What do You think about The Visible World (2007)?
First and foremost this is a novel. The reason why I state this from the beginning of this review is that it initially reads as a slightly whimsical memoir, which is clearly a device. Stylistically clever the first half of the story has the the vagaries and half recollections of a adult reminiscing on his childhood in New York. Slouka uses the style of half remembered events and semi-comprehended moments to great affect.The narrator describes growing up in New York, the son of Czech emigres in a tiny apartment where diverse characters would meet, play music and speak about the War, in Czech. There are many references to the War, and hints at of a man who lost his life at the hands of the Nazis and the famed assassination of the SS-Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich by resistance fighters in Prague. There are hints that the nameless man was his mother's wartime lover, and that she still loved him. That his calm reasonable writer father knows, understands and accepts this, and whilst his mother is portrayed as unsettled and distant his father is always calm, practical and long suffering. Slouka describes the half life of an exile, the way emigrants band together and emotionally remain in the countries and continents they escape from. This section of the book ends in tragedy and then leads to a 'Novel' where we a brought to believe that the writer attempts to fill in the gaps of his parents wartime experiences in the form of fiction. This is the stronger half of the story, although stylistically the vagueness and whimsy remains and the work is self-consciously literary to the point of boredom. The story and the plot remain thin, unfortunately, and as with most of the book, the details about Nazi occupation is vague, the love scenes are vaguely erotic and the ending forgetable. Saying that, I did enjoy it for the touches of poetry and the very evocative nature of 1960s and 70S New York and Prague, the use of real historical figures in a fictionalised setting, and the relationship between real life and filling in the gaps with imaginary events.
—Dean
This beautifully written novel is an account of a member of the Czech Resistance movement during WWII and her life and family afterwards - sort of. Beginning with her son in the US much later, the story begins to explore her pervasive sadness/depression, which centres around a lover from the days of the War. As we see his boyhood, then learn more about her and her experiences when he as a grown man travels to the Czech Republic & other surrounding bits of Europe, the story of her involvement with a (fictional) member of Operation Anthropoid (a real event*) and the aftermath of that, the reasons for her lifelong struggle with life begin to become clear. Although we know it won't come out well from quite early on, I didn't work out where it was really going until right at the end. I really enjoyed this; in addition to introducing me to a part of history I knew very little about - I know lots of stuff about WWII, but this is an aspect not really focused on (unless, presumably, you are from the former Czechoslovakia...). This book is a super example to promote my belief in the importance of reading fiction. Yes, it's beautiful writing, and yes, it was interesting, but even more importantly than that, a book like this gives you the chance to be inside someone else's experience and help you understand what it was like in that time, situation and experience. If everyone had the ability to have empathy for others, the world would be a better place; fiction is a great way to build empathy.*Operation Arthropoid was the (successful) plot by the Czech government-in-exile and the British Special Operations Executive to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Nazi security services and Hitler's leader in Bohemia and Moravia. In reprisal, Hitler had thousands and thousands of unconnected citizens arrested and killed, and destroyed whole villages on mere rumours of their involvement. It's fascinating, and horrible - look it up, even if you don't read this book!
—Kate North
Another recommendation from http://remarkablerose.tumblr.com/ and a similar size and subject area to her previous The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles (see my previous review).This book is about the lives of people from Czechoslovakia- primarily Prague- during and after the Second World War. I visited Prague before Christmas, to see http://pragueweirdandnice.tumblr.com/ so I was able to remember many of the places described in the book. In fact, the most interesting aspect of reading this story for me was understanding more about the unspoken recent history that was left out of my guided tours of the city.The Visible World focuses on secrets- as a young boy grows up trying to decipher his parent’s ever-present but concealed past. The story moves from the intensely personal relationships of the young couple in that time, to the bigger story of the Czech resistance assassinating Reinhard Heydrich, the notorious ‘butcher of Prague.’ Although there are elements of this story which are very familiar, some of the cameos about individual reactions to occupation, resistance and capture were shocking and overwhelming. Slouka’s language is smooth and draws the reader through several narrative strands and many small but significant dramas towards a powerful twist. The somewhat typical love story - of a tragic passion and an enduring commitment- turns into a disturbing and painful comment on human reactions to abominable acts.From this book it is obvious why Slouka has featured in Best American Short Stories. His craftsmanship of this book has a delicate touch but makes a heavy impression. I would pass on the Remarkable Miss Rose’s recommendation, and despite the grim perspective of this review, advise you to visit Prague (weird and nice).
—Caitriona H
