The Director (Kehlmann novel)
_cover.jpg) German cover | |
| Author | Daniel Kehlmann |
|---|---|
| Original title | Lichtspiel |
| Translator | Ross Benjamin |
| Language | German |
| Publisher | Rowohlt Verlag, riverrun |
| Publication date | 2023 |
Published in English | 2025 |
The Director (German: Lichtspiel, lit. 'Play of light'[a]) is a 2023 novel by German-Austrian author Daniel Kehlmann. The novel is a fictionalization of the life of the 20th-century German director G. W. Pabst. The novel was met with positive reception, both in Germany and internationally; it made several best-of lists in 2025, and in 2026 it was shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.
Plot
The novel is divided into three parts. The first part, Outside, is set in the 1920s and 1930s, and chronicles Pabst's career in the Weimar Republic and his filming of A Modern Hero in America, which turns out to be a flop. The second part, Inside, focuses on Pabst's career in Nazi-era Germany and his filming of the lost film Der Fall Molander. The third part, After, focuses on Pabst's life after the war.[2]
Reception
Adam Soboczynski of Die Zeit called The Director a "great work about moral failure"[3]; Gerrit Bartels of Der Tagesspiegel called the novel a ""marvel".[4] Carsten Otte of Die Tageszeitung gave a mixed review, praising individual scenes of the book, but criticizing the characters for their lack of psychological depth and the prose; he concluded that "successful individual scenes do not make for a convincing novel".[5]
The Director received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.[6][7] Nina Allan, writing for The Guardian, called The Director "Kehlmann's best work yet"; J. Hoberman in his review for the New York Times wrote that The Director was "a marvelous performance" and praised Benjamin's translation.[8][9]
The Director was released in English and French in 2025; it was named in several best-of lists of that year - New York Times named it among the ten best books of 2025, the BBC named it among the 25 best books of that year, The Guardian named it as among the best translated fiction released that year and Le Monde as one of the best novels of 2025.[10][11][12][13] In 2026, it was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.[14]
References
- ↑ Beckerman, Gal (6 May 2025). "Why Do Collaborators Do It?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Moos, Holger. "Light with many, many shadows". Goethe Institut. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Soboczynski, Adam (11 October 2023). ""Lichtspiel" von Daniel Kehlmann: Meister des Schnitts". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Bartels, Gerrit. "Daniel Kehlmanns Romanwunderwerk „Lichtspiel": Erzählerische Glanzstücke und der Schatten der Kunst". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Otte, Carsten (10 October 2023). "Neuer Roman von Daniel Kehlmann: Mensch ohne Moral". Die Tageszeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "THE DIRECTOR | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews. 4 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "The Director by Daniel Kehlmann". Publishers Weekly. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Allan, Nina (6 June 2025). "The Director by Daniel Kehlmann review – the author's best work yet". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Hoberman, J. (6 May 2025). "How to Make Art Under the Nazis (Without Losing Your Soul)". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "The 10 Best Books of 2025". The New York Times. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Baker, Lindsay; Laurence, Rebecca (12 December 2025). "The Director to Flesh: The 25 best books of 2025". BBC. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Self, John (1 December 2025). "Five of the best translated fiction of 2025". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Birnbaum, Jean; Leyris, Raphaëlle; Noivelle, Florence; Weill, Nicolas; Georgesco, Florent; da Cunha, Amaury; Huon, Lanwenn (7 December 2025). "Parmi les meilleurs livres de 2025 : la sélection du « Monde des livres »". Le Monde. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Marshall, Alex (31 March 2026). "International Booker Prize Shortlist: 6 Novels With 'Burning Humanity'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2026.