957. Austerlitz

Austerlitz
W.G. Sebald
2001

Around 420 pages

I always know exactly what I am in for with Sebald, which is an emotionally wrenching and unconventionally presented Holocaust novel, with photographs to boot.

As always Sebald takes his time getting to the story, beginning the novel with descriptions of buildings. In other novels, this might be annoying, but I think it is almost necessary to ease the reader into a story like this. The main plotline concerns Austerlitz, who was adopted by a Welsh family after being rescued from Holocaust.

You definitely need a subtle touch with this material, and Sebald manages that perfectly here. Thematically, it is more interested in how the Holocaust will be remembered than the events themselves. So the photographs work especially well here, as artifacts that will outlive any oral accounts.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Won the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award.

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