What do You think about Group Portrait With Lady (1994)?
I really loved this book a lot. It is really post-modern. Filled with the author giving sources for all of his materials on the main character Leni, almost as if he is asking the reader to the doubt the author. He even writes "(au.)" when he wants to source his own thoughts and opinions. And then by bringing a host of characters as character-witnesses to Leni (see the title of the book), many of whom of course contradict themselves and cast doubts on the others, he expands the field of knowledge to a much larger group, something that I also think of as po-mo. And finally this book is not really much of a novel, the author (character, not really Böll since he takes a part in it at the end too), rather claims status as a journalist, often telling us what his expenses and tax credits should be during the research, and is pretending that this book is as accurate as possible.But what I really like about the book is that it doesn't take itself too seriously, unlike some of the other famed post-modern classics. Leni is worshipped no doubt, but that really is kind of cute, and many of the events are downright silly. To say nothing of the people. The author's arousal by nuns is probably the best example of this. And I shouldn't mislead you that this is really a big, wide-ranging semi-historical novel. Interested in Germany during the WWII and after? This is a great place to discover it. Not only do the Nazis get a very short shrift, no excuses for people who joined, and no sympathy for those who deny later or revert back. It also makes fun of the regionality of Germany, the stereotypes of lack of humor and efficiency, and the history of its symbols. What I really like is that complete denigration of the West Germany/Christian Democrats ethos. While it is in fashion to do that now one can imagine it being quite powerful in the 70s when this was written. None of that for Böll. Not really sure if I have explained why I like this book so much here, but I really enjoyed. Yes it is long, and nothing really happens, but I love a book that combines literary experimentation, humor, and an attempt to analyses historical and social process to a particular country or people. And this book does all of that.
—Nicholas During
It is often the mark of a truly great book that style is at least as important as other aspects such a story line or character definition. I have found this literary quality to be true in masterpieces by James Joyce, Proust, Faulkner, Gaddis, Gass, Virginia Woolf and many other genius literary novelists. In fact, telling a tale in a new literary style distinguishes a good writer from a great one in my book. So much so that I tend to discount straight-ahead narrative styles as mundane and seek out novelists engaged in stylistic innovation. Heinrich Boll is a novelist who wants to narrate in a new way. He is focused upon German society during and after World War II when that nation was obliterated by Russian, American, British and French allies. Boll's story is presented as a portrait of a lady, Leni Pfeiffer, against the backdrop of a group her friends, family, colleagues, religious advisers and lovers. The Author (Au.) presents this portrait in such a way that we see the protagonist with incredibly precise brush strokes from the point-of-view of the Author making a bureaucratic inquiry of Leni and through his research we come to know her by way of what others tell him about her. In this sense we also come to know the Group based upon their perspectives in their narrations about the lady. Leni may well be one of the finest character studies of the 20th century because of the narrative style driving the story line. The story itself primarily has to do with members of German society, high and low, as they cope with the advance of American and Russian troops toward the close of World War II inside Germany. This time period was so intense that its impact became telling in the way it defined the characters by their wit, intelligence,resourcefulness and integrity under pressure. Boll introduces a cast at the outset as if the novel were a dramatic production. To gain the most from your reading I would advise you to spend a few minutes understanding the players at the start and then refer back to them a few times as you move forward. There are two Heinrich's, for example, in the cast and the Au. likes to abbreviate the players so that they sometimes may seem unclear as references in the narration. The author seems determined that you'll know his characters so well that you'll follow them even when he refers only to their initials. William Gaddis took a similar approach when in "JR" he declined to define any of the speakers in his National Book Award Winning Novel. Boll manages to create a 3D person from the 2D pages of his book in his narrative technique and is able to drive a story line through his use of actual events in WWII in Germany. The view from inside Germany during its capitulation is intriguing as told by Boll who fought in and lived through the war. The intensity of human experience tends to ramp-up exponentially, of course, when an Au. has witnessed first-hand what Boll actually saw inside Germany during WWII. At first I was a bit taken aback by the literary style and translation but with a modicum of patience it drove me into interiors of consciousness of the group and the lady in an uncommonly penetrating narrative. Of course, Boll became a Nobel Prize Winner and leading light within PEN International in large part because of the densely rich and enlightening narrative style of this novel. If you like literary novels, then odds are you will love this one: I would consider it a masterpiece by virtue of its invention in literary style.
—David Lentz
Group Portrait with Lady is an investigation into a German female named Leni who was born shortly after World War One. We learn about Leni not by following her throughout her life directly but through vigorous investigative reports into the places and with the people who knew, worked, and loved her. This in turn creates an underlying story about civilian Germany during World War 2 and the immediate post-war era. Through various stories about Leni we, of course, ultimately run into conflicting details, opinions and stories of her life. In addition, we are revealed that often times these opinions, memories and details are often skewed by the interviewees own experience and/or political alignment during WW2. In the end this does two things: it questions the validity of truth and promotes a humanizing of German civilians and all those involved in the war (even Nazi soldiers). Boll is by no means denying anything that occurred during WW2 but he definitely is working against stereotypes-no doubt perpetuated by historians-of the German people during the second World War. Boll shows the various complexities on all levels of German society during this period and through those complexities we are revealed that to view things simply through such dichotomies as good vs. evil/axis vs. allied is often an injustice in itself.However, on top of that, "Group Portrait" is entirely written as if it is an investigative report that is dedicated to the utmost objectivity. Obviously, this is a satirical attempt by Boll. However, it often causes to book to drag a bit and get bogged down with almost too much detail to the point where the direction of the story is often lost amongst what I felt could of easily been edited. Nevertheless, this is an impressively dense and affective book that contains both a heavy emotionalism and a fair amount of historical critique.
—Saxon
