Welcome to Litsy!

I didn‘t love this one from the Booker Intl. longlist, but I liked it enough to finish it. I think it was mostly the MC‘s mother that kept me invested; the MC himself is somewhat of a letdown, although I think that‘s intentional. I haven‘t read Kracht‘s other work, but his family story in the book is atrocious. By the end, I almost loved his mother for her moments of hilarity and poignancy as she tries in her own way to come to terms with that.

My second from the 2025 #IB2025 longlist.

It's that funny-not-funny-but-still-funny serious-not-serious-very-serious sort of satire - here on the dark history of Europe from the heirs.

But it becomes a bonding road trip, and a series of conversations and a character study of senile mom. This not only works but was thoroughly entertaining, especially because of mom‘s occasional sharpness. Comically heartwarming? Maybe. I enjoyed it. #booker

A middle aged son drives his old and ill mother across Switzerland. They argue and confront the past. They‘re rich. Her father never stopped being an Nazi. The story is a mix of stream of consciousness, name dropping and little plot.
Not my favorite of the #InternationalBooker25 longlist but it has some good parts.

#ReadTheWorld2025 book 8 #Switzerland

Sorry, this just isn‘t my thing. There are a few funny moments, and some sad moments that are too quickly glosses over. But mostly, I just didn‘t get it. As it‘s been nominated for awards, I‘m sure it‘s me, not the book. I just didn‘t get it.

Book 18/60 #Read2025 @DieAReader
#LetterE #LitsyAtoZ @Texreader

#WeeklyForecast 11/25

I am almost finished with Slow Dance, which is a cute romance and palette cleanser. I also started Help Wanted (#ToB25 longlist). Next will be the tagged (#InternationalBooker) and maybe Reward System (#Roll100). Lots of plans but less time!

Starting this. Anyone else reading the International Booker longlist?

@rmaclean4 @squirrelbrain @Leniverse @JamieArc @BarbaraBB @jlhammar @AnnaCecilie @JenP @TheKidUpstairs @charl08 @BookishTrish @Suet624 ??

#booker #IB2025

I loved this. My first of Kracht‘s books so I can‘t compare & had no expectations. It helped that I read it in Gstaad where it‘s partly set. It reads as autofiction as the author names himself & his books - I assume some events are invented. His mother is wonderfully sharp & eccentric. The writing is crisp & erudite, making for a satisfying read. Idiosyncratic, it won‘t be to everyone‘s taste - he‘s privileged & cynical - but deceptively profound.

If anybody else than Christian Kracht would've written this book, this would've been a Pawn. Once again I'm the one with the #unpopularopinion - I just don't get all the 5 star ratings. Kracht has written better books, better composed stories, better characters. But maybe I just don't get the message of the book? 🤔

Dark, funny, sentimental in all the right ways. It echoes Kracht‘s Faserland and delightfully blurs the author/narrator divide for some neat meta shenanigans. I often felt reminded of all the nostalgia-infused movie and TV sequels, remakes and "soft reboots" of recent years.