William T. Vollmann
Author of Europe Central
About the Author
Journalist and novelist William T. Vollmann was born in 1959 and educated at Cornell University. He worked as a comptuer programmer before becoming a journalist and covering Bosnia, Sarajevo and Afghanistan. He has written extensively since 1987, when his first book, You Bright and Risen Angels, show more was published. The Atlas (1996) won the PEN Center USA West Award for the best novel by a writer living west of the Mississippi. His newest work of Non-Fiction is entitled, Imperial. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo
Series
Works by William T. Vollmann
Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means {abridged} (2004) 662 copies
Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means {7 Volumes} (2003) 108 copies
Into the Forbidden Zone: A Trip Through Hell and High Water in Post-Earthquake Japan (2011) 57 copies
Shadows of Love, Shadows of Loneliness: Volume Two: Drawings, Prints & Paintings: 1980-2020 (2022) 4 copies
The Cloud Shirt (extract) 2 copies
L'atlante (Sotterranei) 1 copy
Red Hands [short fiction] 1 copy
The Tale of the Dying Lungs 1 copy
Nicole 1 copy
De Sade's Last Stand 1 copy
Vollmann William 1 copy
Associated Works
Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Science Fiction (1991) — Contributor — 249 copies
McSweeney's Issue 9 (McSweeney's Quarterly Concern): We Feel This One Is More Urgent (2002) — Contributor — 201 copies
Take My Advice: Letters to the Next Generation from People Who Know a Thing or Two (2002) — Contributor — 44 copies
Die Geschichtenerzähler: Neues und Unbekanntes von Allende bis Zafón (suhrkamp taschenbuch) (2008) — Contributor — 5 copies
Black Clock 3 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Vollmann, William Tanner
- Birthdate
- 1959-07-28
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Places of residence
- Sacramento, California, USA
Bloomington, Indiana, USA - Education
- University of California, Berkeley (Graduate Studies)
Cornell University (BA summa cum laude|1982 - Comparative Literature)
Deep Springs College - Occupations
- journalist
novelist - Awards and honors
- American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award (Literature, 2007)
Whiting Writers' Award (1988)
National Book Award for Fiction (2005)
Members
Reviews
The moral calculus was a slog, and the case studies a bit less so, the latter due to what felt like going on too long. (But then again, doesn't perpetual violence always feel like—and isn't it really—too long?) Most of the rest of the book, though, was fascinating in a way I can't fully describe, which in addition to actually being a good thing for reading purposes, may also get at why we can't just make neat categories or judgments about violence and call it a day.
20th century history filtered through high school jocks and nerds (and sentient insects). Too long and too bitter.
The last 200 pages or so wore me out. There wasn't any unifying theme, and after reading a lot of Proustian prose about Shostakovich, he again pops up for another 100 pages of self-pity in the chapter "Opus 110". I found all the music-related similes at best awkward and at worst total nonsense. This novel is the epitome of overwritten and adds zero understanding of Germany and Russia during WWII, but provides a backdrop for imagined affairs and angst for the two countrie's artists, composers, and filmmakers. I'm done with Vollmann if this is an example of his best work (he got the National Book Award for this one).… (more)
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 52
- Also by
- 37
- Members
- 8,608
- Popularity
- #2,796
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 160
- ISBNs
- 203
- Languages
- 8
- Favorited
- 43
I think I'd probably be happier reading the imaginary book: "Best American Adventure Travel Writing".
The thing I like best about collections like this is being able to come to them when you need something to read but can't commit to a serious novel. This has been good bedtime reading for me this month.… (more)