The setting is an idyllic Alpine village where a woman's underwear factory nestles in the woods. Two factory workers, Brigitte and Paula, dream and talk about finding happiness, a comfortable home and a good man. They realize that their quest will be as hard as work at the factory. Brigitte subordinates her feelings and goes for for Heinz, a young, plump, up-and-coming businessman. With Paula, feelings and dreams become confused. She gets pregnant by Erich, the forestry worker. He's handsome, so they marry. Brigitte gets it right. Paula gets it wrong. Using the conventions and language of romantic fiction, Elfriede Jelinek has written a moving tragedy whose power lies in its refusal to take at face value its characters' dreams and aspirations.
- ISBN10 1852422378
- ISBN13 9781852422370
- Publish Date 15 November 1994
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 29 August 2015
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Serpent's Tail
- Edition Main
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 208
- Language English