Hello Gentle Reader
Europe is so vast and complex place, yet paradoxically small. Yet despite its sometimes geographical shortcomings, it is still a place of political powers and economic as well as historical and cultural importance and significance. This makes Europe a grand place of the world, whose blood runes through the ancient ruins, of their past cities and the cities beneath their feet, but also of their new world conquests of the America's, and Caribbean; as well as Africa, Asia, Oceania/pacific as well as India and the Middle East. That is why Europe refuses to relinquish its own importance - self and genuine. The borders of Europe have constantly changed. Empires have been built and crumbled by the weariness of time. Monarchies have come and once again dissipated in times tireless hands. Dictators have controlled and ruled; only to be in the end overthrown or to die, usually in some bloody revolution and struggle. The breath of change constantly blows through the continent; all the way from Albania down to the United Kingdom. Yet Europe is an amazing place, full of countries unique and overlooked. From Liechtenstein landlocked in the alpines, constantly in the shadow of both Switzerland and Austria. Then there is the small country of Belgium who has felt the horrors of both World Wars and is often identified as being one country along with the Netherlands - and for some reason going under the name Holland. Then there is Bosnia who is never called by its true name Bosnia and Herzegovina - somehow it's just Bosnia and is the bad brother of Croatia. Which both countries, have been formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, which dissolved after the liquidation of the former Soviet Union and the surrounding Iron Curtain. Poor Malta so small, is often forgotten. With a population of only four hundred nine thousand eight hundred thirty-six, it is no wonder that Malta is forgotten. Yet it does look like a wonderful place to visit - warm yet not stifling, and no worries about a drug cartel lopping off one's head. Then of course there are the unique countries like Hungary, Finland and Estonia who do not speak an Indo-European language; but rather a long structurally complex language of deep throated pronunciations and is actually a Uralic language. Then one heads to the complicated and political charged east of Europe. A place where green eyed cats bare quite a grudge. They bare these grudges from old Russia who took their lands over, and was not about to hand them over: from poor little Poland constantly changing hands; to the dark horse of Europe Romania; all the way to the poor forgotten Albania in the south east of Europe.
"The Best European Fiction," series is the pet project of Aleksandar Hemon. A Bosnian (then born Yugoslavian) author who has since immigrated to America, because of the Yugoslavian war. Hemon is the editor and anthologist of this particular project. Besides "The Best European Fiction," series to his name; Hemon is a short story writer, novelist and columnist. He is also a recipient of the Macarthur Foundation Grant. One of Hermon's most famous books is "The Lazarus Project," which is a interesting book in that it uses the comical and linguistic games of humour and grammatical beats of jokes, in order to tell a more cruel story. Not a story of despair and horror with ironic humour. Rather a comedic story of despair - a paradox because it makes one laugh; but only on the most uncertain grounds. It is thanks to Aleksandar Hemon that we can owe "The Best European Fiction." It's a mix box of chocolates - or if you prefer a more healthy snack; a mixed bowl of nuts or even a variety basket of fruit. With this collection one is going to find the familiar but also they are going to find the surreal nightmares, the allegorical dreamscapes, and the flights of the fantastical in the most realistic and mundane of settings. Yet they are also going to find stories, which deal with the past and the recent history. These stories are populated by: a shadow (?) or some dark mass with, a purpose - sinister or otherwise; unknown. There is a theatre troupe who takes the concept of Brechtian theatrical dealings of alienation to a surprisingly new level. A.S. Byatt makes an appearance - past well known contributors from the United Kingdom/England have been two-time Booker Prize winning author Hilary Mantel, and shortlisted Booker Prize author Deborah Levy. Other past contributors include Norwegian playwright and novelist Jon Fosse; the Swiss German language author Peter Stamm; Olga Tokarczuk of Poland; and German author Ingo Schulze. These authors that some English readers may recognise, allows for a point of reference or comfort to the rest of the unknown authors. It also allows for a sense of illusion that we read International Literature, from other languages, and are not just interested in our own language works. The fact that, John Banville also wrote the preface for this anthology, further shows not just an attempt to make English readers more interested in translated books; but also show that we are not insolent in our interest in foreign cultures.
