Holzfällen

The novel, a roman à clef, is set in an aristocratic Viennese home in the 1980s where a group of people await the arrival of a famous dramatic actor.

The narrator, seated in a comfortable chair, observes the guests and reflects on his connections with them, particularly his relationship with a woman who had committed suicide earlier that day.

The story unfolds with the actor's aggressive rant and the narrator's shifting views, ultimately deciding to write about the evening.

The book is known for its circling vitriol and repetitive style, critiquing the superficiality and pretensions of the Austrian cultural elite.