(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“Thomas remained a man without a past, without memories, without old photographs and without stories from earlier years.”
He is just one of the many Jews who chose to live in a land where their parents were once hunted down. It’s around 1985 and whether it’s Berlin or Vienna, “The children of the victims live together with the children of the victimizers”, but the repressed feelings come out, especially in friendships and marriage.
Verklempt is a collection of eleven thought- provoking stories. They’re often provocative and filled with dark humor and according to author Peter Sichrovsky … “are based on facts, not real people. But they are not documentations. They reflect hopes, fears and indifference. Every story is true, as true as a story can be.” Many of these stories were told to him, and he cannot guarantee their truth. In any event, he does not mince words nor does he run away from the uncomfortable.
Be sure to read the Foreword, where we learn that Sichrovsky is a series of contradictions himself, “dependably unpredictable” as Ari Roth writes. This shows up in his writing. Sichrovsky, a Jewish journalist, writer, and former politician was born in Austria. He co-founded Vienna’s liberal newspaper, but later joined the right-winged Austrian Freedom Party.
These stories captivated me from the very beginning. In the first one “Pigs Blood” the author is driven by a taxi driver who was once part of Hitler Youth but banished to the Siberian Front. I didn’t think it could get any better, but I was wrong.
“The Siren” shows the confusion of Israeli citizens who question why they choose to live in a volatile and dangerous homeland. Many of these stories are unpredictable as in “Onju” , which prompts the reader to ask if a 17-year old boy should have to pay for the sins of his grandfather. The concluding story, “Prague” takes a different path, exploring the distressing situation when citizens’ core beliefs are challenged. Good versus evil was once easy to detect. The Czech people were taught that Soviets = good, United States = evil. Now it’s all gray and people can be ostracized for adhering to old beliefs.
I really can’t pick a favorite. There are so many enticing stories. Each will affect you in a different way, and expose you to another element of the human condition. A must-read.
