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This volume contains two works of fiction which can be read independently, yet are inherently connected. Charlie Tractor, the author's first novel (first published in 1973), traces the trying and sometimes hilarious experiences of a young working-class protagonist who has recently moved from the Austrian provinces to Vienna. Much of the novel consists of an account of Charlie's efforts to organize and present his and his co-workers' demands for improved working conditions. The novels also engages questions concerning Austria's post-war history, and the legacy of Nazism in Austria.
In Harry, A Reckoning (first published in 1984), Charlie Tractor's son, Harry, delivers a monologue to the author of the novel based on his father's experiences. The work contains, among other things, a reconsideration of changing historical conditions in Austria, and the role of literature in this context. Both works are simultaneously funny and seriously engaged.
