The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth

Written by Galician[1] Austrian-Jew Joseph Roth, the Radetzky March is a dynastic novel about a young Austrian dynasty, the Trottas.

The Radetzky March spans three generations of the newly ennobled Trotta dynasty from the decisive loss of the Austrian army at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 to the first years of the Great War as the last scion of the Trotta dynasty, Carl Joseph, lives through the premature westward exodus of ravens from the Russian Empire into the Austro-Hungarian border province of Galicia as if he were Ramses the XI. watching the sun setting on the western banks of the river Nile, on the Pharaohs tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

After Infantry Lieutenant Joseph Trotta saves the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I., at the Battle of Solferino he is ennobled and awarded the Order of Maria Theresa. Thus, the Slovenian soldier with peasant roots from the village of Sipolje has become “Joseph von Trotta und Sipolje”, a member of Austrian nobility. Although he considers his elevation an insult and does not change his way of life, his family view him as a changed man – nobility . He visits his father for the last time at his estate and has a last drink of rakia[2], and thus a new dynasty is born. Joseph Trotta resents the aristocratic culture and his own legend as the “Hero of Solferino”, yet cultural intricacies make way for their haunting presence in the lives of his son and grandson. Joseph does not allow his son, Franz, to fulfil his military ambitions and instead destines him to become a government official. However Franz decides his son, Carl Joseph, should become the soldier he could not. And although Carl Joseph does become a soldier, he is a terrible soldier, and is not only haunted by the ethos of his grandfather, Joseph von Trotta und Sipolje, but also depression, Death and his Slavic peasant forebears. He constantly finds himself reminiscing the peasant past that he never lived. As he reflects: “Does the plough belong in my hand and not the sword?”

The novel deals not only with the lives of the dynasty members but also the various bureaucratic, political and social structures in Austrian society. The novel, for example, shows how the Austrian media handled Slavic nationalism when the narrator comments on the wording of the media in regard to a Sokol gymnast’s slet[3] in Bohemia(modern-day Czech Republic) in which representatives from “Slavic nations” were present (the Austro-Hungarians were highly suspicious of Slavs).  It also gives insight into Austrian German culture and virtues through the relations between the family members, with the father-son relationship especially explored. The often decadent officer’s milieu, too, is scrutinised as Carl Joseph is stationed in Galicia with accounts of gambling, women and brothels, drinking, and amassing debts to dubious Jews.

The tale of the Trotta dynasty’s rise and fall parallels that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Habsburgs. The narrator often follows the perspective of the Emperor in the timespan of the novel, Franz Joseph I, who interacts with each of the generations of Trottas and is a haunting presence in all of their minds. We follow his well-meaning endeavours to help the Trottas from his temerarious nature at the Battle of Solferino to his senility and death.
It is hard to miss the irony of the fact that the very same battle that caused the ennoblement of the Trottas is the battle that is often cited as the beginning of the end for the Austrian Empire and the Habsburgs. It was the point at which the age of multi-national European empires had ceased and instead the age of nation states ushered in: “The Kaiser was an old man. He was the oldest emperor in the world. All around him Death was circling, circling and mowing. The entire field was already cleared, and only the Kaiser, like a forgotten silver stalk, was still standing and waiting.”

This is all done in the most elegant way possible. The novel, which is frequently called the best political novel ever written and is canonized in German literature, is written with language so beautifully descriptive yet implicit that it becomes a pleasure to read it not only for the immersion offered but also for the political references and the intricacies of the characters that you become so familiar with. It brilliantly tells the story of Trotta dynasty while also delving into the social, political and bureaucratic issues of the charmingly backward Austria-Hungary. It serves as an idolisation of a time perceived to be “simpler” and “less decadent” by many in the years after the Great War.

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[1] Eastern European Galicia, modern Western Ukraine

[2] Symbolic of Balkan culture; especially the southern Slavic culture which provided the Austrians many grievances

[3] Influential gymnast’s organisation throughout Slavic nations, often political and nationalistic lobbying for pan-Slavism and Slavic independence. A slet was a gymnastics festival and gathering of Sokols

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1Q84

1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most extensive novel to date. The plot is simple, it is a love story between the two main characters – the unraveling of the numerous life-changing events, incidents and complications on the other hand is much more complex. The genre defining attributes are plentiful, it is a fantasy, a work of fiction, yet a contemporary crime novel, mystery and a romance - all in the world of magical realism. Both of the protagonists, Aomame and Tengo, live a somewhat trivial and solitary life under the charming spell of familiar simplicity. A vivid, inspiring memory of a brief mutual contact some 20 years ago lies deep within the two, an encouraging reminiscence which by a series of both indirect and explicit events converges the two parallel narratives into a greater whole. 

However, as enchanting as it may sound, the book may not appeal to everyone. Characteristic for the author, the narrative is filled with long, some may say redundant and perfunctory descriptions of not only the characters but even the most common objects and everyday chores. A critique of this overly delineated narrative can be agitated for by the principle of Chekov’s gun, a principle Murakami himself covers in the book. I believe the contrary – the widespread and thorough descriptions add greatly to the immersion in the text, thus making the story that much more personal and alive. With the right mindset one gets the impression of being at the core of the story and in complete coherence with the main characters. The unordinary and unreal seems just as unordinary and unreal is it would in the real life – it does not feel as a mere work of fiction and imagination in a setting so trite, casually well-known and thus so identifiable.
   

