Hans Erich Nossack

German novelist. Born into a trading family in Hamburg, he studied philosophy and law at university. After working in various jobs, including as a factory worker and shop assistant, he took over his father's trading company. He began writing plays and poetry at an early age, but never had a chance to publish them, as all of his manuscripts were destroyed in the Hamburg air raids of 1943. His works De homme (1947) and Interview with Death (1948, later renamed Dorothea), which described his experiences in ruins, caught the attention of Sartre, and he was recognized first in France and then in Germany, where he entered the literary world. From 1956 onwards, he devoted himself to writing until just before his death.

His representative works include the novels "No Later Than November" (1955), "Younger Brother" (1958), and the collection of short stories "Spiral" (1956). These are stories of a lonely individual, despairing of the barren mental state of the prosperous former West German society, attempting to escape to an unknown world in search of new possibilities, interspersed with surrealist fantasy. In his later works, "The Illusionary Victor" (1969) and "Stolen Melody" (1972), he explores the possibilities of human existence in the news of "re-exiles" who return to the "other side" after failure, living as losers. Most of his works are in the form of "reports" or "records," and do not have a dramatic plot. For example, "I Know" (1964) is an entire work that is a monologue by a dying prostitute, and they all share a monotonous and simple structure. Other films include After the Last Rebellion (1961), The D'Artes Affair (1968), Waiting (1973), and The Happy Man (1975).

[Yamamoto Masaru]

"The Shadow Court - Dorothea" translated by Jiro Kawamura et al. (1979, Hakusuisha)" ▽ "The Younger Brother" translated by Koji Nakano (included in the World Literature Collection 21: 20th Century Literature, 1965, Shueisha)" ▽ "The Stolen Melody" translated by Koji Nakano (1974, Hakusuisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツの小説家。ハンブルクの貿易商の家に生まれ、大学で哲学と法律を学ぶ。工場労働者や商店員などを転々としたのち、父の商社を継ぐ。早くから戯曲や詩を手がけたが、発表の機会なく、1943年のハンブルク大空襲で原稿をすべて焼失。廃墟(はいきょ)での体験をつづった『死者へのたむけ』（1947）、『死とのインタビュー』（1948。のち『ドロテーア』と改題）がサルトルに注目され、まずフランスで、のちドイツでも認められ、文壇に登場。56年以降、亡くなる直前まで文筆に専念。

　代表作は長編『遅くとも11月に』（1955）、『弟』（1958）、短編集『螺旋(らせん)』（1956）などで、繁栄を続ける旧西ドイツ社会の不毛な精神状況に絶望した孤独な個人の、新しい可能性を求めて未知の世界へ脱出する試みが、シュルレアリスム風の幻想を交えてつづられる。晩年の長編『幻の勝利者に』（1969）、『盗まれたメロディー』（1972）では、「向こう側」の世界で挫折(ざせつ)して帰り、敗残者として生きる「再亡命者」の消息に、人間存在の可能性を追求している。ほとんどの作品が「報告」「記録」の形式をとり、劇的な筋立てはない。たとえば『わかってるわ』（1964）のように全編瀕死(ひんし)の娼婦(しょうふ)のモノローグで終始するなど、単調かつ素朴な構成が共通している。ほかに『最後の反乱の後に』（1961）、『ダルテス事件』（1968）、『待機』（1973）、『幸福な人』（1975）など。

［山本　尤］

『川村二郎他訳『影の法廷――ドロテーア』（1979・白水社）』▽『中野孝次訳『弟』（『世界文学全集21　20世紀の文学』所収・1965・集英社）』▽『中野孝次訳『盗まれたメロディー』（1974・白水社）』

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