A review by constantine2020
The Pages by Hugo Hamilton

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½

Genre: Literary Fiction

"The Pages" by Hugo Hamilton is a story that spans both time and place and weaves together two different stories. At some point in the past, in 1933, Jewish novelist Joseph Roth wrote his final piece in Nazi Germany, surrendering his novel "Rebellion" to a hiding place within volumes that are prohibited from circulation. Meanwhile, in the current day, contemporary artist Lena Knecht inherits the book and finds a mysterious map hidden among its blank pages.

The concept of this novel is fantastic. The book itself acts as a character in the story and narrates everything in the past and present. The story is narrated in first person style, and through the book’s eye and experience with humans, we get to see how the book itself becomes a symbol of resistance against censorship and oppression. I think the author has done such a good job of highlighting the different ideologies that the book itself had to go through. 

When it comes to the notion itself, the thought that lies behind it is quite good, and the prose that is written is exquisitely executed. On the other hand, I believe that the numerous characters that are present make it difficult to develop them through the course of a novel that is less than 350 pages long. And this is where the book is lacking in quality. Because I did not spend sufficient time with those characters, it was challenging for me to develop a sense of attachment to what they represented. In some respects, this plot brings to mind the novel Fahrenheit 451. They have similar concepts but different stories and executions. I am still of the opinion that you should read it and enjoy the rich themes it offers.