An unnamed narrator is living in Europe after being failing as a nationalistic journalist in Egypt. There, he discovers that he cannot escape the news of national tragedies; at a conference for the broadcasting of torture in Chile, he meets Brigitte, an Austrian translator, also on the run from a painful past. Though Brigitte is half his age and very beautiful, the two fall in love with the intention to keep the violent world out of their lives. But their love is threatened by Brigitte's broken psychology, the narrator's failing health, and a dubious prince who is conquering the whole world, piece by piece.
I don't want to spend much time on this one because, frankly, there wasn't very much to spend time on. The narrator is dull, although realistically so, and none of the other characters was especially compelling. Even Brigitte failed to convince me that she was truly experiencing any kind of crisis. And the end is extremely disappointing.
The book has a few good points, including a prevalent concept about whether to isolate oneself from the outside world. I think this is extremely relevant to most people, especially those of us here on the internet. The book argues that this kind of lifestyle is impossible, but I vote for a balance. Complete introversion, as the narrator and Brigitte experience, can lead to a greater shock when you are forced to look outward once again.
More books are soon to come! I have quite a few read but not blogged. And thanks to everyone who frequents my reviews; you help me more than you know.
No comments:
Post a Comment