- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Grove Press; Rep Tra edition (Dec 15 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0802143881
- ISBN-13: 978-0802143884
- Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 13.9 x 1.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 45 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #351,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Eminent Dutch novelist Nooteboom (All Soul's Day) weaves an imaginative tale of redemption from the intersecting lives of travelers. After surviving a gang rape in São Paulo, a young, affluent Brazilian woman, Alma, takes off for Australia with her best friend, Almut: the two plan to train as masseuses. Nooteboom then cuts to an embittered middle-aged critic, Erik Zondag, who is cast out of his home in Amsterdam by his fed-up younger girlfriend and sent to an Alpine spa in order to dry out and become a different man. The first part of the novel tracks the two Brazilians as they travel though Australia with hope of stopping at the legendary Aboriginal Sickness Dreaming Place. Their Australian adventures take a turn involving the Angel Project, a multisite piece of participatory art in Perth. For the second part, Eric endures a punishingly ascetic stay at the Alpine spa, where he recognizes his masseuse. Framed by masterful reflections on misunderstandings in life and literature, Nooteboom's short work, at once delicate and chiseled, achieves a dreamlike suspension of time and place. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
"The world is a never-ending cross reference," claims one of Nooteboom's narrators in a previous work. Here, a chance encounter between a melancholic young Brazilian woman, Alma, and a rut-stuck middle-aged Dutch literary critic, Erik, in Perth, Australia, provides the ibid for an exploration of longing for spirituality and connection. Alma, obsessed with angels, has come to Australia to "exorcise a demon" (she was gang-raped in a São Paulo favela); Erik has been lured by a free ticket to a literary conference. Both thoughtful and playful, this metafiction sometimes feels more like an essay than a novel, even spelling out the conclusion. But while Nooteboom's observations about those who want to make themselves whole by borrowing wisdom from other cultures are canny, some readers may wish he'd explore another issue, too: Alma is raped by a "black cloud" (after finding the favela's danger "irresistible") and then seeks solace in the arms of an inscrutable Aborigine—yet the significance of an earthy longing for the Other is ignored in favor of sublime desires. Fans of J. M. Coetzee should try Nooteboom, a major writer in Holland. Graff, Keir
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
`All kinds of things were sacred but nothing had been preserved in a book.',
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Lost Paradise: A Novel (Hardcover)
The intersecting journeys of travellers and their reasons for travel, reflections on life, literature and cultural difference are some of the themes explored in this novel.What do Alma and Erik, whose first encounter is in Australia, have in common? From what are they each escaping, and what impact will their journeys and destinations have on their futures? `Angels do not exist and yet they are divided into orders much like the hierarchy in an army.' This compact, beautifully written novel demonstrates how it is possible to write effectively and economically while exploring complex themes. This is a book to treasure. It is also the first book of Mr Nooteboom's I have read and I will be looking for English translations of his other works. I recommend this novel highly. Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
`All kinds of things were sacred but nothing had been preserved in a book.',
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Lost Paradise: A Novel (Hardcover)
The intersecting journeys of travellers and their reasons for travel, reflections on life, literature and cultural difference are some of the themes explored in this novel.What do Alma and Erik, whose first encounter is in Australia, have in common? From what are they each escaping, and what impact will their journeys and destinations have on their futures? `Angels do not exist and yet they are divided into orders much like the hierarchy in an army.' This compact, beautifully written novel demonstrates how it is possible to write effectively and economically while exploring complex themes. This is a book to treasure. It is also the first book of Mr Nooteboom's I have read and I will be looking for English translations of his other works. I recommend this novel highly. Jennifer Cameron-Smith |
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