- I finally got around to reading some Sebald, the highly regarded and influential German novelist who died in 2001.
- The edition, pictured above, is the 10th anniversary edition of his classic Austerlitz with an excellent introduction by the noted literary critic James Wood.
- I was profoundly moved by this book. The experience of the Jews in Prague during the Nazi invasion is beautifully portrayed. Sebald's prose is easily read, and the narrative deceptively simple and unembellished. But while the story builds slowly and powerfully, the details accumulate and are ugly and sad. It is very affecting.
- The structure of the novel takes a while to get used to, as Sebald continually holds back and only gradually reveals the details and full richness of the tale. As Jacques Austerlitz tells his life story to his unnamed friend during their periodic meetings over many years, it becomes clear that his story only became clear to himself over that same time span.
- The novel becomes a reflection on European history in the 20th century. As so many critics have written, it is haunting, mesmerising, and heartbreakingly tragic.
- A must read.
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