Hans Alex Keilson or Hans Keilson was a German/Dutch poet and a novelist. He is remembered today for his spectacular novels written during the World War II. He was an active member then of the Dutch resistance. Hans Keilson was one of the most significant writers from Europe in the 20th century with worldwide readership. Emperor of Thorns and Prince of Thorns are other two classic novels from the author that are quite famous.
Comedy in a Minor Key is categorized as a classic in world literature. Damion Searls did the translation of this novel to English, which obviously had great readership worldwide. The book was first published in 1947 and was translated much later into English. Further, for the audiobook, James Clamp did the translation, which was just about OK.
The book is a deep study of common people strongly resisting the Nazi occupation. This is a dark comedy associated with the prominent wartime manners. A Dutch couple, Wim and Marie makes the main characters of this story. They were the first who hide a Jew named Nico. They had to then dispose his body when he died due to pneumonia.
In 2008, Hans Keilson received the prestigious Welt Literature Prize of Germany for his significantly brilliant work in literature. He was acknowledged for his sympathetic, deeply ironic, brilliantly contemporary and penetrating account of the World War II time.
Hans Keilson also had a career as a child psychologist and a psychoanalyst as well. Therefore, he had great observation for people behavior and this is what that is truly reflected in his writings as well.
