Since 2-3 years, my end of the year reading list is getting a perfect German touch, as I am trying to go through the nominations for the German Booker Prize - Deutscher Buchpreis. The speed is not as fast as I wish, and I still have some books from the previous years to finish, but in any case, good books are never out of fashion no matter the prizes and nominations they received. Additionally, this year I am expanding my knowledge towards the Austrian Booker Prize as well and I am very excited to explore the two Germanic languages in a relative sync.
As the short list is supposed to be announced on the 20th of September, I am aware that many of the books I am ready to review would be out of the media interest, nevertheless I am most interested in the writing and would keep sharing what I really find interesting and noteworthy in the general context of the literary realm.
My first blog post is dedicated to Ein simpler Eingriff - A simple procedure, in my English translation - by Basel-born, Berlin-based Yael Inokai.
Meret is a nurse in a hospital with a stric hierarchy where the patients do mostly suffer of mental problems. A simple procedure is aimed at trying to stabilize or at least treat them, and she is part of the team implementing it. Without too much of a personal life, haunted by a violent family past and a complicated relationship with her sister, she is falling in love with another nurse.
I am definitely in love with the writing: precise short sentences, throughout approach to the facts, but the topic - the mental hospital ambiance and the all discussion about health-/medical-related topics wasn´t necessarily belonging to my area of interest. (Note: After all, this is my blog and I am writing about my very personal impressions about a blog). I had the feeling that although it has an interesting family story, the focus on medical procedures and mental health in general was not strongly enough explored in the story. The characters themselves would have been worth more development as characters, as sometimes the story takes the pace over the characters.
It may be also that the medical life and hospital settings are so much part of our everyday life - and mine for a short while as well - that I simply cannot figure out the realm of imagination for such an environment, while feeling overwhelmed by the real-life/time details. As for now, it is too real to accept any literary re-imagining.
A special grateful mention to the inspired cover, a reproduction of the painting Nurse at a Window by Helena Parada.
Right now, I am about to finish more books from the Booker Prize list which are definitely closer to my interests and tastes.
Rating: 3 stars
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