Vicky Baum, prolific and very popular Austrian novelist, passed away today in 1960 in hollywood with 72 years. Possibly in many homes with readers that are already of an age there are some of his works in compiled volumes or paperback editionsas Great Hotel, its most famous title, which was made into a movie, like many others. And it is that during the first half of the last century they were extraordinarily popular. However, that success was not reason enough for her to always be considered a "minor" author and now she is hardly republished. That's why today I want to remember her with a I review his figure and some of his novels.
Vicky Baum
Hedwig Baum, that was called, began his very late literary career, despite the fact that she was fond of literature since she was a child. But her father strongly opposed her dedicating herself to writing because he said it was useless and encouraged her to pursue a musical career that she ended up abandoning, but not a literary one.
As soon as the 20s began, Vicki Baum had written way to scene, a novel set in the Conservatory and the great theaters of Vienna, which he had known in his youth. He got published with ulstein, the largest European publisher at the time, for which she worked as an editor.
But it wasn't until 1928 that she became famous with Helene Willfur, chemistry student, a short novel whose protagonist is the prototype of the "new woman" of the Germany of the Weimar Republic: independent and sacrificed to achieve success in her profession and even capable of facing motherhood alone. But she doesn't leave behind romanticismo and has an unconventional love story, which became the personal seal of the author and possibly the key to the sales success of the work.
Vicki Baum—Novels
Grand Hotel
The following year he published the novel that would turn his life around, Grand Hotel, having a idea that over time has been repeated in multitude of literary and cinematographic works or television series: that of acclimating the plot and characters of all conditions in a hotel establishment, where their lives and actions intersect in a short space of time.
This novel, which was bestseller of the time, it was adapted first to the theater and then to the cinema in 1932 with a star-studded cast as Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Joan Crawford. It was thanks to this success that Vicki Baum visited the United States for the first time and ended up obtaining the american nationality in 1936.
The events of the Grand Hotel do not form complete, clear and defined human destinies, because they are no more than parts, fragments, shreds of life. In the closed rooms, insignificant or noteworthy people live, individuals who rise, others who fall... joys and misfortunes, catastrophes and triumphs live there, separated by a partition. The revolving door turns and what happens between arrival and departure never constitutes a whole. Perhaps, on the other hand, there are no complete destinies in the world, but only something similar: preludes that will have no consequence, denouements that are not preceded by any prologue. What seems to be the result of chance is often governed by law.
Grand Hotel
Photography: personal library of (c) Mariola DCA.
More titles
From then on he continued to publish novels also set in the world of theatre, dance and music as Doris Har's careert. Or in what men never know to tell the story of an American businessman who breaks into the apparently peaceful marriage of a Berlin judge and a young woman whom everyone believes weak and sick.
Dalmonte arrived in New York in October. Doris paid the two hundred dollars and the test lasted almost three hours. Precisely on that occasion her hoarseness had reached its maximum and the respiratory techniques of Salvatori and Dr. Williams were useless. Under her new suit, she felt sweat run down her back in threads. She did not get to sing her showpiece work, Rossini's aria. Dalmonte just made her sing notes that sounded faint as a breath.
Doris Hart's career
Shanghai Hotel, already published at the end of the 30s and considered his best novel, is the product of a trip to China where the author makes a monumental portrait of the society and culture of that city, at a time of great waves of European immigration and with the Sino-Japanese war in the background.
Between the 40, 50 and 60 He kept publishing titles like Marion, The headless angel (only foray into the historical and adventure novel), hotel berlin, The last day, A diamond in the mud, Secret Judgment and several more. He also wrote an autobiography and short stories, some of which were published in works such as the coast guard.
Ultimately
what vicki baum deserves to be rediscovered.
Source: epdlp