Alain Claude Sulzer's novel 'Doppelleben' reexamines the Goncourt brothers' blind spots
Swiss writer Alain Claude Sulzer has published a novel titled 'Doppelleben' that reexamines the legacy of Jules and Edmond de Goncourt. The Goncourt brothers are renowned for their meticulous diaries documenting 19th-century French society, but Sulzer's work highlights their failure to perceive the suffering of their own maid. The novel inverts the perspective, turning the brothers into objects of observation rather than observers. The article, published in NZZ, also discusses the broader challenge of finding the right title for a book, using Sulzer's experience as a case study. Sulzer is known for his precise literary style and previous works such as 'Ein perfekter Kellner' and 'Die Jugend ist ein fremdes Land'.
Key facts
- Alain Claude Sulzer wrote the novel 'Doppelleben'
- The novel focuses on Jules and Edmond de Goncourt
- The Goncourt brothers were famous diarists of the 19th century
- Sulzer's novel reveals their blindness to their maid's suffering
- The article is from NZZ
- Sulzer is a Swiss writer
- Sulzer previously wrote 'Ein perfekter Kellner'
- Sulzer previously wrote 'Die Jugend ist ein fremdes Land'
Entities
Artists
- Alain Claude Sulzer
- Jules de Goncourt
- Edmond de Goncourt
Institutions
- NZZ
Locations
- Switzerland