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A review by alisonburnis
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In East Berlin, in the years just before reunification, a young student, Katharina meets Hans, a much older freelancer for the radio. Their affair follows typical patterns: a honeymoon period, growing normalcy, and then becomes fully toxic, a relationship falling apart as East Germany does too.
The book opens with, and the story is framed by, Katharina receiving some boxes of Hans’ after his death, long after their affair is over. This adds an interesting dimension to the novel, the papers they write to one another becoming part of those boxes Katharina is sorting through.
Erpenbeck’s prose, and Hofmann’s translation are beautiful, but what kept this from being truly amazing was the pacing, as well the sheer dragginess of the plot about two-thirds of the way through the novel. It becomes repetitive, and while the framing device is very good, it’s almost too short and subtle - it’s easy to forget it exists, and the bulk of the story is intended to be memory. I did like this book, but I don’t think it was quite Booker-worthy.
The book opens with, and the story is framed by, Katharina receiving some boxes of Hans’ after his death, long after their affair is over. This adds an interesting dimension to the novel, the papers they write to one another becoming part of those boxes Katharina is sorting through.
Erpenbeck’s prose, and Hofmann’s translation are beautiful, but what kept this from being truly amazing was the pacing, as well the sheer dragginess of the plot about two-thirds of the way through the novel. It becomes repetitive, and while the framing device is very good, it’s almost too short and subtle - it’s easy to forget it exists, and the bulk of the story is intended to be memory. I did like this book, but I don’t think it was quite Booker-worthy.