Der neue Schriftstellerroman von Michael Kleeberg: „Achilles in Taormina“
Summary
Michael Kleberg discusses his novel *Kleberg*, a fictionalized biography that mirrors Thomas Mann’s *Lotte in Weimar* by using a protagonist to explore Ernest Hemingway’s life. The story follows a character obsessed with imitating Hemingway, who ultimately fails to replicate the author’s genius and instead becomes a researcher uncovering the writer’s contradictions. The novel delves into Hemingway’s late career stagnation, revealing his private androgyny and the gap between his macho public persona and inner reality.
Topics discussed
Michael Kleberg's personal discovery of Hemingway
The fictional Dr. Kleberg's obsessive imitation
Disillusionment in Nicaragua and lack of talent
Academic research and encounters with Hemingway's circle
Influence of Thomas Mann's 'Lotte in Weimar'
Hemingway's late silence and radical self-exploration
Deconstructing the macho myth and androgyny
Conclusion: Re-reading Hemingway through the novel
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