The Gordian Knot

(een web van leugens, in Dutch translation), heavy disappointment.

I always thought I liked Schlink’s psychological novels, but I must have been mistaken – boring writing style, characters one cannot identify with (except maybe when Georg met baby Gill, that interaction felt very familiar), and a plot that despite being twisty, does not engage (I couldn’t care by the end, and even that final nugget – the minute twist around a supposed uncle – even that I found uninteresting in the end).

The English title works better than the Dutch title. In the plot development it is interesting to see how an idyllic story is converted into a palace of treason and distrust. But even when it was idyllic in France, with business success and the show more love of his life on a remote farm in the Provence, Georg is not affable, I could not identify with his motives and drivers in life. If that was his heaven, it had the feel of a minor, boring hell. Vacuous, middle class projection of heaven with no real dialogue. Once he loses everything and moves to New York on his vain quest it becomes a drag (unclear is what quest he is on: for justice? Unlikely; for love? Undeclared; for money? Boring; for the truth? Perhaps; Revenge? But why? He got what he deserved, no?). The happy-clappy end (the two ‘lovers’ reunited in Lisbon playing middle class family) is quite simply not credible (how did these naïve, dispassionate personalities suddenly turn into a loving family?). Also the shoot-out at Frisco International airport is too much of a hare-brained dream of an amateur spy.

Let’s say Schlink has written better novels. Skip this one if you can. show less

Georg Polger, a German translator living in France, engages in business with a shadowy company, falls in love with Francoise, the secretary, and realizes he’s been roped into industrial espionage. He’s harassed and beaten, and Francoise disappears. He tracks her to New York City, where he discovers that no one involved is who they purported themselves to be. He comes up with a plan to expose the corrupters and find Francoise, although she’s part of the conspiracy.

Translated from German, the plot of The Gordian Knot is compelling and logical, with a few exceptions. What’s missing is emotion, which makes it difficult to pull for Georg, or accept many of his decisions.

Georg Polger hat seine Anwaltskanzlei in Karlsruhe mit dem Leben als freier Übersetzer in Südfrankreich vertauscht und schlägt sich mehr schlecht als recht durch. Bis zu dem Tag, als er durch merkwürdige Zufälle Inhaber eines Übersetzungsbüros wird – Spezialgebiet: Konstruktionspläne für Kampfhubschrauber. Polger gerät in einen Strudel von Ereignissen in dem Freund und Feind ununterscheidbar sind.

Decent read. This is in translation and I dont read German so at a remove the prose read well and had a whiff of Auster. Stylish albeit flat tone and occasionally wooden feel to it but an engagiing read. I dont usually read this kind of thing and was impressed by the style and pace. The novel has its moments and a decent atmosphere. I thought Georg, the protagonist a bit flat and some of the plot developments semi telegraphed but it kept me reading it. So not a great read but decent and a writer I would read more of. Some evocative desciptions of NY and sothern France.

Not too bad for a spy story. Writing / translation was a little cold.

Boooooooooo!