Several "homecomings" are chronicled in this earnest, carefully
layered novel from the German author.The narrator and protagonist,
World War II survivor Peter Debauer, repeatedly "returns" from
idyllic visits to Switzerland, where his doting grandparents run a
small publishing company; reunions with his somewhat distant
widowed mother and with a sympathetic woman encountered during his
travels; a reconnection with the young son born of his failed
marriage; and, in the novel's extended climax, a painful
confirmation of long-held suspicions about the father he never
knew. The mystery that compels and focuses Peter's wandering
attention is linked to a novel (published by his grandparents)
about a German soldier's homeward journey, from which crucial pages
are missing. Realizing that the fictional soldier (Karl Hanke) is
reenacting the experiences of Odysseus in Homer's epic, and that
Hanke's experiences oddly echo some of his own, Peter broadens his
search for details about his mother's marriage, his father's
wartime ordeal and his own occluded relationship to both parents.
What he learns informs his ultimate homecoming and his
acknowledgement of the limits of how much we can ever know. This
(literally) searching novel is laden with intriguing ideas, only
some of which are persuasively dramatized. Schlink (Self's
Deception, 2007, etc.) skillfully handles complex Homeric
parallels, pacing Peter's discoveries expertly. A moving scene in
which young Peter realizes that his grandparents are preparing for
their deaths, and a stinging conversation with his mother (who does
not want to remember the past), are deftly counterpointed against
thematically ironic use of Nazi history and the later destruction
of the Berlin Wall. But while the best pages offer an absorbing
portrayal of a sobering quest for self-knowledge, the novel is
redundant, and it drags.Not equal to Schlink's best. (Kirkus
Reviews)
From the author of The Reader, a mesmerising tale of discovery,
identity and forgiveness When thirteen-year-old Peter discovers an
old manuscript in his family home it instantly captivates him. The
manuscript tells the compelling story of a German soldier's
homecoming after escaping from a POW camp, but the document is
incomplete. Years later, the adult Peter rediscovers the text and
goes in search of the missing pages - but far from unearthing an
ending, he finds himself at the beginning of a quest that leads him
across Europe to New York City, to the mystery of his father's
disappearance, a love story, and the question of his own
identity... 'A fine novel' Guardian 'A brave attempt at confronting
Germany's stained past and uncertain identity' Daily Telegraph 'An
accomplished and intelligent writer' Evening Standard 'A novel of
great density and power' Literary Review 'An invigorating read'
Metro A novel beloved by thousands of readers 'Too good to finish'
***** 'Highly recommended' ***** 'A must read' ***** 'Brilliant'
***** 'Complex and profound' *****
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