by Jean-Paul Sartre
translated by Eric Sutton
The second volume of the Roads of Freedom. It is a completely original,
intricately planned masterwork. The narration of the novel shifts
frantically back and forth from character to place to first person, all
without warning, once even going into the head of a dead man (he died
secure in the knowledge that WWI was the last war). This duplicates the
confusion and frantic anxiety everyone was feeling as the Germans
demanded Czechoslovakia. Often, two scenes that parallel each other are
shown intertwined, to great effect. Perhaps the most powerful of these
was the final scene, when the taking/rape of Czechoslovakia shifted and
corresponded with the taking/rape of Ivich. And beyond matters of
style, it was fascinating to read about the war years from a totally
European perspective, a book in which America is mentioned (I believe)
once. It really was an utterly European concern. A great book, a
classic.
five stars
No comments:
Post a Comment