Wolf Haas is Austria's major crime writer beloved by critics
and readers alike!
Wolf Haas (1960
– )
Right now, Wolf Haas is one of the most successful Austrian
authors. His crime novels circle around grumpy ex-detective
Brenner with a unique way of story telling and narrative style
loosely based on the Austrian vernacular, the German you hear
on the streets rather than expect to read in a book. But do
not be fooled: his style of writing is highly artistic. It is
also a compelling and, in some ways, easy read. Audience and
critics both love him, his books sell and are occasionally turned
into successful movies, too!
Wolf Haas actually started out writing
copy for a renowned advertising agency. Slogans like "Lichtfahrer
sind sichtbarer" (drivers with their lights on are more
visible) or "Ö1 gehört gehört" (Austrian
radio station Ö1 needs to be heard) show his fascination
with wordplay which characterizes his prose. If you want to
find out about Austria and its literature, Wolf Haas is an
excellent starting point.
Auferstehung der Toten (Resurrection
of the dead, 1996)
Der Knochenmann (Skeleton man,
1997)
Komm, süßer Tod (Come,
sweet death, 1998); turned into a movie in 2000 starring
Austrian cabarett-star Josef Hader. Wolf Haas himself adapted
the novel for the screenplay and had a cameo-appearance
in the film.
Ausgebremst (Thwarted, 1998) -
a novel about formula 1 car races.
Silentium! (1999); turned into
a movie in 2004, Josef Hader once more impersonates the
grumpy detective.
