Startseite
Neueste Bilder
Anmelden
von Gast Mi 30 Apr 2008, 19:56
Kiss & Tell Author: Alain de Botton Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Picador USA; Reissue edition (Jul 1997)
ISBN-10: 0312155611
ISBN-13: 978-0312155612
Price: € 9,99
Hier die deutsche Ausgabe: - Spoiler:
Isabel und ihr Biograph
Autor: Alain de Botton
Verlag: Fischer (S.), Frankfurt (1997)
ISBN-10: 3100463145
ISBN-13: 978-3100463142
~ Kurzbeschreibung
Den Vorwurf einer ehemaligen Freundin, dass er selbstbezogen und narzisstisch sei, mag der Erzähler nicht auf sich sitzen lassen, und so beschließt er, der nächstbesten Person, die ihm über den Weg läuft, so viel Interesse zu widmen, dass er sie am Ende besser kennt, als diese sich selbst.
Glücklicherweise ist diese nächste Person eine junge Dame, Isabel, 25, Produktionsassistentin, und Interesse zu entwickeln fällt dem Erzähler leicht, obwohl Isabel nur mit einem höchst durchschnittlichen Lebenslauf aufwarten kann. Von der Hauptschwierigkeit einmal abgesehen, dass es so recht keine Normen für die Darstellung eines solchen normalen Lebens gibt, fast alle Biographien befassen sich mit berühmten oder doch wenigstens berüchtigten Personen, die überdies längst tot sind, erwarten den Autor auch sonst noch allerhand ernüchternde Einsichten. Das Ergebnis ist ein origineller, scharfsinniger und amüsanter Roman.
~
Author Notes
Author Notes Alain de Botton, (born December 20, 1969 in Zurich, Switzerland) is a writer and television producer who lives in London.
He is known for an approach to writing, in which he seeks to discuss various subjects in a philosophical style while maintaining relevance to everyday life.Wikpedia: Alain de Botton
Official Website
British Council ~ Contemporary Writers
Book Description Presents a challenge to biographical norms by setting out to chart the life of someone unknown, intimate with their biographer, and still alive.
The subject of the book is Isabel Rogers, a 25-year-old Londoner, and her biographer's approach to her life is complicated by their love affair.
Alain de Botton has crafted a delightfully ingenious novel in the form of a biography of an unknown woman. Told by a former flame that he lacks empathy, the engaging narrator of Kiss & Tell decides to write a book about the next person he meets. This turns out to be Isabel Rogers, a production assistant at a London stationery company. The sincere effort of this would-be Boswell to make this ordinary woman fascinating cause him to fall in love with her, causing a shift in his writing from an examination of Isabel's life to a minutely-detailed account of his relationship with her. Alain de Botton's earlier work, The Romantic Movement, garnered praise from John Updike and Pico Iyer, who called him "a Stendhal of the 90's dating scene".Picador ~ Pan Macmillan
My Opinion The premise: Accused of being a selfish jerk by an ex-girlfriend, the narrator decides to write a biography of the next person he meets. His 'victim' is a 28-year-old Londoner, Isabel Jane Rogers.
He catalogues his pedantic observations of her idiosyncrasies and silly private habits in an index—humorous to us, eventually unnerving to her. As he becomes more engrossed, recording everything he perceives for posterity, he returns to the egocentric and pretentious pattern of talking about himself.
Beside the pleasurable pettiness, there are a number of more serious subjects—such as the nature of biography itself—and whether our self-images are any more reliable than those of an outside viewer.
This is a literate examination of both fiction and biography: A sharp-witted study in both genres which intrigues the reader with doubts as to the veracity of either. The author does a great job of poking fun at biographers, and what they must do in order to capture the essence of a person.
De Botton is an avowed admirer of Proust. All of his books—fiction or not—are analytic, essayistic, impressionistic and introspective. His gift is evident in the quirky approach that he takes. Alain de Botton is familiar with a great deal of classical literature and art, but he is also a boy of contemporary pop culture. His language is very crafty, and his thoughts are uproariously funny.
It will make you think about your own quirks and self-delusions. Very enjoyable and worthy reading.
He catalogues his pedantic observations of her idiosyncrasies and silly private habits in an index—humorous to us, eventually unnerving to her. As he becomes more engrossed, recording everything he perceives for posterity, he returns to the egocentric and pretentious pattern of talking about himself.
Beside the pleasurable pettiness, there are a number of more serious subjects—such as the nature of biography itself—and whether our self-images are any more reliable than those of an outside viewer.
This is a literate examination of both fiction and biography: A sharp-witted study in both genres which intrigues the reader with doubts as to the veracity of either. The author does a great job of poking fun at biographers, and what they must do in order to capture the essence of a person.
De Botton is an avowed admirer of Proust. All of his books—fiction or not—are analytic, essayistic, impressionistic and introspective. His gift is evident in the quirky approach that he takes. Alain de Botton is familiar with a great deal of classical literature and art, but he is also a boy of contemporary pop culture. His language is very crafty, and his thoughts are uproariously funny.
It will make you think about your own quirks and self-delusions. Very enjoyable and worthy reading.
My Rating Four stars:
