The Maimed

A few people have asked about the name of the blog. I just wanted to set the record straight, I'm not trying to make a deep, profound statement on the nature of individuality. It's the name of one of my favourite books.


The Maimed by Hermann Ungar

Ungar was Born in 1893 into a Jewish family in the small town of Boskovice in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His career, whilst acclaimed was sadly very short lived due to failing health; he died in 1929 aged just 36. His writing was highly praised by the likes of Thomas Mann and the director Berthold Viertel but never received the attention it deserved, going forgotten for decades, until he was recognised by the Kafka conferences in 1963 & 1965.

From the cover:

Called by Thomas Mann a "sexual hell" as well as "pure artistry," The Maimed is Set in Prague and relates the story of a highly neurotic, socially inept bank clerk who is eventually impelled by his widowed landlady into servicing her sexual appetites. At the same time he must witness the steady physical and mental deterioration of his lifelong friend who is suffering from an unnamed disease. Part psychological farce, Ungar tells a dark, ironic tale of chaos overtaking one's meticulously ordered life. One of only two novels Ungar wrote, this translation marks the first time his work has appeared in English. 

This is all just a very brief introduction to a fascinating career and life of a now legendary author. 

The Maimed