The novel addresses some of the great and universal themes in literature and in the humankind as a whole including love, death, hope and personal development. It portrays a life of solitude fueled by the yearning for another human being as a means of a psychical, but also quite literal physical survival. The great theme of love is depicted on a personal and intimately deep level which may serve as a lesson or an inspiration for many. A fierce struggle between hope, dreams and reality comes to life in the different characters and their development throughout the narrative. Family, relatives, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers all play a role in an epic so close and true to our own life, yet at times so far away that it makes one think of the uncomprehending in the grand scheme of things and events which, directly and indirectly control our lives.

So who would I recommend this book to? A person that likes to read and is not frightened by the sight of a refrigerator sneakily disguised as a book. It is big, it is heavy, and unless you are hungry and ready to devour the entire supply you should probably not read it.  
Aylulu

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I had very high expectations the first time I read “A Thousand Splendid Suns”. Khaled Hosseini’s first book “The Kite Runner” overwhelmed me, and I could not imagine that his second book would be as good, but I was wrong.

The author, Khaled Hosseini, has been able to tell about the history of Afghanistan, from the end of the monarchy to the rule of the Taliban, in an interesting and heartbreaking way.  Khaled tells about the history of Afghanistan through two women main characters. The main characters have very different backgrounds, but to survive the rule of Taliban they have to stand together.

The first main character is Mariam, who has spent her childhood living in a tiny hut with her mother in the outskirts of Herat. Her father is a wealthy businessman, who lives in Herat with his wives and family – he only visits Mariam once a week and does not really care about her, but Mariam loves him endlessly. Her biggest wish is to live with her father, but this has terrible consequences and she is forced to marry an older man, Rasheed, from Kabul.

The other main character, Laila, is the exact opposite of Mariam. She has grown up in the same neighborhood that Rasheed and Mariam lives in. Her brothers were fighting against the Russians in the mountains during her childhood, but her best friend, Tariq, was always by her side.  Tariq’s family decides to flee from Afghanistan, when the warlords start bombing Kabul. Mariam is left alone and she ends up marrying Rasheed, even though she does not love him.

The relation between Mariam and Laila is very tense in the beginning, but they are brought together when Rasheed starts making their lives a living hell. Rasheed is dominating and abusive, and the resolution of the conflict is absolutely horrible and painful.

Khaled Hosseini uses the characters in the story to give the reader an insight in the history of Afghanistan. Laila’s brothers fight against the Russians and both died in the war. Her father is a teacher, who are interested in war and politics, which leads to a lot of talk about the current situation in Afghanistan.  Rasheed is a sham, who tries manipulates the political system.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book that makes you think and reflect a lot. It is heartbreaking to read about the cruelty toward the women and know that it is a reality in many Afghan homes. Women were worth nothing and it really shocked me, that not only the Taliban but also the average Afghan had so low thought about women.

It is not an easy book to read, but it is hard to let go of it when you first start. Personally, I love books that you can learn something from but also makes you reflect and think about current conflicts and issues.

Khaled Hosseini delivered a perfect second book and I would highly recommend it to anyone, who wants a good read. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky

The book The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book about the problems and challenges that follow when you are coming of age. It is about mental illness, friendship, love and youth and shows us not only the wild, exciting and scary life of the average teenager, but also the difficulties of a young adult struggling with mental problems. Meanwhile he is pushed into taking the responsibility that is necessary, when you are finally forced to live your own life, no longer standing on the sideline.

In the book, we follow the young boy Charlie as he begins his first year of high school. Around a year ago, his only friend, Michael, committed suicide and thereby left Charlie all by himself. In his first days of school, we see him as he tries to get used to the life as a lone freshman, whose grades are only high because of sympathy and who spends his life watching and observing instead of participating. This all of a sudden changes as he meets Patrick and Sam, stepbrother and stepsister, senior students, who shows him how life as a teenager can be. He is introduced to the world of drugs, alcohol, parties, girlfriends, sex and love in the most innocent way, helping him, combined with the guidance of his new English teacher, Bill, to participate in the world instead of standing on the sideline.
What makes the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower so special is the gracefully chosen narrative technique, that the author Stephen Chbosky has used. Letters written to an unknown character make up the chapters of the book and it is often implied that our protagonist does not know this character personally. The fact that our protagonist/narrator writes these letters anonymously gives us a mix of total honesty, in an almost diary-like form, and direct addressing to the intended reader. The almost childlike unsophisticated and spontaneous writing gives you, as a reader, the feeling of being told the direct thoughts of our protagonist, meanwhile giving you his exact look at the world, which is clearly very different than most.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a different, humorous and pleasant book and, as only the best books do, it leaves you with a blend of feelings like heartbreak, a sense of betrayal, amusement, nostalgia, sympathy and anger. It is short, easily read, straightforward and amusing and it can be recommended to anyone who either are or have been fighting through the weird and confusing life as a teenager.