Ferber initially studied acting. She then worked as a reporter in Milwaukee and Chicago. Travels through America and Europe followed. Ferber became the author of interesting novels with a cultural-historical background. She often designed the plot in such a way that a female figure was in the foreground. In her works she depicts changing environments and American life in a realistic style. Her books often reveal a socially critical attitude. She expanded her narrative approach to create broad family and homeland novels that she linked to the history of the USA or the respective regions. It features the lower Mississippi region in the early 19th century, the time of the fur trade in Seattle, the run on oil in Oklahoma and the settlement of Texas.

She also wrote social comedies as stage plays, which were successful, as well as short stories, dramas and her autobiography. Some of her novels have been made into films. The most famous example is probably "Giant", the film of the same name, in German: "Giganten". It was made into a film in 1956 by director George Stevens with stars such as James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Dennis Hopper and Rock Hudson. The film became a box office hit worldwide. Edna Ferber also provided the book for the musical "Show Boat" (premiered in 1927). It is about a critical attitude towards segregation and prejudices against blacks. This adaptation brought this socially critical, previously taboo topic to the musical stage for the first time. "Cimarron", a film title from 1960, is also based on the book title of the same name by Edna Ferber.

Her works include "Dawn O'Hara" (1911, German 1916), "Buttered Side Down" (1912), "Fanny Herself" (1917, German 1930: "This is Fanny"), "Half Portions " (1920), "The Girls" (1921, German 1928), "So Big" (1924, German 1927, "A Woman Alone" from 1962), "Show Boat" (1926, German 1929: "That Comedian Ship"), "Mother Knows Best" (1927), "The Royal Family" (1928, German 1931). This was followed by "American Beauty" (1931, German 1957: "The House of the Fathers"), "Dinner at Eight" (1932), "They Brought Their Women" (1933), "Come and Get it" (1935), "Stage Door" (1936), "A Peculiar Treasure" (191939), "Saratoga Drunk" (1941, German 1947), "The Land is Bright" (1941), "Great Son" (1945, German 1950) , "Bravo" (1948), "Ice Palace" (1958) and "Kind of Magic" (1963).

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Edna Ferber

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