Per Olov Enquist Award

Juli Zeh – The Full Monty. Not a Novel

fiction

296pp

» About the author

Is there such a thing as democracy without negative side effects? Are there any specifically German taboos still at work in the European market-place? Why do we find pornography boring? Can we learn how to write? Has literature anything left to tell us? What is the psychological benefit of waste paper?

Juli Zeh — lawyer, lateral thinker, and one of the most successful writers of her generation — has no truck with the cliché that everyone is “weary of politics”, and spells out her take on all today’s major topics of discussion.
ALLES AUF DEM RASEN brings together 30 perceptive essays on society, politics, law and literature. The ongoing debates on capitalism and on a (female) Bundeskanzler, on globalisation and on the pensions crisis, are analysed just as penetratingly as issues around (dream-)women, the current plethora of talented young women writers, and the “permanent problematic of love”.
Juli Zeh reports on the former battlegrounds in the Balkans, and explores the current state of things in the “new” Europe: a continent torn between resignation and confidence where everything functions but nothing really works.

Not a novel, indeed. But a critical stock-taking of contemporary reality: pointed, humorous, enigmatic, philosophical — and never boring.


“Very possibly the cleverest writer of her generation”
Frankfurter Rundschau

Rights sold

first serial Hindi - Saar Sansaar
first serial Flanders/The Netherlands - Yang literary magazine
first serial Ukrainian - Vsesvit literary magazine

paperback – Random House/btb

[/b]previously published/rights reverted[/b]
audio book – Eichborn/LIDO

» Contact

Reviews

»Lending her eyes and ears to the reader, Zeh once more proves herself an accurate observer and powerful writer. (...) Her adept fusing of literature with contemporary issues and politics is without a trace of precocity.«
Neue Zürcher Zeitung

»Cleverly written, strong-minded. What makes 31-year-old Juli Zeh stand out from the crowd as a highly acclaimed author is this: She allows herself the luxury to form her own opinions. Even when it comes to politics.«
Rheinischer Merkur

»On top of her reputation as a brilliant novelist, Juli Zeh proves herself an equally adept essay writer.«
NDR Kultur – Book of the Week

»Wisdom, brainpower and profound knowledge well wrapped up into 30 texts on politics and society, law and traveling, writing, and love. (...) A collection demonstrating the scintillating wit and rhetorical genius of this multi-award-winning author.«
Sächsische Zeitung

»Whereas many young writers seem be reluctant to enter into the social and political debates of our time, Juli Zeh shows how literature may add to the realm of journalistic writing (...) Her playing with stylistic form and register make for this highly inspiring collection.«
Deutschlandradio

»Rounding off the foil to Zeh’s grandiose novel SPIELTRIEB, these essays are a true stroke of luck.«
Nordkurier

»Juli Zeh is a mindful observer, her essays never come across as precocious or platitudinous.«
Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung

»Not only an enjoyable read, but also a demand on the brain. Zeh tousles the accustomed figures of speech, taking a look behind the scenes of language and society.«
Stuttgarter Zeitung

»Zeh’s writing roundly reflects the spirit of her generation.«
Kölnische Rundschau

»Juli Zeh’s books are intelligent, poignant, witty, and surprising.«
bücher – Tomorrow’s 10 most important writers

»Once more, this author proves her acute awareness of the spirit of the age. (...) Her bracing language breathes fresh air into today’s minds.«
AVIVA Berlin

»A bestselling author, politically committed and sure-footed, even when dealing with the most complex subjects.«
Galore

»Not yet 35 years of age, Juli Zeh has already created a tremendously versatile, mature and convincing literary work that gives any reason for equally high hopes in the future.«
Solothurn Literature Award, Jury Statement

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