Is Peter Handke one of the best novelists?

Yes. Handke’s novels are highly praised and exquisitely written works that present his characters as people who possess incredibly imaginative minds. His best-known novel, “The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick,” is an exciting thriller about a former football (soccer) player who commits murder. Another book, “The Left-Handed Woman," is a colorful narrative of a young mother coping with her own disillusionment after she separates from her husband.

The novel received impeccable reviews. “A Sorrow Beyond Dreams,” which is praised for Handke’s depiction of his mother’s suicide and the events that led up to it. The major theme of his novels is that common language, sensible order, and everyday reality are all etched into the human psyche. What arises from the pressure of these tends to be the opposing forces of irrationality, confusion, and madness.