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Olga's Reviews > Austerlitz
Austerlitz
by
by
Searching for the Lost Identity
When I was reading 'Austerlitz' I did not want it to end in spite of its painful subject. It is definitely one of the best books I have read in 2024.
The author focuses on just one life of the millions affected by the Holocaust. Of course, other books describing similar traumatic experience (and true stories) have come to mind, for example, 'Un secret' by Philippe Grimbert and 'W or the Memory of Childhood' by Georges Perec but the dreamlike atmosphere of 'Austerlitz' mesmerizes you at once. It seems there are no clear borderlines between fiction and memoir, memoir and historical narrative as there is a very thin line between past and present.
Almost all his life the protagonist was subconsciously scared to open Pandora's box of his family's tragic past. At the same time his chilhood memories were knocking at him from the depth of his dreams. He could not feel whole without knowing where he came from, who he was, if he was ever loved in his life. And so Austerlitz starts his painstaking search for the answers piecing together the fragments of his past shattered by the war, embracing his true identity.
Reading this beautiful, melancholic, enigmatic and intellectually rich work, following these endless sentences has been like a meditative journey into memory's labyrinth. It gives you a new perspective into the themes of loss, displacement, memory, time and regaining one's identity.
'Our mightiest projects ... most obviously betray the degree of our insecurity.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'Everything is constantly lapsing into oblivion with every extinguished life.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'The dead are outside time ... and they are not the only ones.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'I felt ... as if the dead were returning from their exile.'
----------------------------------------------------------------
'The pictures had a memory of their own and remembered us.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'I must have made a mistake, and now I am living the wrong life.'
------------------------------------------------------------
'We ... have appointments to keep in the past.'
When I was reading 'Austerlitz' I did not want it to end in spite of its painful subject. It is definitely one of the best books I have read in 2024.
The author focuses on just one life of the millions affected by the Holocaust. Of course, other books describing similar traumatic experience (and true stories) have come to mind, for example, 'Un secret' by Philippe Grimbert and 'W or the Memory of Childhood' by Georges Perec but the dreamlike atmosphere of 'Austerlitz' mesmerizes you at once. It seems there are no clear borderlines between fiction and memoir, memoir and historical narrative as there is a very thin line between past and present.
Almost all his life the protagonist was subconsciously scared to open Pandora's box of his family's tragic past. At the same time his chilhood memories were knocking at him from the depth of his dreams. He could not feel whole without knowing where he came from, who he was, if he was ever loved in his life. And so Austerlitz starts his painstaking search for the answers piecing together the fragments of his past shattered by the war, embracing his true identity.
Reading this beautiful, melancholic, enigmatic and intellectually rich work, following these endless sentences has been like a meditative journey into memory's labyrinth. It gives you a new perspective into the themes of loss, displacement, memory, time and regaining one's identity.
'Our mightiest projects ... most obviously betray the degree of our insecurity.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'Everything is constantly lapsing into oblivion with every extinguished life.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'The dead are outside time ... and they are not the only ones.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'I felt ... as if the dead were returning from their exile.'
----------------------------------------------------------------
'The pictures had a memory of their own and remembered us.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
'I must have made a mistake, and now I am living the wrong life.'
------------------------------------------------------------
'We ... have appointments to keep in the past.'
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Reading Progress
June 25, 2023
– Shelved
June 25, 2023
– Shelved as:
to-read
November 25, 2024
–
Started Reading
November 25, 2024
– Shelved as:
german-literature
December 5, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)
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Akankshya
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Dec 05, 2024 09:37AM
Beautiful review! Sounds like a profound and important read.
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Akankshya wrote: "Beautiful review! Sounds like a profound and important read."Thank you! Yes, a very important one with a unique style.
Superb review, Olga. Couldn't agree more with you. It was an experience to read Austerlitz.
Thoughtful review. This is a book I have been conidering reading. You have convinced me to try it.
Georgia wrote: "Superb review, Olga. Couldn't agree more with you. It was an experience to read Austerlitz."Thank you, Georgia! It was a bittersweet experience.
Linda wrote: "Thoughtful review. This is a book I have been conidering reading. You have convinced me to try it."Thank you, Linda! I hope you will not disappointed with the book.
You perfectly captured the essence and beauty of this book, along with the ethereal quality of the writing, Olga. Gorgeous review.
Violeta wrote: "You perfectly captured the essence and beauty of this book, along with the ethereal quality of the writing, Olga. Gorgeous review."Thank you, Violeta!
