The Sufferings of Prince Sternenhoch A Grotesque Romanetto

"Ladislav Klima (1878-1928) is considered to be one of the preeminent Czech philosophers of the 20th century, and arguably the greatest of the prewar era. His work has influenced artists of all stripes, most notably Bohumil Hrabal and the Plastic People of the Universe. His approach toward philosophy was similar to that of the sages of ancient India: philosophy should not be limited to speaking or writing about it, it should be lived. This led Klima to embark on a lifelong pursuit of becoming "God," which he equated with Absolute Will. Drawing his greatest inspiration from Schopenhauer and Nietzche, he developed his conception of will and radical subjectivism in numerous essays, aphorisms, prose works, and plays. Though he wrote many novels and stories, The Sufferings of Prince Sternenhoch is the only full-length work of fiction Klima prepared for publication during his lifetime. In a series of journal entries, the book chronicles the descent into madness of Prince Sternenboch, the German Empire's foremost aristocrat and the Kaiser's favorite. Having become the "lowliest worm" at the hands of his deceased wife Helga, the Queen of Hells, he eventually attains an ultimate state of bliss and salvation. Klima explores here the paradoxical nature of pure spirituality with dark absurdist humor and comically grotesque, often obscene episodes. This volume also includes his notorious essay "My Autobiography." Though Klima's work has been translated into many languages, this is the first book of his to appear in English."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved