The Wall

[The Wall is a 1963 novel written in German by the Austrian writer, Marlen Haushofer. It is doubtful that she thought of it as Science Fiction. Nevertheless, I will review it as such.]

What is the Science Fiction Premise?

The Wall is a deceptively simple story of an Austrian woman who is trapped in a vacation home in the Austrian Alps by an invisible wall that separates her and her forest vicinity from the rest of the world. She can look through the wall to see that all animal and human life appears to have stopped functioning on the far side, while she and the wildlife on her side are fine.

Is the science of the premise explored?

The Wall is a diary of the woman's experience. Since she has no real understanding of how the wall came into being, we have none either. Insofar as she is able, she explores the extent of the wall and watches the other side for changes. She does not see any evidence of airplanes, so she concludes the effect is extensive. She speculates that the wall is some form of weapon that may have backfired on everyone, but she does not really know.

Given how little Science is available to explain the wall, it is probably best to think of this novel as more Speculative than Science Fiction. While the wall creates the circumstances that drive the author's story, the story is not primarily concerned with the wall, how it came into existence, when or whether it will ever go away, or how pervasive its impact might be. The author addresses it enough to have us treat it as a scientific reality rather than a form of magic, but having achieved that moves on.

Is the impact of the premise on an individual explored?

This story is all about how the lead character changes her life to cope with the fact that the wall has cut her off from civilization. It is very much a Robinson Crusoe story. The lead character must learn to manage her animals, plant her vegetables, and cope with the weather in order to survive. There is always a certain amount of reflection on what must have happened and how things used to be, but most of the focus is on the mundane details of survival.

Is the impact of the premise on society explored?

It is hard to say that the impact of the wall on society is explored. As far as the main character is concerned, society has been destroyed. Since she is alone there is no real society to replace it, unless you count her relationships with her animals.

Having said that, there are nevertheless, musings on the nature of the society that was destroyed. Being cut off from civilization becomes an opportunity for reflection on what was good or bad about it.

How well written is the story?

The story is easy to read. The writing and translation are good. The events, concepts, and thoughts are direct and uncomplicated.

The main problem with the story is that it can be rather boring. There is not a lot of action or adventure. Most of the story consists of detailed descriptions of taking care of animals and crops in order to survive. Interspersed with these descriptions of what the main character is doing are musings about her former life and her current situation. Unless you are especially interested in farming, these reflections are a welcome nourishment to the reader.

Among the main character's musings are details that are revealing about the motivations and thinking of women. Doris Lessing wrote:

The Wall is a wonderful novel. It is not often that you can say only a woman could have written this book, but women in particular will understand the heroine's loving devotion to the details of making and keeping life, every day felt as a victory against everything that would like to undermine and destroy. It is as absorbing as Robinson Crusoe. [Found in the Wikipedia entry on The Wall.]

I am not a woman, so I cannot say for sure, but this sounds correct to me.

Can I recommend the book?

My reaction to this book is complicated and continues to puzzle me. With The Wall I dropped out of the world of Science Fiction adventure stories and into the world of literature. Had you asked for my opinion half way or even three fourths of the way through the story, I would have bemoaned the mundane detail and declared the book boring. Had you asked me after I finished the book, I would have said I'm not sure. And if you ask me now, I can only say that the book continues to haunt my thoughts.

Clearly this is not a book for everyone. In the spectrum between enlightenment and entertainment, this is way over on the enlightenment side. It is not a fun read, but it is thought-provoking. All the mundane detail serves a purpose. You really get to know this woman and what motivates her. By the end of the story that leaves you with a lot to think about.

Tar Daddoo