An Angel at My Table

Angel at My Table being the second volume in Janet Frame's autobiography, covers her unwillingness to become a teacher, a myriad of mental health struggles, and Frame's continued desire to impress people as a "true" poet. Despite being at the University for a teaching career Frame was dead set against becoming an educator. When it came time for her to be observed in the classroom she simply excused herself and walked out, never to return again. All she wanted to do was write and it was her ability to do so that ultimately saved her. Scheduled to have an lobotomy, her book, The Lagoon, a volume of short stories, was published just in time for her to receive a stay of operation. From there Frame floundered trying to make a living until show more she met Frank Sargeson. As a fellow writer he was able to develop a partnership and mentorship that ultimately shaped Frame's future. At the end of Angel at My Table we leave Frame as she is ready to embark on a new journey; leaving New Zealand for the first time. show less

Yanlış teşhis sonucu şizofreni tedavisi için yıllarca akıl hastanesinde tutulan Janet Frame, gençlik dönemini karanlık deneyimlerle geçirdi. Öykü kitabının ödül kazanması sayesinde dönüşü olmayacak bir operasyondan ve ömür boyu tecritten kurtulan Frame, ileride Yeni Zelanda’nın en önemli yazarı olacaktı. Soframda Bir Melek’te pek çok vesileyle tekrarladığı gibi “yazmak onu kurtarmıştı.”
Elinizdeki kitap Janet Frame’in üç ciltlik otobiyografisini bir araya getiriyor: Çocukluk ve ilkgençlik yıllarını anlattığı “Şimdiki-Zaman-Ülkesine”, üniversite yıllarını, ardından yaşadığı olumsuz hastane deneyimini ve yazarlığa adım atışını ele aldığı “Soframda Bir show more Melek” ve Avrupa’da geçirdiği yedi yılı özetlediği “Şehrin Yansımasından Gelen Elçi”.
Frame kendi gerçekliğini keşfettiği yolculuğunda Yeni Zelanda’dan Londra’ya ve Avrupa’nın pek çok farklı köşesine gidip sonra yeniden evine dönüşünü anlatırken, yazarlığa adım atışının yanı sıra bir kadın olarak tüm zorluklara rağmen ayakta kalışını da benzersiz bir samimiyetle aktarıyor. show less

Janet Frame was an acclaimed writer from New Zealand, who wrote novels, short stories and poetry. An Angel At My Table is the second volume of her autobiography and is about her hospitalisation for mental illness, as well as about the beginnings of her literary career. It is an interesting story, because although she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, it later became clear that this was a mistake and that she was really suffering from depression caused by unhappiness in her childhood. When she left home to train as a teacher, her shyness and loneliness caused her to have a breakdown and, through her efforts to attract the attention of a psychologist, to be diagnosed with an illness she didn’t really have. What saved her from spending show more the rest of her life in psychiatric hospitals was her talent and the recognition given her by publication and by the prizes her work received. An uplifting part of the book describes the support given her by a fellow writer, Frank Sargeson, with whom she lived after she left hospital. He gave her a place to work and helped her recover from the stress she had been under. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a fascinating and unusual life. [2011] show less

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Ein Engel an meiner Tafel ist eine Autobiografie, die sich leicht und eindringlich zugleich liest. Janet Frame erzählt mit großer Sensibilität und einer poetischen Sprache, die ich sehr gern mochte.
Sie schildert ihr Leben als junge Frau im frühen 20. Jahrhundert schildert: reich an Fantasie und literarischem Talent, aber gleichzeitig geprägt von Armut, Verlust und grauenhaften Missverständnissen, etwa die Jahre in Nervenkliniken und die Fehldiagnose. Dennoch gelingt es ihr, Schriftstellerin zu werden.
Zu Recht gilt "Ein Engel an meiner Tafel" heute als moderner Klassiker. Ich habe das Buch sehr gern gelesen.

Un ángel en mi mesa reúne los tres volúmenes de una de las obras más singulares y atractivas de la literatura contemporánea, la autobiografía de Janet Frame: «La cautivadora e intensa trilogía de Frame es una de las más grandes autobiografías jamás escritas, un relato del crecimiento de una escritora que, tomada por loca, descubrió justo a tiempo su verdadera identidad de genio», The Guardian. Frame pasó su infancia en la mágica Nueva Zelanda, en un ambiente de pobreza pero muy rico intelectualmente. Fue en esos años, marcados por la tragedia, cuando descubrió el poder transformador de la palabra. Amenazada por la sombra de la locura, a los veintiún años empezó un periplo por varios hospitales psiquiátricos, donde show more le diagnosticaron erróneamente esquizofrenia. Cuando estaban a punto de realizarle una lobotomía, ganó uno de los más importantes premios literarios neozelandeses y anularon la operación. Esta hermosa autobiografía constituye una experiencia humana, artística e intelectual inolvidable. Constante celebración del poder de la imaginación, estas páginas ofrecen un testimonio del crecimiento de una escritora, pero son también el relato de la lucha de una mujer por sobrevivir a su mundo interior, a veces brutal y sombrío, pero siempre bello. show less

"Scrivere un'autobiografia può significare non solo guardare indietro, ma anche al di là o attraverso", questa affermazione dell'autrice rivela molto più di qualsiasi recensione. E' significativo il percorso esistenziale della Frame dall'infanzia vissuta nella famiglia modesta e ricca di affetti alla scoperta del mondo, dai difficili esordi letterari alla battaglia condotta contro una diagnosi pericolosamente errata di schizofrenia.
Semplice e immediata, spesso feroce critica di se stessa e dei propri scritti per questa autrice la scrittura ha rappresentato la riappropriazione dell'identità.
Un libro molto amato e letto tante volte, toccante per la profonda bellezza di cui sono dense le sue pagine.