All the head scratching over this year’s peace nobel is overshadowing the Nobel Literature Prize, given to Herta Muller, a surprise pick. Mrs. Muller’s writings deal with Communism, focusing on Romania, and she is an activist in the cause of exposing the truth of what happened during the communist period and where are these people today. Her works are sure to gain in popularity though they necessarily must remain difficult. The reality of communism is difficult, there is no getting around that.
There does seem to be a strange meme floating about, suggesting that Obama would have been a better Nobel laureate for literature. I can only think that the Literature Nobel has been debased so badly that the actual winner isn’t even looked at before the snark starts.
Full disclosure: Herta Muller was born in Timis county, Romania, as was I.
I can only guess the authors of that meme didn’t get the Althouse’ joke.
Althouse’s riddle is especially funny because her answer is at least 1 too high.
Herta Mueller is quite an interesting pick. Have not read any of her work, but am open. . . Does she deal much with growing up as a member of the German miniority in Romania in her work? Or her family’s past? How does her German translate into English?
Seydlitz,
You might want to check out the Sign and Sight website, which does English translations of European cultural discussions. Last week, they had a brief translation of Atemshaukel.