Margit Schreiner
Are You Really Fit Enough?

essays, fiction

332pp (46,300 words)

• About the Author

Sharp-witted and with a mean sense of humour, one of Austria’s most important authors writes about life and literature: under the overarching concept of the literary, Schreiner considers linguistic forms like »scrambled eggs or egg scramble«, while under the biographical she discusses »following the thread«. The feminine inspires her to a compelling essay on »Mother’s Day, the Day of the Budgie«, the honest to one on the »Sea Horse of the Mind«. She writes about Margaret Atwood and Jane Bowles, finally wondering in the context of the political, »Who’s Afraid of the Black Man?« And as ever, Margit Schreiner offers her inimitable perspective on our world.

Essayistic writing holds an important place in the author’s literary oeuvre: »The written word demands much more precise engagement with the issue than the spoken word. The kinds of expression found in public debate are becoming increasingly coarse and undifferentiated, so sometimes one must speak up.«

»Rarely does one find wit and existential seriousness, pleasure and distress, life and art so closely cheek-by-jowl as in Margit Schreiner.«
Melanie Weidemüller, Deutschlandfunk

Reviews

»A convincing portrait of our time, polemic and full of black humour.«
Karin Großmann, Sächsische Zeitung

»Clever, analytic, snappy – Margit Schreiner’s essays about literature and life are a pure joy to read.«
Birgit Böllinger, Sätze & Schätze (Blog)

»Margit Schreiner's book ARE YOU REALLY FIT ENOUGH? is a great study of humankind.«
Christian Schacherreiter, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten

»Margit Schreiner once again proves herself an attentive observer of social divergence as well as of the literary scene. (...) Subtle and witty.«
Evelyne Polt-Heinzl, Die Furche

»Margit Schreiner is a writer who shows moral attitude.«
Sophie Reyer, Die Presse

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