Alexander Lernet-Holenia (1897–1976)

To each his own, but I seriously don't get the low ratings for this book. Maybe there's something wrong with me in the sense that I prefer well-written, older novels to much of what's on today's crime fiction shelves, but this book from the 1930s runs rings around a lot of newer stuff I've read recently. It's suspenseful, is a really good story, and, since I read mainly to discover what makes people tick or what drives people to make the choices they make, it also works nicely as a character show more study. Evidently, though, my high opinion of this novel isn't shared by a lot of readers, who in general give it an average overall rating mainly because of the plot. Well, this book is a prime example of what you can miss when plot and story arc are the main things on your mind.

For example, I've seen this novel labeled as a thriller, and I suppose there are a number of thriller-type elements, but I got much more of a noir sort of flavor from it -- the hapless Joe who's in the wrong place at the wrong time, looking for a way out of his predicament only to discover that he just may be trapped by fate and his own choices. It really doesn't take that long to figure out just how much the main character's life is spiraling out of control, along with the lives of those who fall within his immediate orbit. In this case, we have our main character caught smack in the middle of a collision course between the past and the present.

Both this book and the 1935 German film I watched earlier today are definite yesses. Trust me, there's nothing average about this book at all -- it's another fine example of an old book that has been largely forgotten, and thanks to Pushkin Vertigo, it's now widely available. Once again I'll say that I do understand that crime from 1930s may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I seem to be encountering a lot of these old novels that are really, really good and which definitely ought to be part of every serious crime fiction reader's repertoire.

Recommended to all crime readers, but most especially to readers who love these old books as much as I do.

for more on plot, etc.: click here show less

El austriaco Alexander Lernet-Holenia (1897-1976) combatió en ambas guerras mundiales y tuvo una vida militar ejemplar, carrera que abandonó para dedicarse por completo a la escritura. Entre otros colegas y amigos escritores austriacos, se encuentran Stefan Zweig y Leo Perutz. Actualmente está considerado como uno de los escritores austriacos con más renombre. Entre su obra destaca ‘El estandarte’, ‘Las dos Sicilias’, ‘El joven Moncada’ o ‘El Conde Luna’, siendo entre las show more más apreciadas dentro de su producción las de corte fantástico, como es ‘El barón Bagge’.

La historia de ‘El barón Bagge’ es sencilla. En pleno invierno de 1915, un destacamento de ciento veinte jinetes del imperio austro-húngaro, entre los que se encuentra el narrador, el barón Bagge (que ya al principio cuenta que fue el único superviviente), avanzan por los Cárpatos en busca de enemigos rusos. Atraviesan llanuras desoladas y heladas, bajo un cielo plomizo, densas y cenicientas nieblas, soportando nevadas, viento y lluvia. Pese a que el enemigo parece inalcanzable, el obstinado jefe al mando se empeña en avanzar.

Entre lo onírico y lo real, transcurre esta narración, donde lo que en un principio parece sosegado y cotidiano, se va tornando extraño y fantástico. Parábola entre la vida y la muerte, donde destacaría la última parte de la novela, que deja un regusto melancólico y poético. Magnífica novela. show less

Like a Central European Ambrose Bierce fantasy. A ghost story of World War One set in the wintry foothills of the Carpathians. Excellent. The book is padded out with two letters from the author to Stefan Zweig and one in the other direction.

Ultimately disappointing, vaguely picaresque tale: after waking from his apparent death, Maltravers lives a second life under an assumed name. A comedy of manners, sorta; a vehicle for the author to share his (ostensible) bons mots, sorta; an series of observations on interwar society, sorta. The translation, by Joachim Neugroschel, seems to be excellent; indeed, I think the translation outclasses the book. (A very curious individual, the author. 1897-1976. Read his bio on Wikipedia. I've show more another one of his books with two long stories/novellas. Can't help but wonder if they're better than this was.) show less