Reviews

Conceptually, this novel shouldn't work. There's no discernible plot, no real dialogue, no character development in a way that's familiar. Most paragraphs go on for pages. Most sentences are complex and hypotactic. Most of the book is nonfiction. The lists go on. Nothing about this book is "normal."

And yet, everything in this novel just makes sense. A single page may span centuries and continents, but there's no feeling of whiplash. After a while, you get used to Sebald delivering layers upon layers of history. Sebald lulls you into into his unique style, and once you get used to it, you can begin compiling all the information he throws at you and come to that a-ha moment. It's all very disorienting, but it's worth it.

henryspencer's review against another edition

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informative mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.75

Proustian. Enlightening in parts, laborious in others. A book one must be in the mood for.

kumipaul's review against another edition

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2.0

Very nice writing is not enough to make up for largely uninteresting stories about historical people and places and events that I just couldn't care about. Some of it was fascinating, but most of Sebald's travels were filled with thoughts that I just couldn't connect with.