An encyclopedic and epistolary family history, a eulogy for pre-Reich Vienna and an ode to midcentury modernism.
The title of Paterson’s debut memoir carries a dual meaning. As a child, the author fled the Nazis for a new life; as an adult, he created sanctuaries for others.
Until the German annexation of Austria, “Karli” and his sister, Doris, had a seemingly enchanted childhood in Vienna. Their progressive parents, Eva and Stefan Schanzer, raised them in “a social experiment in Modern living,” the Werkbundsiedlung, which touted utility and functionality above ornament and artifice. Eva’s sudden death—from what appeared to be scarlet fever—and the escalation of Jewish persecution spurred Stefan into action. In order to save his children from the Nazis, he arranged to have them adopted by the sympathetic Paterson family in Queensland, Australia. Baptized before fleeing Europe to make their lives easier in their adoptive country, the children were separated from their father, who set out on a courageous bicycle journey through the French countryside and a daring escape into Portugal. As Karli Schanzer became Charles Paterson, certain things remained. His gift for design and architecture and his connection to his uncle, the renowned Adolf Loos, came to fruition as he apprenticed to Frank Lloyd Wright. Paterson became a U.S. citizen and built a lodge in Colorado and was reunited with Stefan in New York. Written with his daughter, Carrie, Paterson’s detailed narrative veers between intimate and scholarly. With footnotes and a lengthy index, it’s a labor of love: a dossier of letters, mementos, documents, photographs, recipes and the contemporary reflections of family members. Beginning with ancestors in Hapsburg-era Vienna, the Patersons explore the death of Old Europe and the birth of what we’ve come to regard as American architecture. They also contend with the attempted annihilation of their bloodline and celebrate the courage and perseverance of those who survived. With enough material for at least three books, the authors are determined to fit it all into one. Patient readers will be rewarded.
An encyclopedic and epistolary family history, a eulogy for pre-Reich Vienna and an ode to midcentury modernism.Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0983254010
Page Count: 570
Publisher: DoppelHouse Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