There are so many stories in this book - and many of my notes on them have gone missing; it is difficult to talk about them and write a review. One of my personal favourites was Hungarian authors Miklos Vajda's story "Portrait of a Mother in an American Frame," which is a story about the ambiguous stories a son feels towards his mother. Maternal love is certainly expressed; yet it is something that is unable to be expressed verbally between the two characters. This allows for the story to remain in a less sentimental area. It's not melodramatic or overtly emotional. It reads more of an account of the personal meeting the greater and wider historical events. Semezdin Mehmedinovic from Bosnia, story "My Heart," discusses a fifty year old man's heart attack he has in the shower. Certainly not the most convenient place to have a heart attack; but it is less of a comedic situation than it sounds. "My Heart," is one of the longer stories in this collection, but it is also one of the well written stories, especially in its stream-of consciousness like style. Where the events pass by like the landscape of a car window. They just melt into each other. Scene after scene; event after event. Everything becoming a spinning nightmarish world where one has no real control over the events.
"What is more, the ease with which these strangers shift my body through space creates an impression of my own weightlessness. I am what is left over of me, my mortal remains, as I lie in my bathrobe, under which I am naked."
Serbian writer Borivoje Adasevic in his story "For a Foreign Master," deals with the liquidation of Yugoslavia and the horrors of the resulting war, through a multilayered story, in which the brutality that was committed throughout the war, is addressed in a frank way.
That being said, not all these stories deal with the historical past, and the events that have since shaped the future. The first stories of this collection appeared surreal, and strange. I was wondering what kind of book I had got myself into. These slightly funny works where we doubt the sanity of the characters and the events presented to us. Yet these sometimes turn out to some absurdly funny stories. Like Bulgarian author Rumen Balabanov whose story "The Ragiad," deals with a poor man turned into a rag, and at first the poor housewife who must cope with this complaining household item, who does not want to dust or wipe or anything down - and who has a slight alcohol problem it almost appears. Yet do not be deceived by that premise, it is still a well accomplished story. The others like it, such as "The Breakup," in which some shapeless mass grows behind the television set, becomes allegorical. Then there is a story of a group of people who become stuck in an elevator. There desperate attempt at survival against one another, and the prospect of never being rescued. Yet when they finally are freed of their small confinement there is a longing to be with each other.
One of the best stories of this collection comes from Finland with Tiina Raevaara, and her story "My Creator, My Creation," which has been labeled and linked to a modern day version of Frankenstein. This story deals with the creation, and the eventual development of the creations character. Also its tragic relationship it has with its own creator. Written in deceptively simple prose and with delicate naivety in the first person, as a reader we come to inhabit this creations daily life and the observations are abound. Dame A.S. Byatt's story "Doll's Eyes," is a story of love - in more ways than just one; a slight creepy pseudo-collection for lack of a better word; and the betrayal that happens of loving another person. From Ireland there is the comedic tale of a man who hears an orchestra that plays in his bones. Hence the title "Music in the Bone." The story that ensures is a comedic farce of trying to understand it, and an embarrassed, wife of her musically gifted husband. Whose musical performances in public received no applauds - because no one else could hear the music. Other stories worth mention like "The Eye of the Maple," by Ieva Toleikytė tells of a nameless disease that turns children blue - and the pseudo-doctors who try to heal them - and the barbaric acts of casual almost ritualistic violence of children. Then there is the hilariously romp of a story "Me and My Sacred Cow," which is surreal strange and yet a thorough delight, in all its oddities, which comes from Tania Maliarchuk of the Ukraine. Frances Marie Redonnet and her story "Madame Zabee's Guesthouse," discusses our inability to control fate - as the characters cross cultural borders and nationalities and sexual taboos and genders, we understand that no matter how we change, it still a very fatalist story. Yet well written in a lush prose style. A peculiar example of Europe and its language crossing barriers is the Turkish writer Zehra Cirak who writes in German. Her story "Memory Cultivation Salon," is one of bitter sweet feel good. The premise is about the main character - an elderly woman; reminisces about her first kiss with an older man, and where she learned to blow smoke rings. It's incredibly bittersweet, at least for me. The memories of sharing a first kiss and the fact that no one will ever achieve that again that first moment that sensation is a bitter sweet and wistful feeling. One were you smirk to yourself in that private memory.
There you have it Gentle Reader. "The Best European Fiction [of] 2013," a delightful mixture of surreal and magically mundane tales; to the political and historical to the personal tales dealing with memories and the individual lost in the greater historical era. Some succeed, while others do not match their counterparts. These stories are funny, powerful, haunting, personal and tragic - they are even difficult. They are carnivalesque masks in which each author adorns, and celebrates European fiction. A delightful read that, in the future I can see myself dipping into repeatedly.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
