RexLegendi reviewed Kairos by Michael Hofmann
Review of 'Kairos' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize, Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck (1967) offers much to ponder. Set against the backdrop of the communist German Democratic Republic (DDR) during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the story revolves around the relationship between Hans and Katharina. She is 19, on the brink of discovering the world DDR; he is older than her father, with a family and a career in writing and broadcasting. If the 34-year age gap were not unsettling enough, Hans is also unsympathetic, has a past in the Hitler Jugend, and speaks approvingly of the Soviet regime.
The story is fast-paced, with virtually every sentence introducing new information and perspectives shifting within paragraphs. Unfortunately, it never truly took off for me. By centring on Katharina, Erpenbeck crafts a narrative of highs and lows in her love for Hans. While their affair begins rather enigmatically, it eventually fell flat for …
Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize, Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck (1967) offers much to ponder. Set against the backdrop of the communist German Democratic Republic (DDR) during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the story revolves around the relationship between Hans and Katharina. She is 19, on the brink of discovering the world DDR; he is older than her father, with a family and a career in writing and broadcasting. If the 34-year age gap were not unsettling enough, Hans is also unsympathetic, has a past in the Hitler Jugend, and speaks approvingly of the Soviet regime.
The story is fast-paced, with virtually every sentence introducing new information and perspectives shifting within paragraphs. Unfortunately, it never truly took off for me. By centring on Katharina, Erpenbeck crafts a narrative of highs and lows in her love for Hans. While their affair begins rather enigmatically, it eventually fell flat for me. I would have preferred the author to adopt a broader, more societal perspective, as I appreciated her sceptical attitude towards stereotypes. My favourite scenes revolved around the contrasts between life in the East and the West, such as Katharina’s visit to her grandmother in Cologne.
Who would have guessed that hell is lined with tacky carpeting, ancient and splotchy, and that the damned standing for all eternity in front of the shelves full of video cassettes have only backs, and that leashes, whips and gags are what man most deeply desires? Has the woman at the counter with her dyed hair ever been a child? Is that why there’s a box of candies next to the bowl full of condoms?