A review by jola_g
L'anno nuovo by Juli Zeh
4.0
’Reality is nothing else than the sum of all the stories that people constantly tell themselves.’
Juli Zeh, Anno Nuovo (New Year)
Is there a better date to review New Year (2019) by Juli Zeh than the first of January? I doubt it so please, bear with me. I promise to be brief, especially given the fact that the less you know in advance about the plot the better.
Let me start with a technical detail: you might be surprised that I read an Italian translation. Either English or Polish versions were not available at the time when I compulsively bought it and – of course! – I was too impatient to wait. The good thing is I read the second book in Italian and it was a wonderful experience. I do not feel confident enough to assess the quality of the Italian translation but as the story immediately swept me away, like a rapid current, chances are that Madeira Giacci might have done a top-notch job.
It is difficult to explain the impact of Juli Zeh’s prose: it just effortlessly pierces you. Neither the blurb nor the cover gives this book justice. The transformation of a trivial story into something which keeps you literally perplexed, is a work of literary magic. You can find it in New Year, especially in its middle part. I was not very happy about the ending – it was abrupt and it did not convince me.
Many books are described as unputdownable but Juli Zeh gives this word a different meaning: I was totally captivated, so eager to know what happened to Hennig and Luna, that I simply could not stop reading. I was utterly immersed in the story. ‘The Thing’ (at some point it is revealed what it is) that bothers adult Henning is described so vividly that I almost felt physically some symptoms also. I loved shifting realities in New Year, the way they seep into each other: present <--> past, real life <--> memories and dreams, light<--> darkness. I was in awe of the way the author juxtaposed the breathtaking scenery of Lanzarote, the abundance of its nature, with the shadowiness inside the characters.
It is the third book by Juli Zeh which I read and it cemented her as one of my all time favourite authors.
Janine Medlin, Brother and Sister.
Juli Zeh, Anno Nuovo (New Year)
Is there a better date to review New Year (2019) by Juli Zeh than the first of January? I doubt it so please, bear with me. I promise to be brief, especially given the fact that the less you know in advance about the plot the better.
Let me start with a technical detail: you might be surprised that I read an Italian translation. Either English or Polish versions were not available at the time when I compulsively bought it and – of course! – I was too impatient to wait. The good thing is I read the second book in Italian and it was a wonderful experience. I do not feel confident enough to assess the quality of the Italian translation but as the story immediately swept me away, like a rapid current, chances are that Madeira Giacci might have done a top-notch job.
It is difficult to explain the impact of Juli Zeh’s prose: it just effortlessly pierces you. Neither the blurb nor the cover gives this book justice. The transformation of a trivial story into something which keeps you literally perplexed, is a work of literary magic. You can find it in New Year, especially in its middle part. I was not very happy about the ending – it was abrupt and it did not convince me.
Many books are described as unputdownable but Juli Zeh gives this word a different meaning: I was totally captivated, so eager to know what happened to Hennig and Luna, that I simply could not stop reading. I was utterly immersed in the story. ‘The Thing’ (at some point it is revealed what it is) that bothers adult Henning is described so vividly that I almost felt physically some symptoms also. I loved shifting realities in New Year, the way they seep into each other: present <--> past, real life <--> memories and dreams, light<--> darkness. I was in awe of the way the author juxtaposed the breathtaking scenery of Lanzarote, the abundance of its nature, with the shadowiness inside the characters.
It is the third book by Juli Zeh which I read and it cemented her as one of my all time favourite authors.
Janine Medlin, Brother and Sister.