The Bachelors (Stifter novel)
| Author | Adalbert Stifter |
|---|---|
| Original title | Der Hagestolz |
| Language | German |
Publication date | 1844 |
| Publication place | Austria |
The Bachelors (German: Der Hagestolz, lit. 'The Bachelor'), also published as The Recluse, is an 1844 novel by the Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter.
Plot
The young man Victor is an orphan and has promised himself to never get married. He visits his only known relative, a reclusive and misanthropic uncle who lives alone in a decaying mansion on an island. The two men are initially at odds but slowly come to understand and respect each other. The night before Victor leaves, the uncle has an outburst where he urges Victor to marry in order to avoid the lonely and miserable life he has lived. He was in his youth in love with Ludmilla, who then became Victor's foster mother. Victor goes back to Ludmilla and eventually marries her daughter.[1][2]
Publication
A version of The Bachelors was first published in Iris. Taschenbuch für das Jahr 1844. It was intended for Iris in 1843, but grew too long so Stifter had to make a shorter version that was ready in time for the 1844 edition. A longer version of the story was published in 1850 as part of Stifter's Studien series.[1]
Reception
The scholar Eric A. Blackall wrote that The Bachelors suffers from bad composition. Especially in the first half, Stifter frequently "loses himself in description of environment and setting", and there are overly long and didactic dialogues, but this changes in the second half, which is "one of Stifter's most impressive pieces of writing", and consistently "vigorous and powerful".[1]
References
- ^ a b c Blackall, Eric A. (2011) [1948]. Adalbert Stifter: A Critical Study. pp. 193–197. ISBN 978-1-107-60130-7.
- ^ Swales, Martin; Swales, Erika (2010) [1984]. Adalbert Stifter: A Critical Study. Cambridge University Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-521-25972-9.