Extinction

About “Extinction”

Extinction is Thomas Bernhard's final work of fiction, told through the perspective of Franz-Josef Murau, a member of a powerful Austrian land-owning family. Murau lives in Rome in self-imposed exile, surrounded by artistic and intellectual friends. After attending his sister's wedding at the family estate, Wolfsegg, he receives a telegram informing him of the death of his parents and brother in a car crash. He must return to Wolfsegg to take control of the estate and decide its future. The novel is divided into two parts, alternating between Murau's memories of Wolfsegg and his return to the estate for the funeral.