W KRAINIE NIEPAMIĘCI. CYWILIZACYJNE KONTEKSTY RECEPCJI POWIEŚCI ARNO GEIGERA "STARY KRÓL NA WYGNANIU"
In the land of oblivion: Civilization and Its Contexts in the Reception of Arno Geiger’s novel, "Der alte König in seinem Exil"

Summary/Abstract: In texts concerning culture as well as literary works, old age and illness have become quite frequent twenty-first century subjects. In their literary works, authors present contemporary configurations of old age and employ their experiences of civilization taken from the last few decades. There is recogni-tion that while the average life expectancy has risen, there has also been an increased instance of those diseases connected with senility. When the Austrian writer, Arno Geiger, in Der alte König in seinem Exil [The Old King in His Exile], relates his own efforts to control his father’s Alzheimer’s disease, he adds a universal character to his personal experience. The book was critically well-received, and the author was undulated with literary awards. The first interpretations of the work have already moved through academic circles. When Świat Książki published Karolina Niedenthal’s translation of Geiger’s book in Poland, it was favourably received by readers. However, there are still not any interpretations, reviews in the literary media, or literary and historical discussions concerning the book. Despite this quanti-tative disproportion as regards the comparison of the reception of Geiger’s book in Poland and its reception in German speaking countries, it is possible to select one element they have in common. Readers have reacted spontaneously and universally in their acknowledgement of the indispensable ethical values they have found in the text.

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