Traveller of the Century
Description
Shortlisted for the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the 2013 <em>Independent</em> Foreign Fiction Prize
<strong>A novel of philosophy and love, politics and waltzes, history and the here-and-now, Andres Neuman's <em>Traveller of the Century</em> is a journey into the soul of Europe, penned by one of the most exciting South-American writers of our time.</strong>
'Every year hundreds of books are published but rarely comes a book that reminds us of why we loved reading in the first place, that innermost quest for words and dreams. Traveller of the Century is a literary gem' Elif Shafak
A traveller stops off for the night in the mysterious city of Wandernburg. He intends to leave the following day, but the city begins to ensnare him with its strange, shifting geography.
When Hans befriends an old organ grinder, and falls in love with Sophie, the daughter of a local merchant, he finds it impossible to leave. Through a series of memorable encounters with starkly different characters, Neuman takes the reader on a hypothetical journey back into post-Napoleonic Europe, subtly evoking its parallels with our modern era.
At the heart of the novel lies the love story between Sophie and Hans. They are both translators, and between dictionaries and bed, bed and dictionaries,they gradually build up their own fragile common language.
Through their relationship Neuman explores the idea that all love is an act of translation, and that all translation is an act of love.
'A beautiful, accomplished novel: as ambitious as it is generous, as moving as it is smart'
— Juan Gabriel Vasquez, <em>Guardian</em>
A big, utterly captivating murder mystery and love story, full of history and politics and the hottest sex in contemporary fiction
— <em>Daily Telegraph</em>'A thought-provoking historical romance, in which sex and philosophy mingle to delightful effect.'
— Angel Gurria Quintana, <em>Financial Times, Best Books of 2012</em>
Novel of the century
— Lawrence Norfolk<strong>Andres Neuman</strong> (b.1977) was born in Buenos Aires and later moved to Granada, Spain. Selected as one of <em>Granta</em> magazine's Best Young Spanish-Language Novelists, Neuman was included in the Hay Festival's <em>Bogota 39</em> list. He has published numerous novels, short stories, essays and poetry collections. He received the Hiperion Prize for Poetry for <em>El tobogan</em>, and <em>Traveller of the Century</em> won the Alfaguara Prize and the National Critics Prize in 2009.Reviews / Votes
A beautiful, accomplished novel: as ambitious as it is generous, as moving as it is smart The Guardian A big, utterly captivating murder mystery and love story, full of history and politics and the hottest sex in contemporary fiction The Telegraph A work of true beauty and scintillating intelligence by a writer of prodigious talents... books as stimulating, erudite and humane as this do not come along very often The Independent The literature of the twenty-first century will belong to Neuman and a few other blood brothers of his -- Roberto Bolano Very few novels in world literature can build up an atmosphere as deftly and convincingly as the Traveller of the Century has done. This is a wonderful novel of ideas. It is a story of love, loneliness and journeys, spiritual and intellectual. Andres Neuman's story will envelop you like a morning fog and when you have finished reading, when the fog dissolves, you might see the world differently. Every year hundreds of books are published but rarely comes a book that reminds us of why we loved reading in the first place, that innermost quest for words and dreams. Traveller of the Century is a literary gem. -- Elif Shafak Rarely comes a novel that blends poetry, history, philosophy, semantics, politics, a murder mystery - and love, that too - with such skill... Neuman takes his readers on a literary pilgrimage, back to the essence, and reminds us why we loved stories so much even as little children: the ability and the freedom to be elsewhere, anywhere, everywhere -- Elif Shafak [Traveller of the Century] so delighted and captivated the jury that it deserved public recognition -- Boyd Tonkin Independent An all-encompassing reinvention of the 19th-century novel through the knowing eyes of the 21st... contains - jurors concurred with relish - some of the best sex in fiction of our own century -- Maya Jaggi, chair of IMPAC Award judging panel GuardianMore details
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