Anniversaries Part 1 and 2

Viac o knihe

A landmark of 20th Century literature set in late 1960s New York, this novel is now available in English for the first time. Uwe Johnson's masterpiece unfolds through daily entries, beginning on August 20, 1967, as the author navigates the uncertainties of the year ahead. The central character, Gesine Cresspahl, a German émigré living on the Upper West Side, is a bank translator and single mother to ten-year-old Marie. The narrative intertwines their lives with significant events reported in the New York Times, reflecting the tumultuous socio-political landscape of the era, including civil rights struggles and the Vietnam War. Gesine, born as Hitler rose to power, shares her family's history and her own childhood in Nazi Germany with Marie, emphasizing the importance of understanding their roots. The story explores the connections between past and present, revealing how the world of the 1960s and the historical context of earlier years are interlinked. Published in four volumes over a decade, this work has garnered comparisons to Joyce's Ulysses and Proust's In Search of Lost Time, yet it stands out for its rich tapestry of voices and narratives. It is a profound exploration of family, identity, and history, blending the personal with the political in a deeply engaging and richly detailed manner. Now translated by Damion Searls, this novel is a remarkable revelation.