Category: Favourites

Baltische Zielen – Jan Brokken (2010)
Books 2015, Favourites, What I read

Baltische Zielen – Jan Brokken (2010)

Beautiful, often emotional, stories describing the fascinating and cruel history of the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, wedged between Europe and Russia. Brokken makes us witnesses of the lives of both normal and famous people dealing with fear, humiliation and murder as their countries are constant object of foreign occupation: be it Polish, German of Russian. Continue reading “Baltische Zielen – Jan Brokken (2010)”

Soumission – Michel Houellebecq (2015)
Books 2015, Favourites, What I read

Soumission – Michel Houellebecq (2015)

One of the most intriguing notions Houellebecq puts forward in his latest novel is not that the populist right is a stable force in the political landscape, nor that in 2022 a Muslim party wins a large share of votes. No, it’s the reaction to this outcome that surprises. When it becomes clear that the first round of the 2022 French presidential elections is won by the Muslim party, followed by the Front National (by then still led by Marine Le Pen) the two traditional centrist parties, the PS and the UMP, choose – in a coordinated effort to prevent the Front National from winning the election – to partner up with the Muslim leader Mohammed Ben Abbes. Continue reading “Soumission – Michel Houellebecq (2015)”