Elfriede Jelinek

Linda C. DeMeritt (Allegheny College)
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With a literary oeuvre spanning close to four decades and comprising numerous prose works, theater pieces, radio plays, and literary essays, Elfriede Jelinek has become one of the most prolific and controversial figures within the contemporary German-speaking literary scene. Along with Peter Handke and especially Thomas Bernhard, she counts as one of Austria's foremost critics, and has established a reputation – or perhaps notoriety is the more apt term - that extends beyond the borders of her homeland to include Germany and other European countries. In October 2004, that reputation was recognized through conferral of the most prestigious of all literary awards: the Nobel Prize for Literature. Jelinek sets her works in the country she knows best, her homeland of Austria, but her…

2630 words

Citation: DeMeritt, Linda C.. "Elfriede Jelinek". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 October 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5815, accessed 19 March 2024.]

5815 Elfriede Jelinek 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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