'Neither a travel book, nor a vast prose poem, nor a history, nor philosophy, nor voyage of discovery, but often all at once.' Independent on Sunday
Claudio Magris, born in 1939, is an Italian scholar, translator and
writer. He is a graduate of the University of Turin, where he
studied Germanistics, and has been professor of Modern German
Literature at the University of Trieste since 1978. He is an
essayist and columnist for the Italian newspaper Corriere della
Sera and for other European journals and newspapers. Professor
Magris is a member of several European academies and served as
senator in the Italian Senate from 1994 to 1996.
His novels include Danube, A Different Sea and Microcosms. Magris
won the Strega Prize in 1998 for Danube. He was also awarded the
Erasmus prize 2001 and a Prince of Asturias Awards for Literature
in 2004. On 31 July 2006 Austria awarded its annual state prize for
European literature to Magris.
"Impeccable... Magris, a guide of enormous modesty, has not only
read everything: he has been everywhere, met everybody"
*Arts and Books Review*
"There is so much to praise about this extraordinary book...
Irresistably enjoyable"
*Literary Review*
"Not simply a masterpiece of travel; it is an odyssey... A splendid
book, beautifully translated"
*Independent*
"A uniquely stimulating and individual portrait of the heart of
Europe"
*Sunday Telegraph*
"This book is full of wonder and delights...Magris writes
beautifully; he seems to have read everything. His reading has not
made just clever but wise. On almost every page there are passages
that make the heart life... Danube is a masterpiece"
*John Banville*
The Danube river runs from central to southeast Europe, and Danube is a stream of consciousness flowing down the history of the great basin. The intrepid Italian traveler and cultural and literary historian, Claudio Magris, has taken the occasion of his river-length journey to make forays into the legends and lore, history and geography, politics and literature of the peoples and places along the Danube's winding path. The result is a rambling amalgam rich in nuances and allusions, some of which may be lost on those unversed in Central European culture. This is a stimulating tour which will challenge and reward the attentive and courageous intellectual traveler. It is recommended for academic and public libraries.-- James B. Street, Santa Cruz P.L., Cal.
"Impeccable... Magris, a guide of enormous modesty, has not only
read everything: he has been everywhere, met everybody" -- Nicholas
Shakespeare * Arts and Books Review *
"There is so much to praise about this extraordinary book...
Irresistably enjoyable" -- Mark Thompson * Literary Review *
"Not simply a masterpiece of travel; it is an odyssey... A splendid
book, beautifully translated" * Independent *
"A uniquely stimulating and individual portrait of the heart of
Europe" -- Colin Thubron * Sunday Telegraph *
"This book is full of wonder and delights...Magris writes
beautifully; he seems to have read everything. His reading has not
made just clever but wise. On almost every page there are passages
that make the heart life... Danube is a masterpiece" -- John
Banville
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