Reviews

An einem Tag wie diesem by Peter Stamm

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sujuv's review against another edition

4.0

A book my a Swiss author about a man with a fine but aimless, rootless like who may be coming up against a diagnosis of lung cancer but who flees Paris before he knows for sure. Minimal, spare, and though about three-quarters of the way through I wasn't sure it would, made its way to a satisfying though not neat ending.

bingsdings's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No

3.5

Coldly horny.

swinglifeaway's review

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

spyralnode's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Andreas lives on his own in Paris, after following his young love from Switzerland. He has now settled into a routine of bachelor life, teaching, then coming home, and on specific days seeing his lovers. But the potential of a cancer diagnosis shakes him to leave what he describes as an emptiness of a life, and revisit his his former love interest, Fabienne, back in their hometown.

As opposed to Peter Stamm's other books, this narrative is told in third person, and it shows in a limited level of empathy that you can exercise as a reader. While we do get insight into Andreas' mind, his feelings for Fabienne, his reluctance to embark onto any other long-term relationship, and changing his ways instantly after encountering his doctor, there are many things that are brushed upon, in particular the whys. The story is more plot-driven, more decisions for us to wonder about than to properly understand. This makes Andreas appear capricious, at times undecided, and at times deliberately hurting others without any apparent reason except impatience in dealing with a situation thoroughly.

It's this disconnection to the protagonist that disappointed me. I wished there was more to the story. There are certainly things that I learned, that it made me think about, but I wish it also gave me more of a perspective as to someone would have handled it. In particular, the idea of routine making life empty is something I reflect on constantly. Going to work, coming home, doing the same things, all in a loop. How do you embed a sense of newness, of adventure in your life? How do you keep growing, pushing, challenging yourself when your circumstances are so constant? And how do you find the energy to keep putting in the effort to do so, when everything encourages complacency? I'd have liked more insight into the protagonist's thought process.

Nevertheless, it was an engaging book, but something was missing, it read very distanced.