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rachyarra 's review for:
Baron Bagge
by Alexander Lernet-Holenia
This book is stunning. I read it all on a rainy Sunday afternoon when I should have been doing other things. I don’t regret at all my choice.
It is set in 1915 and opens to a scene where Baron Bagge finds himself subject to the ire of a young man who draws the attention of the room. The man is made to apologise and Bagge goes to take his leave.
The tale then unfolds. Bagge’s military unit is on the move, recovering from fighting against the Russians. They build up their numbers and continue towards a bridge that will take them to the other side of the river and to Nagy Mihaly. The town holds an intrigue for Bagge, whose mother used to talk of a friendship she had there and a desire for Bagge to meet the daughter of her friend, indeed a desire they would meet and perhaps marry.
Despite a warning from another officer, that the area around the bridge is dense with Russian forces, the commanding officer continues. As they near the bridge, Bagge directly questions his commanding officer as to the sense of the approach fearing that they were riding to certain death. It is a view he shares with other officers, but alas they are the orders.
Surprisingly the offensive is a success, and there are few losses on their side. The Russians here are defeated.. The unit then continue its journey to Nagy Mihaly.
The descriptions in this book are amazing, they are beautiful and evocative.
I feel like I am there, astride a great horse, riding into the storm toward the bridge, the Russians rising out of the snow to meet us.
Bagge and his unit continue to the town where he meets Charlotte. But as much as he is reverent in the joys of falling in love, there is much that he questions, the easy victory, the lack of enemy forces in the surrounding area, the excess of the town, the changed personalities of his fellow officers, and even the upside down nature of the evening everyone dances before dinner.
But, I don’t want to say too much about this story, it is so short, 70 pages, that I think everyone should read this beautiful little novella.
I leave you the start of a poem from Mallarme, in the book it is interpreted as: “With no language but, A beating of wings toward Heaven“, but I like better when I translate that second line with google translate “Nothing but a battle in the skies” I think this is a gorgeous phrase and while it could describe a storm, I think that it is a beautiful one line summary for this book.
For more of my reviews, visit https://yarrabookclub.wordpress.com
It is set in 1915 and opens to a scene where Baron Bagge finds himself subject to the ire of a young man who draws the attention of the room. The man is made to apologise and Bagge goes to take his leave.
‘Subsequently, however, he seemed to feel obligated to make explanations to me, and he told me his story.’
The tale then unfolds. Bagge’s military unit is on the move, recovering from fighting against the Russians. They build up their numbers and continue towards a bridge that will take them to the other side of the river and to Nagy Mihaly. The town holds an intrigue for Bagge, whose mother used to talk of a friendship she had there and a desire for Bagge to meet the daughter of her friend, indeed a desire they would meet and perhaps marry.
Despite a warning from another officer, that the area around the bridge is dense with Russian forces, the commanding officer continues. As they near the bridge, Bagge directly questions his commanding officer as to the sense of the approach fearing that they were riding to certain death. It is a view he shares with other officers, but alas they are the orders.
Surprisingly the offensive is a success, and there are few losses on their side. The Russians here are defeated.. The unit then continue its journey to Nagy Mihaly.
The descriptions in this book are amazing, they are beautiful and evocative.
‘The crack of the rifles was muted by the howl of the snowstorm. I heard the bugler blowing the signal for assault..’.
I feel like I am there, astride a great horse, riding into the storm toward the bridge, the Russians rising out of the snow to meet us.
Bagge and his unit continue to the town where he meets Charlotte. But as much as he is reverent in the joys of falling in love, there is much that he questions, the easy victory, the lack of enemy forces in the surrounding area, the excess of the town, the changed personalities of his fellow officers, and even the upside down nature of the evening everyone dances before dinner.
But, I don’t want to say too much about this story, it is so short, 70 pages, that I think everyone should read this beautiful little novella.
I leave you the start of a poem from Mallarme, in the book it is interpreted as: “With no language but, A beating of wings toward Heaven“, but I like better when I translate that second line with google translate “Nothing but a battle in the skies” I think this is a gorgeous phrase and while it could describe a storm, I think that it is a beautiful one line summary for this book.
For more of my reviews, visit https://yarrabookclub.wordpress.com