and Hailey. "

On each side, in addition there is a column with data from various world events. The range of events on Sam's page ranges of 22 November 1863 to the 22 November 1963, while the data is rich in Hailey's story of November 22, 1963 to January 19, 2063.

This chronology, a mosaic of historical quotations of the 19th, 20th and 21st century, remains from the time of appearance of Only Revolutions empty. The time diverge at the Sam's and Hailey's lines, is November 22, 1963 - the day of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The arrangement of the columns and columns can associate the idea of ​​traffic lanes in many readers; next to the character of the great romance novel Only Revolutions bears traits of a Novel Road.

Special

In Hailey's story of the letter O and the number 0 are printed in gold (Pantone 146 U). In Sam's story are these green ( Pantone 356 U). The date in the marginal column is purple (Pantone 2602 U). Further, the word " Creep" is a contrasting color.

On several pages of letters are " slipped " up or down. This advertises that in the vertical -to-read musical chords " enrolled " in the text are. These chords are freely inspired by the music of Wagner Tristan & Isolde.

The German translation

The published in 2012 in the Klett- Cotta Verlag translation of " almost untranslatable [ s ] " the book was highly praised in many reviews as " heroic ":

" The translator Gerhard Falkner and Nora Matocza have done amazing things. "

" [B ] esser have rewritten as Falkner and Matocza the songs, you can make it hard. Her poetry is thrilling and amazing, because not only the 90 -word rhythm was maintained, but the many neologisms Danielewski found appropriate consideration in the German translation. "

"The fact that [ the ] wisdom does not turn into maudlin, is also to thank the team of translators, although not the text (for how is that going? ), But captures the complex spirit of the world poem with bold access. Who can "mess and a half " with " fixundfoxi " translate " Gambols " with " Aldi Sprüngli " and " Throesville " with " Todtnauberg " who understood that Europe coolness defined differently than his beloved role model. "

"The two translators, Gerhard Falkner and Nora Matocza have delivered creative excellence,: On concepts such as" leak nibble "," schlampumpen mud slugs "," " or" cauldrons " you have to come only once. "

The design of the German edition

The German cover ( Hailey page )

The dust jacket has two front faces, since the book is to be read from both directions. Both sides show roads, which are separated from one another by the back of the protective envelope. Sam's side of the book is held in red-brown desert tones, Hailey page shows a blue sky. The "O" s are lifted in color on the cover.

The two inner flaps contain an indication of the publisher to the reader that after eight sides between Sam and Hailey should be changed.

The book cover is printed with a photograph of a still life by the artist Jessica Grindstaff. Various objects lie flat on a surface. The recording is taken from directly above, so there is no clear "up" and "down" and no clear "Front" and "Rear". The photograph can be divided into five color zones divide: The upper right portion of the recording is yellow, the white lower right area. Behind this book cover Hailey's story begins. The lower left corner of the photo is kept green, top left photograph is turn white. Behind this cover begins Sam's story. Connected the two parts are separated by a red section.

At the spine, two green and gold ribbon bookmark attached, one below and one above. On the endpapers text is arranged in circulating patterns and mirror print on paper that reflects the color of the particular character.