Conversation on “Wittgenstein’s Nephew” by Thomas Bernhard

<br /> Two old friends find themselves at the same hospital, one diagnosed with pulmonary disease and the other madness, and while they long to be near each other both confront their separate mortality. Though that Wittgenstein is mentioned, this story is about another Wittgenstein, one of several “geniuses” from the Austrian family.

I want to see him clearly again with the help of these notes, these scraps of memory, which are meant to clarify and recall to mind not only the hopeless situation of my friend but also my own hopelessness at the time, for just as Paul’s life had once again run into an impasse, so mine too had run into an impasse, or rather been driven into one.

Wittgenstein’s Nephew by Thomas Bernhard was our ‘Philosophical Fiction’ discussion this March and Phillip, Laura, Carlos, Daniel and myself covered a lot of ground in two hours; themes of language, madness, genius, and more made for a great conversation that you can listen to here. Not a Citizen yet? Sign up here.