Storm Still

A series of monologues, chronicling both the battle of the Slovene minority in Austria against Nazism and their love of the land.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 124 pages
Publication date: 29 March 2018
Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd

Peter Handke, a towering figure in Austrian literature, has crafted a prolific body of work spanning decades, encompassing fiction, poetry, and drama. These creations have been deeply influenced by some of the most turbulent events of modern history. However, even as these events shaped his artistic vision, the enduring presence of his mother, a woman who lived through the Weimar Republic, both world wars, and the postwar consumer economy, loomed even larger. In his most recent work, "Storm Still," Handke returns to the land of his birth, the Austrian province of Carinthia. Situated on the Jaunfeld, the plain at the heart of Austria's Slovenian settlement, the dead and the living of a family come together to engage in conversation. Composed as a series of monologues, "Storm Still" chronicles the struggles of the Slovene minority against Nazism and their deep affection for their homeland. Through its vivid prose and poetic drama, the book explores Handke's personal history, delving into themes from his earlier works and revisiting some of their characters. Within this book, the timelines of conflict, peace, war, and prewar intertwine, and the fate of an orchard becomes a symbolic representation of the fate of a people.

Weight: 160g
Dimension: 138 x 197 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780857425584