Ministerium der Träume was an excellent debut roman, but Hengameh Yaghoobifarah´ second, Schwindel - Dizzy, according to a German/English translation although would personally think more about Dizziness- succeeds to bring story and message in a more articulated, free and authentic way.
The characters - Ava, Robin, Silvia, delia - exist not only because they have to expose their truth, or for the sake of diversity, but because they are part of a story. They acquired their right to exist in the story as people similar to them may have their own individual lives, independently of their ideological narrative who wants them in or out of the society story.
The transition from life to story is smooth, due to Yaghoobifarah´s unique storytelling - with frequent smart humour and irony - that allows also break-outs of the linear narrative, through broken texts and words and ortographical symbols on the page. It´s a way to get free from conventions, in the same way the characters themselves are longing for their own freedom, through or despite their queerness.
Each of the characters are involved with each other at certain extents, and they will finally end up blocked on a roof, and their cross-arguments, explained with background details intersecting the story, explores options and weaknesses, with Ava juggling the other three lovers.
Yaghoobifarah is a strong and coherent voice in the German young literature and Schwindel fully confirms it.
Rating: 4.5 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment