Berg (novel)
Berg (1964) was the first novel by the British experimental writer Ann Quin.
Writing and publication
Quin wrote the novel while working as a secretary. She then had a nervous breakdown, suffering from hallucinations, but received treatment from a psychiatrist and soon after she recovered, the novel was accepted by publisher John Calder.[1] Calder was a leading figure of the literary avant-garde of the time, publishing Samuel Beckett, Alexander Trocchi, William S. Burroughs, and others.[2]
It slipped out of print in the 1970s, before being reissued by Dalkey in 2001.[1]
Plot and style
A man called Berg, who changed his name to Greb, came to a seaside town intending to kill his father...[3]
— Ann Quin, Berg
Above are the book's first lines, which have been called one of the greatest openings of any book.
The novel is written in a kind of
Reception
Upon release, Berg received considerable attention from reviewers.[1][4] John Coleman gave it a mixed review in The Guardian, finding an "unusual, rather funny story" hidden beneath Quin's challenging prose, which he criticised for "self-indulgence" but praised for her descriptions and brutal dialogue.[5] Mary Conroy in the Sunday Times called it "Beckett minus his humour and variety"; although she found the childhood scenes vivid, she complained about Quin's recourse to sexual violence and the confusing style.[6]
More recently Berg has been praised for introducing to British fiction the techniques of the European experimental novel, the nouveau roman of Alain Robbe-Grillet and Nathalie Sarraute.[2] However at the time of Berg, it is not clear if Quin had read any of their writing.[1] Writer Lee Rourke has variously called it "one of the great British novels",[3] "beautiful", "dark, esoteric, haunting", and "the best novel ever set in Brighton".[2]
While critics have bemoaned Berg's lack of influence on later British literature,[3] it did have some followers, inspiring works such as Stewart Home's experimental novel 69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess.[2][7]
Movie
Berg was adapted into the 1989 film
References
- ^ a b c d e f Evenson, Brian; Howard, Joanna. "Ann Quin". Review of Contemporary Fiction. Summer 2003, Vol. 23 Issue 2, p50-75
- ^ a b c d e Lee Rourke, "Who cares about Ann Quin?", The Guardian (UK), 8 May 2007
- ^ a b c Lee Rourke, "Book Of A Lifetime: Berg, By Ann Quin", The Independent (UK), 27 August 2010
- ^ "Ann Quin" (Obituary), The Times (London, England), Thursday, Sep 06, 1973; pg. 18; Issue 58880.
- ^ Coleman, John, "A Long Island Electra: New Novels", The Observer (UK); Jun 28, 1964
- ^ Mary Conroy, "Significant, Whimsical, Wild", Sunday Times [London, England] 14 June 1964: 39.
- ^ Stewart Home/Playground Magazine, "Stewart Home Gives You Better Orgasms! An Interview With Playground" Archived 2017-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, February 25, 2012
- ^ Geoff Brown, "Lightweight material over-stretched by transatlantic flight; Cinema", The Times, August 31, 1989
- ^ "Killing Dad", Time Out Film Guide