Berlinbased journalist adorjans debut examines why and how her grandparents committed suicide together, decades after they survived the holocaust. This is a bald question and, as its title suggests, the book itself offers a far more nuanced story. Text publishing an exclusive love, book by johanna adorjan. A memoir by johanna adorjan available from rakuten kobo. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. An exclusive love is an unusually powerful book, beautifully written and translated. I was there to talk with johanna adorjan, author of the memoir an exclusive love, about the suicide of her grandparents some 20 years ago. An exclusive love is a romantic tragedy the book chronicles the final hours of vera and pista adorjan, hungarian jews who had survived the holocaust and the 1956 uprising in budapest.
A powerful and affecting memoirreminiscent of sebald. Johanna adorjan, born in 1971 in stockholm, studied theatre and opera directing. An exclusive love in her debut book, johanna adorjan explores the life of her hungarian grandparents, compiling the fragments of their double suicide into a touching family story. Since 2001 she has been an editor of the culture section of the frankfurter allgemeine sonntagszeitung in berlin. An exclusive love by johanna adorjan overdrive rakuten. Sep 02, 2010 an exclusive love is the type of exquisite book one reads and finishes in the one sitting. Johanna adorjan is editor of the culture section of the frankfurter allgemeine zeitung. An exclusive love and the thin line between fiction and memoir. An exclusive love is a brilliantly constructed memoir and a gorgeous romance, a tale of two people who died as they lived.
Johanna adorjan has crafted a masterful piece of art that far exceeds the vast majority of memoirs i have read in terms of its enjoyability, honesty and cleverness. After theyre gone, understanding an exclusive love. About anthea bell anthea bell obe is an awardwinning translator whose translations unclude sebalds austerlitz, cornelia funkes inkworld trilogy and the asterix comics. Aug 29, 2010 so an exclusive love sounds like something i can relate to. Smith sat down with adorjan recently to discuss her book. Since 2001 she has been an editor of the culture section of the frankfurter all. It was a sunday, she writes in an exclusive love, not really the ideal day of. Johanna adorjan has written here, in her first book, an ode to enduring love. To be precise i was crossing the tramlines on friedrichstrasse. Johanna adorjan heals with memoir about grandparents suicides.
What do people do on the morning that they know will be their last. Buy this book in a striking debut, adorjan mingles past, present, memory. An exclusive love and the thin line between fiction and. An exclusive love by johanna adorjan, anthea bell kirkus. On october 1991 my grandparents killed themselves, the first sentence of an exclusive love, a memoir by johanna adorjan grabs the reader and does not let go until the end. Chainsmoking, peculiarly stylish, stubborn, and eccentricvera and istvan were anything but ordinary grandparents. Win a copy of an exclusive love by johanna adorjan. I was momentarily jolted by the idea that love could be so exclusive as to abandon ones children. What if you started the day knowing that it was going to be your last. An exclusive love translated by anthea bell is published by harvill secker. She is an editor of the culture section of the frankfurter allgemeine sonntagszeitung, and also writes. Johanna adorjan this book tells the story of vera and istvan, hungarian jews who survived the holocaust, fled budapest in 1956 during the uprising, started a new life in denmark, and committed suicide in copenhagen. The book chronicles the final hours of vera and pista. Her grandfather was ailing and presumably did not have long to live, and her grandmother did not want to survive him.
Hungarian jews, and survivors of the holocaust, they were forced to flee their native country with two small children during the uprising of 1956. An exclusive love is the type of exquisite book one reads and finishes in the one sitting. Currently, she is an editor of the culture section of the frankfurter allgemeine zeitung and lives in berlin. Feb 26, 2016 an exclusive love traces their lives together, as well as recreates their final days. Johanna adorjans an exclusive love is a memoir elegantly chronicling her grandparents relationship, from surviving the horrors of the holocaust through their double suicide in 1991. Johanna adorjan the author describes the unconventional lives of her grandparents, from surviving the holocaust and fleeing budapest during the uprising of 1956 to their complex personalities and longburied family. But this story of the authors grandparents, whose lives were full of great sorrow but also rich with joy and oldworld elegance, reads as absolute truth. Translated from the german by anthea bell aus, us, uk text publishing, september 2010 9781921656569 johanna adorjans grandparents took their own lives. Johanna adorjan is the author of several dramatic works, including a screenplay filmed by ed herzog. An exclusive love answers the latter through speculation, as it must. On october 1991 my grandparents killed themselves. A memoir by johanna adorjan tells the story of her grandparents, hungarian jews who survived the holocaust, escaped budapest during the 1956 uprising against the communist regime, and died together in a joint suicide in copenhagen in 1991.
It is the type of story that opens up discussions around dinner tables because of the affirmative portrayal of assisted suicide. It made me wonder, do you consider the book a memoir. Johanna adorjan, author of an exclusive love, found clarity in telling the fateful story of her grandparents deaths. Im reading two suicide memoirs at the same time an exclusive love, and walter benjamin.
After theyre gone, understanding an exclusive love translated from german, johanna adorjans an exclusive love reconstructs the day of her grandparents joint suicide. They had apparently planned their suicidepact long beforehand, and had made careful preparations closely following the instructions in derek humphrys manual, final. Translated from the german by anthea bell aus, us, uk text publishing, september 2010 9781921656569 johanna. It is the february book of the month pick from the german book office. Jan 01, 2009 an exclusive love by johanna adorjan on october 1991 my grandparents killed themselves, the first sentence of an exclusive love, a memoir by johanna adorjan grabs the reader and does not let go until the end. Mar 21, 2011 an exclusive love is johanna adorjans homage to her grandparents, istvan and vera, who, on october 1991 committed suicide at their home in denmark. Mar 18, 2011 an exclusive love is johanna adorjans homage to her grandparents, istva and vera, who, on october 1991 committed suicide at their home in denmark. On the back is the best jacket copy ive read on a book in years. Johanna adorjan is a wellknown journalist, and i expected her writing to be topnotch. Adorjan has clear affection for her grandparents, and even appears to understand their decision to end their lives together. I was crossing friedrichstrasse when the first sentence of an exclusive love came to me. An exclusive love subtitled, in the english though not in the original german, a memoir alternates between adorjans own experiences as she tries to learn more about her grandparents lives and deaths and her recreation of their last day plausible enough, even as to the details, but adorjan certainly and literally puts words into their mouths i. Nov 21, 2015 an exclusive love answers the latter through speculation, as it must.
The book is both a testament to their love and the record of a grieving family member attempting to make peace with their decision. On th october 1991 my grandparents killed themselves. The scholem book has a few pictures inside, but none on the back. Buy an exclusive love book online at best prices in india on. An exclusive love had so much potential for a fictional tale of grand proportions, but as a memoir it was less interesting. She has worked as an editor and freelance author for various newspapers and magazines. Jun 22, 2011 there is a certain tension in johanna adorjans memoir an exclusive love, a very public remembrance about two very private people. The structure of the book is simple two weaving plot lines, one real, one imagined but she so carefully knits them together that it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. A readers introduction to an exclusive love while this is the story of two elderly people who. Sixteen years after their death, johanna adorjan fills the gaps in their story. To my disappointment i found the writing very drysome of that may have to do with the fact that it was translated. Send your name and mailing address to gregg at newyork contest open to residents. Johanna adorjan, author of an exclusive love, was born in stockholm and now lives in berlin. Buy an exclusive love book online at low prices in india.
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