Adorno’s Years in California 27315
Happiness in Misfortune:
Adorno’s Years in California
The original plan had been to travel to the West Coast by car, since
Gretel had obtained her driver’s licence shortly before the move, and
had turned out to be an enthusiastic driver. In the event, they went by
train in November. In a long letter, Adorno told his parents all about
the journey across the continent. From New York, they travelled to
Cleveland, where they spent the night. The next stop was Chicago,
where they took time to look at the city. The journey was resumed in
the evening when they travelled in a sleeping-car through Nebraska, the
Rockies and snow-covered Utah. After three nights they were pleasantly
surprised by the south, with its palm trees and orange groves. Horkheimer
and his wife were there at Los Angeles station early in the morning
to welcome them.
Adorno was impressed by the landscape, which reminded him of
Tuscany, the sea and the colourful vegetation. A trip to see the ocean at
sunset, he wrote to his parents, was one of the most powerful impres-
sions he had ever had in his life. He also liked the style that the houses
were built in and, despite the closeness of Hollywood, the landscape
was not much spoilt by advertising. Horkheimer had already organized
a car for them so that they were mobile from the start and could travel
around the neighbourhood. Max’s house could be reached in barely
more than ten minutes’ drive.
Adorno and Gretel were not just enchanted by the scenery; they
were also delighted with their new house, which fitted more or less
precisely all the criteria Adorno had earlier specified.^1 Immediately on
their arrival they had to spend nineteen days in the Brentshire Motel on
Wilshire Boulevard, until they were able to move into their own house
on 1 December. This was at 316 South Kenter Avenue, Brentwood
Heights, an attractively situated house outside Santa Monica, not far
from Sunset Boulevard. It was a semi-detached, two-storey house, as he
wrote in his second letter to his parents. On the upper ground floor,
there was a large, light living room as well as a small dining room
with access to the kitchen. On the first floor there were two bedrooms,
bathrooms and a study. Even their wish for a small garden had been