THE BOOK FAIR
READ AND FULFILL YOUR LIFE
Pascal Mercier
PERLMANN'S SILENCE
Author: Pascal Mercier
Published: 1995
Genre: Psychological Novel
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 616
Review:
Phillip Perlmann, a renowned linguistics professor in Frankfort, Germany, is approached to lead a research conference in Santa Margherita Ligure, a spa town outside of Genoa, Italy. Philipp has recently lost his wife, Agnes, and suffers neuroses.
Perlmann agrees to lead the conference but soon confronts the difficulty of writing his own keynote speech. His difficulties soon propel him to look upon his fellow linguists as adversaries rather than colleagues.
Perlmann, several weeks earlier met with Vassily Leskov at a conference in St. Petersburg. The two scholars shared their ideas of work and Leskov gave Philipp a copy of his text to peruse. Philipp also found himself confiding in Leskov about the death of his beloved wife, Agnes. Leskov in turn confided in Philipp of his nightmare prison term, and the difficulties of taking care of his ill mother.
Once at the conference, Philipp receives word that Leskov is unable to attend. He begins to read Leskov’s work in earnest, convincing himself he is simply translating his text. All the while, Perlmann struggles to develop ideas for his paper as he counts down the days before the conference’s end.
Unable to form a paper of his own and unwilling to let Leskov’s paper go, before long, translating Leskov’s work becomes a development of Perlmann’s own ideas and in no time, the word plagiarism is erased from his mind, replaced for milder synonyms.
However, suddenly, a telegram reaches Perlmann that after all, Leskov will be able to attend the conference.
Perlmann, already having had the secretary type and distribute his paper to his colleagues finds himself in a dilemma. So, with little time to spare and with much regret, Philipp Perlmann begins to plot the demise of Vassily Leskov.
Excellent writing, excellent story, and excellent plot, which features well developed, well defined characters who offer a bantering of humor and sensitivity. Highly recommended.
Night Train
to Lisbon
Author: Pascal Mercier
Published: 2004
Genre: Fiction
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 438
Review:
Pascal Mercier diverts from the fast-paced novel, “Perlmann’s Silence”, to a philosophical novel in “Night Train to Lisbon”.
Raimund Gregorius resides in Bern, Switzerland and is a fifty-seven year old instructor in classics at the gymnasium. Raimund, divorced, follows his daily routine without variation. A scholar of Greek, Hebrew and Latin, he lives alone with his books, his love of words and his fascination of languages.
One eventful morning on his way to teach class, Mundus, so nicknamed by his students, encounters a young woman about to commit suicide. Mundus, entranced by the young woman who claims to be Portuguese, offers her a place in his class. When the young woman abruptly disappears, unable to account for his disappointment, Raimund visits an antiquarian bookshop. The owner, an acquaintance of Raimund’s wife, offers him a book by a Portuguese author, Amadeu de Prado, a philosopher.
Enthralled by the book, Raimund spends the night translating. He learns Amadeu became a medical doctor at the behest of his father’s wishes, not his own. Fascinated by the author’s work, the questions Amadeu poses and his intense desire to see his dreams a reality, Raimund Gregorius drops everything in his life, including his teaching position of thirty years and purchases a train ticket to Lisbon. Raimund tells no one except his best friend, Constantine Doxiades, and with whom he shares the annoyance of insomnia.
Once in Lisbon, Raimund begins his hunt to discover more of the author, Amadeu de Prado. In small steps, Raimund traces the author searching in bookstores, and clue by clue, finally comes upon individuals who knew Amadeu de Prado.
As Raimund journeys on his venture to self awareness and self fulfillment, he compares his life to Amadeau’s and dwells on the philosophical question and the difference of, who one really is, as he perceives himself, and of how one is perceived by others.
Intriguing, intelligent, slow moving.