Berliner Lust by Henning Boëtius

Abstract

members. After the1956Revolution, the PartySecretariat in Debrecen senta policeman tolivewiththem "forstatesecurity reasons."Given thesehardships,the state'sstrict abortion laws,andMama'sCatholicism ,howareNinth's parents supposedtosupport thefamily? Ninth'sphysical and emotional ill health,along withthe familyproject tobuildthe"BigHouse" outsideof Budapest,providethe framework forthenovel.After an accident inwhichNinth nearly lost histhumb, he,likeThomasMann's Hans Castorp, enters a sanatorium in the Buda Hills wherethe air is invigorating. The construction project reflects Hungary's"Second Economy" in the1960sand is Barnas 'sironic allusiontoRussianformulaic production novels. Thecrisis that setsthenovelinmotion is:Will thefamily obtain a loantocomplete thehouse?This is no smallmatterbecause a wealthycouple has offered tobuyNinth's fifteen-yearold siblingin exchangefor10,000 forints, reducing Ninth'ssibling to a commodity. This and similarly threatening events intensify Ninth's fears ofabandonment. The interactions among the political, social,and family systems thatform Ninth'sworldlead to a lifeofpoverty and constant stress, which render himpowerless against hiscohorts, whobeathimup,bully, and demeanhim.Thiscoming-ofagenovelleavesthereader guessing abouttheprotagonist's future, while marveling at youth's resilience. The Ninth isBarnas' ironic "OdetoJoy." Marguerite De HuszarAllen Northwestern University Henning Boëtius. Berliner Lust. Munich, btb. 2010. 288 pages. €8.95. ISBN 978-3-442-74074-1 PietHieronymous, a sixty-year-old Dutchdetective stuckin an existential crisis,is theprotagonist in HenningBoëtius'snovel Berliner Lust, hissixth basedontheexploits of the world-weary, philosophical investigator ofinternational crimes. Fighting depression andquestioning hispurposeinlifeona soul-searching vacationin Spain and France, Pietreturns totheNetherlands and receives anintriguing callfrom Berlinoffering himbig moneyforhis sleuthing services. Upon arrivalin Berlin,Piet meetswithOttoWelsand Yvonne Bree,ownersof Immob,a highstakes real-estatedeveloper, to discussthe case and details.Piet accepts a standard caseoffinding a missing person, knownonlybythe alias "Fritz,"who apparently has stolentradesecrets. Boëtiusdraws thereadersintothestory withhis highlydevelopedand psychological portrayal of his characters, all ofwhomaremorecomplicated and enigmatic thanon first glance.Berliner Lustis an intricate story about truth, identity, and thesearchfor bothin a worldwheretheyhave beenintentionally obfuscated. Piet's journey to Berlin and hisdetective workrevealas muchabouthislife andidentity as itdoesfor andabout hisemployers. Piet scours Berlinfor clues and graduallyencounters Berlin's sinister history: hidden,and possibly discovered, Nazitreasures and former Stasimembers and spiesof theGDR. Boëtius masterfully intertwines thishistory withthecharacters 'personalhistory to createan immensely tenseandengaging narrative .Piet encounters Otto Rühl, Yvonne'ssecretloverand famous actorand director, withwhomPiet sharesan uncanny, almost identical resemblance. He beginsto reflect on his own childhood, his absent father, dominant mother, and his twin brother whodiedduring childbirth . Pietgradually uncovers Fritz's identity: he's Dutch,had livedfor yearsin theGDR,and workedfor theStasi.After locating andvisiting himinhishometown intheNetherlands ,Pietstopsbyhisformer precinct inGroningen thenext dayonly todiscover that Fritz hasbeenmurderedand thatPietis considered a suspect, which hequickly disproves. Piet returns to Berlinand is joinedbytwoadditional detectives, Einarfrom Finland andHardyfrom theUnited States, andtogether they setouttosolvethe murder casewhile inthe process raising many questions: WhokilledFritzand why?Whois Otto Rühl andwhat ishisrelationship withthevictim, Yvonne, and even Piet? Isthere hidden Naziart andif so, where isitandwhohasit?Allthese questions andmoreareanswered in a stunning andcompletely unanticipated conclusion that involves a duel, unexpected riches, andthechance to change identity forever. Berliner Lust isyetanother example whyHenning Boëtiushas earnedthe reputation as oneofGermany's bestwriters of crime anddetective novels. Gregory H. Wolf North Central College Jaume Cabré. WinterJourney.Patricia Lunn,tr.Chicago. Swan Isle.2009. vii+ 182 pages. $28. isbn 978-0-9748881-6-3 Braiding history and fiction, these fourteen apparently unrelated short stories from theCatalandiverge in genre, style, time, and place,as the 56 1WorldLiterature Today ...