An irresistible man

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Gabriele Wohmann (1992)

An irresistible man is the first story by Gabriele Wohmann , which was written towards the end of 1956 and appeared in the accents in the following year . The first book edition came out in 1966 by Langewiesche-Brandt .

action

The first-person narrator Marcelle, a 39-year-old French woman, who remained single, calls herself an “old-young creature”. As a US novice, the teacher lives in isolation in a small town in the Midwest , where she teaches at a college . Marcelle visits her best friend Brenda occasionally in California and falls in love with her 37-year-old husband Allan Dennet. The busy architect doesn't even notice the “absurd glow of love”.

Having long since returned to her new home in the Midwest, Marcelle receives a letter for help from her friend. Allan is cheating on Brenda with a skinny youngster - the a little wild costume artist and set designer Sally. Both Brenda and Sally are pregnant by Allan. Marcelle is supposed to come to California and play the judge.

Marcelle follows the call and makes Allan her suggestions: He should adopt his illegitimate child. Then he can raise two children. Allan objects, he takes the woman who gives birth to a girl for him. Nonsense - what if same-sex children are born?

Allan wants Sally, beside himself, even though he has "a good, warm feeling for" Brenda. Marcelle - whom Allan still idolizes - comes up with two more patent solutions. The best thing for the expectant mothers is that Allan shoot himself. Or he should forget both pregnant women and take a third wife.

Sally is also present at the architect's California home during Marcelle's visit. After the exciting evening, each of the three women takes three tranquilizers and sleeps through the night. In the morning Allan lies there shot dead: suicide.

Brenda gets over the death of her husband and gives birth to Aline Dennet. Sally finds a fool who likes to take on the paternity of little Alice Turpin.

Marcelle admits complicity in the death of her beloved Allan, but speaks comfortably in one breath: Even if she had always been air for Allan, she did have a small share in his life. This consists in the "guilt for his death".

Adaptation

reception

literature

First book edition

  • An irresistible man in: Gabriele Wohmann: Stories. Langewiesche-Brandt , Ebenhausen 1966 (also contains: Reunion in Venice. An occasion. A great conquest. The piano lesson. The sisters. A visit. The trip. Me Sparrowhawk. The appointment. Great passion. A case of recklessness. Hamsters, hamsters ! The brother. Secretly ). (Rowohlt's 1975 edition An Irresistible Man (rororo 1906) is a reprint of this first book edition)

expenditure

  • An irresistible man in: Gabriele Wohmann: Selected stories from twenty years. Edited by Thomas Scheuffelen. Volume 1 (1956-1963) . 209 pages. Luchterhand (Luchterhand collection 296), Darmstadt 1979 (2nd edition 1980), ISBN 3-472-61296-7 (also contains: Reunion in Venice . An Occasion. A Great Conquest. The Application. The Piano Lesson. The Morning Prayer. To Visit. Fat Wilhelmchen. Drinking is the most wonderful thing. In the veranda. Victory over dusk . Green is more beautiful. In the maze. Come on Thursday. Me Sparrowhawk. My friend, the New Year. A shame for the park. Always think about today Afternoon. If I suggest it. Rainy summer. The appointment. Eva's visit. Just don't worry. The report. Albert's program. A case of recklessness. The locomotive )

Used edition

  • Gabriele Wohmann: An irresistible man. Narratives . 141 pages. Rowohlt (rororo 1906), Reinbek bei Hamburg 1979, ISBN 3-499-11906-4 (Licensor: Langewiesche-Brandt KG. 1966) (also contains: Reunion in Venice. An Occasion. A Great Conquest. The Piano Lesson. The Sisters. Visiting. The trip. I Sparrowhawk. The appointment. Great passion. A case of recklessness. Hamster Hamster. The brother. Secretly )

Secondary literature

  • Heinz Schöffler in the afterword by Gabriele Wohmann: driven hunt. Stories (also contains: A beautiful day. In a village like ours. The gurnard style. Happy holidays. The sickness to death. Reading trips ). 88 pages. Reclam, Stuttgart 1970 ( RUB 7912, licensor Luchterhand), ISBN 3-15-007912-8
  • Marcel Reich-Ranicki : Bitterness without anger . P. 56–61 in: Gabriele Wohmann. Materials book. Introduction by Karl Krolow . Bibliography by Reiner Wohmann. Edited by Thomas Scheuffelen. Luchterhand, Darmstadt and Neuwied 1977, 150 pages, ISBN 3-472-61184-7
  • Günter Häntzschel, Jürgen Michael Benz, Rüdiger Bolz, Dagmar Ulbricht: Gabriele Wohmann . Verlag CH Beck, Verlag edition text + kritik, Munich 1982, authors' books vol. 30, 166 pages, ISBN 3-406-08691-8

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Schöffler, p. 81, 2. Zvo
  2. ↑ Magirius, p. 8
  3. ↑ Scheuffelen anno 1979, p. 5, 2. Zvo
  4. ↑ Häntzschel, p. 156, entry no. 5
  5. ↑ engl. Miriam Spoerri in the IMDb
  6. ↑ The Widows or A Perfect Solution in the IMDb
  7. ^ Reich-Ranicki, p. 59 below
  8. ^ Reich-Ranicki in 1967
  9. ↑ Rebellion Against Comfort , p. 4