Michal Ajvaz

Finshing this novel put me into a snit simply because though I wanted to read more of it there was no more of it to read. It's not that Golden Age is necessarily a great book or one of my favourites; it's that it was one of the most absorbing ones I'd read for some time.

The first 50 or so pages comprise mostly descriptions and explanations of the ways of the islanders and there were moments I became impatient with near-repetitiveness of the same points and the expanding upon them: yes, yes, I get it, lack of boundaries is important to these people, let's move on now. But my impatience faded early on, partly because both Ajvaz and his characters used such creative ways to achieve the islanders' way of life, partly because the author was portraying subtly different facets of these people, partly because I felt sure that this section was laying a sturdy foundation for what was to follow, and most of all because I was becoming transfixed. And as you'll have gathered if you've been looking up the book, the rest of the book is a series of stories written by the islanders, most memorable of which is the tale of a cat burglar, a serif on the Galaries Lafayette sign, and a painting that I'd give my little finger to see, a tale that seemed to me a tribute to Life A User's Manual.

As you usually ought not for translated works, don't take seriously reviews & blurb comparing this to books by Borges/Calvino.… (mais)

Twee allesverpulverende monsters van leesparels zitten er verscholen in dit dunne, dunne boekje … die archeoloog natuurlijk, die archeoloog die afdaalt in het water vol roofvissen om de voetnoten van de hiërogliefen te lezen … en die hilarisch sterke, onverzettelijke kever!

Rond die twee beelden staat veel dat Ajvaz niet heeft willen schrappen of polijsten, waardoor de opeenvolging van woorden en de intrede in Ajvaz wondere wereld nogal gekunsteld en geforceerd is … en zoveel minder overtuigend dan de fabulaties van Borges of Cortazar.

Maar het zij hem vergeven … het zij hem dol, dolgraag vergeven.

Want, wat een kever!… (mais)