Daniel Kehlmann's engrossing seventh novel, Lichtspiel, was first published in Germany in 2023. Since then, it has been published in translation in a number of countries in Europe as well as, now, the United States under the title The Director (Simon & Schuster / Summit Books). The novel centers on the later years of the Austrian-born director, G. W. Pabst. Louise Brooks, who appeared in two Pabst films, Pandora's Box (1929) and Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), appears in the novel as a significant, though secondary character.
Reviews of the American edition have appeared in a number of print and online publications including:
The New York Times -- "How to Make Art Under the Nazis (Without Losing Your Soul)" by J. Hoberman (May 6, 2025)
Los Angeles Times -- "In this novel inspired by G.W. Pabst, Leni Riefenstahl is among the bit players" by Julia M. Klein (May 4, 2025)
Washington Post -- "The Director revisits a filmmaker’s deal with the devil during WWII" by Malcolm Forbes (May 6, 2025)
Boston Globe -- "Is it possible to make great art under fascism?" by Lauren LeBlanc (May 1, 2025)
Wall Street Journal -- "The Director Review: The Mystery of G.W. Pabst" by Donna Rifkind (May 2, 2025)
Los Angeles Review of Books -- "Making Art Under Fascism" by Kai Maristad (May 6, 2025)
National Public Radio -- "A filmmaker in Nazi Germany strikes a deal with the devil in The Director" by Maureen Corrigan (May 8, 2025)
Notably, pretty much every major review and article -- including an April 30 New York Times profile of Kehlmann -- have mentioned Louise Brooks. She has also been pictured in a few pieces, and, she has appeared on the covers of two editions, one published in The Netherlands and one in Italy. Here are those two books.
Publisher: Querido
Publication date: January 30, 2024
Om aan de verschrikkingen van de opkomende nazi’s te ontsnappen wijkt G.W. Pabst, een van de grootste filmregisseurs van zijn tijd, uit naar Hollywood. Daar blijkt zijn roem niets voor te stellen, en zelfs Louise Brooks en Greta Garbo, die hij groot maakte, kunnen hem niet helpen. Als hij op terugreis naar Europa zijn doodzieke moeder bezoekt in Oostenrijk, breekt de oorlog uit en gaan de grenzen dicht. Aan het naziregime valt niet langer te ontsnappen. Minister van Propaganda Goebbels heeft zijn zinnen gezet op het filmgenie en doet hem grote beloften. Terwijl Pabst nog gelooft dat hij die avances kan weerstaan en zich uitsluitend hoeft te onderwerpen aan de wetten van de kunst, zet hij al de eerste stap naar een grimmige verstrengeling.
Lichtspel, vertaald door Josephine Rijnaarts, is een grandioze roman over kunst en macht: spannend, serieus en speels.
Title: Il regista (Italian Edition)
Publisher: Feltrinelli Editore
Publication date: October 8, 2024
Los Angeles, anni trenta. Con l’avvento del nazismo il regista Georg Wilhelm Pabst lascia la Francia dove sta lavorando e si trasferisce negli Stati Uniti. È uno dei grandi maestri del cinema tedesco d’avanguardia, ha diretto le più importanti star del muto e portato al successo Greta Garbo rendendola immortale, ma in America è solo uno come tanti. Incapace di adattarsi ai meccanismi dello studio system, dopo aver girato un film che si rivela un fiasco, non vede più un futuro a Hollywood e abbandona il sole della California per tornare in Europa. Mentre fa visita alla madre in Austria, ormai annessa alla Germania, scoppia la guerra e ripartire diventa impossibile. Bloccato nel Terzo Reich, G.W. Pabst si confronta con la natura brutale del regime. Goebbels, il ministro della Propaganda a Berlino, vuole il genio del cinema, non accetta un no come risposta e fa grandi promesse. Anche se Pabst crede ancora che saprà resistere a queste avance, che non si sottometterà ad alcuna dittatura diversa da quella artistica, si è già cacciato in un guaio irrimediabile.
Arte e potere, bellezza e barbarie, Il regista mostra di cosa è capace la letteratura.
Ingegnoso e divertente, Il regista racconta la vita di un maestro del cinema, del suo patto con il diavolo e delle pericolose illusioni del grande schermo.
Remarkably, these two new covers are among the more than 50 published works of fiction which depict Louise Brooks on the cover. A gallery of such covers, "Louise Brooks -- Contemporary Books Covers 1 (fiction)" appears on the Louise Brooks Society website. Which one is your favorite? be sure and click on the link above and give them a look.
THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2025. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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