BOOK REVIEW CENTRAL EUROPE Author: Vicente Luis Mora From the reader report by: François Michel Durazzo In Centroeuropa, Redo (Oder in reverse) Hauptshammer tells the story of his life as it draws to a close. We discover a rich and fascinating narrative, written in remarkably subtle and beautiful Spanish. Very gradually, the reader discovers that the text has been translated into Spanish from German by a translator. However, the quality of the writing and composition is not the stand-out quality of this work. Instead, it is the human, poetic, philosophical and historical profundity that contributes to making this hard-working, passionate, loyal, secretive, intelligent and skilful character the real hero in this bildungsroman. Redo combines the power of an iron will with the humility that makes him the best friend of two opposing figures: the brilliant Jakob who teaches him to write so he is able to recount his memoirs at the end of his life, and his peasant neighbour Hans, who is always willing to lend him a hand, assistance that is rewarded by an inestimably generous donation: half the accounting work that Redo performs for the baron is used to free Hans from his servitude. These themes are developed through a narrative that keeps the reader enthralled, impatient to find out how Redo will dispose of the bodies of soldiers that will not defrost, to know more about Redo’s mysterious past, his real name, how he acquired his land, and also to see whether he will be able to shore up his fortune by growing beetroot.
PUBLISHED IN NEW SPANISH BOOKS FR
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