The Passport
Encyclopedia
The Passport is a novel by Nobel Prize
-winning author Herta Müller
, published in German in 1986. The German title (literally, "Man is a great pheasant
in the world") refers to a saying in Romania
. The novel, one of several for which the author was known when winning the Nobel in 2009, tells the story of a village miller in a German-speaking village in the Banat
in Romania, who applies for permission to emigrate to West Germany
. The novel was published in English by Serpent's Tail
in 1989, the first of Müller's novels to be offered in direct translation.
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
-winning author Herta Müller
Herta Müller
Herta Müller is a Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist noted for her works depicting the effects of violence, cruelty and terror, usually in the setting of Communist Romania under the repressive Nicolae Ceauşescu regime which she experienced herself...
, published in German in 1986. The German title (literally, "Man is a great pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
in the world") refers to a saying in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. The novel, one of several for which the author was known when winning the Nobel in 2009, tells the story of a village miller in a German-speaking village in the Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
in Romania, who applies for permission to emigrate to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. The novel was published in English by Serpent's Tail
Serpent's Tail
Serpent's Tail is a British independent publishing firm founded in 1986 by Pete Ayrton. It is notable for its translated works, particularly European crime fiction, and is the British publisher of Elfriede Jelinek and Lionel Shriver...
in 1989, the first of Müller's novels to be offered in direct translation.
Translations
- Müller, Herta (1986) Der Mensch ist ein großer Fasan auf der Welt; Berlin: Carl Hanser VerlagCarl Hanser VerlagCarl Hanser Verlag is a German publishing house, established in 1928 by Carl Hanser in Munich. Among the authors he published are Herta Müller, Martin Mosebach, Reinhard Jirgl, and David Grossman....
ISBN 9783499133855- (English) The Passport (September 1989); Translator: Martin Chalmers; London: Serpent's Tail; 96p. ISBN 9781852421397
- (French) L'homme est un grand faisan sur terre (1988); Translator: Nicole Bary; Paris: Maren Sell; 124p. ISBN 9782070382385
- (Serbian) Čovek je veliki fazan na ovom svetu (2011); Translator: Tijana Tropin; Belgrade: Zlatni Zmaj: Laguna; 150p. ISBN 9788652105502
- (Spanish) El hombre es un gran faisán en el mundo (1992); Translator: Juan José del Solar; Madrid: Siruela; 128p. ISBN 9788498410945
- (Swedish) Människan är en stor fasan på jorden: en berättelse (1987); Translator: Karin Löfdahl; Stockholm: Alba ISBN 9789174588281