This article (first published in The New Republic) is really great. It contains a lot of detail about Sebald's life and all the things that are often said about

This article (first published in The New Republic) is really great. It contains a lot of detail about Sebald's life and all the things that are often said about him. These kind of articles are supposed to create an appetite for the author and his books. So after reading it, you are hopefully convinced of reading something from the author itself. But I don't think his life says anything about the quality of his writing. Here on HN I will try to convince you by pointing out that Sebald is writing the most beautiful code. Skip all articles and go read one of his books. For instance The Emigrants. You can read the long articles about his life afterwards.