Arthur Koestler Biography
Arthur Koestler’s work is most likely familiar to you if you've ever looked anything up in the Encyclopedia Britannica. In addition to his many novels, Koestler also wrote articles for the famous encyclopedia. He was born in Hungary but became a naturalized British citizen. At the age of 26, Koestler joined the Communist party of Germany, but by the late 1940s he was an outspoken anti-Communist. Though he was held by French authorities in an internment camp shortly after World War II began, Koestler later joined the French Foreign Legion and then the British Army, all while keeping his pen very busy. Many of Koestler’s books were popular during his lifetime, but the most famous one today is Darkness at Noon, which has often been compared to George Orwell’s 1984 because they both deal with Stalinism.
Facts and Trivia
- Koestler was married three times and had an affair with French author Simone de Beauvoir. Unfortunately, there are many accounts that he beat and raped several women.
- Later in life, Koestler became fascinated with the paranormal and wrote a great deal about it. This may have been fueled by a “mystical experience” he had as a teenager.
- In 1960, Koestler was involved in Timothy Leary’s experiments with the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, which he later wrote about in “Return Trip to Nirvana.”
- In his youth, the musician Sting was a huge Koestler fan. The Police’s early album Synchronicity was inspired by Koestler’s book The Roots of Coincidence.
- Koestler and his last wife committed joint suicide by drug overdose. He was very ill, but she was healthy.
Biography
Arthur Koestler's life epitomizes the tumultuous journey of an educated European navigating the upheavals of the 20th century. His experiences reflect the broader social and political crises of the era, especially the rise and fall of Communism in Europe. Through his autobiographical works, novels, and essays like Darkness at Noon and The Yogi and the Commissar, and Other Essays, Koestler detailed his philosophical struggles between personal conscience and political action.
Early Life and Family Background
Arthur Koestler's grandfather fled Russia during the Crimean War, changing his surname to Kostler to conceal his identity. Koestler's father, Henrik Kostler, was a dynamic but ultimately unsuccessful inventor who developed various radioactive products, including soap and cleaning powder. Koestler's mother hailed from an esteemed Jewish lineage in Prague. The eruption of World War I devastated Henrik's business, compelling the family to relocate to Vienna, a city they would not call home for long.
Path to Zionism and Journalism
Koestler's passion for Zionism led him to abandon his academic records at the University of Vienna in 1926. He ventured to Palestine with hopes of contributing to the Zionist cause. However, following a probationary period that involved agricultural labor, his aspirations were thwarted. Struggling to survive, he took on various jobs, from selling lemonade in Haifa to working as an editor for a short-lived German-language newspaper in Cairo. Eventually, he landed a role as a correspondent for the Ullstein newspaper chain, beginning in Jerusalem in September 1927. Over the next four years, his assignments with Ullstein took him across the Middle East, Paris, and Berlin, even including an adventurous stint covering the Graf Zeppelin's flight to the North Pole.
Communist Engagement and Imprisonment
In 1931, Koestler became an active member of the Communist Party, a commitment that lasted until 1938. His travels to the Soviet Union deepened his understanding of Communist doctrines, and in 1936, he journeyed to Spain under the guise of reporting for the London News Chronicle. Captured by Fascist forces in February 1937, he spent over three harrowing months under the shadow of execution, only to be released after significant protests from England. His troubles continued in France, where he was detained as an alien in the notorious Le Vernet camp. The year 1940 saw him in a desperate attempt to reach England, a journey that led to six weeks in Pentonville Prison. Upon release, he joined the British army and worked with the Ministry of Information for the remainder of World War II.
Legacy and Later Years
Koestler's literary contributions, particularly Darkness at Noon and Arrow in the Blue, are regarded as some of the most profound critiques of Communist ideology in the 20th century. While his subsequent works tackled diverse social issues and garnered a positive reception, critics often consider them less impactful than his early writings. Sadly, in 1983, Koestler and his third wife, Cynthia Jefferies, chose to end their lives in London, concluding the life of a man who bore witness to and chronicled some of the century's most significant socio-political developments.
Criticism by Arthur Koestler
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