Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck (tr. Susan Bernofsky) 5/5 Awards: German Book Prize Nominee for Shortlist (2015), Premio Strega Europeo (2017), Warwick Prize for Women in Translation Nominee for Shortlist (2018), International Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2018) Version française: Aucune version française n’a été annoncée. *Read the English translation from the original German (Gehen, Ging, Gegangen). *Read for Women in Translation Month! (I know, it’s in August and this isn’t going up until November, but I have to write these reviews and that takes time!) Summary Richard has spent his life as a university professor, immersed in the world of books and ideas, but now he is retired, his books remain in their packing boxes and he steps into the streets of his city, Berlin. Here, on Alexanderplatz, he discovers a new community -- a tent city, established by African asylum seekers. Hesitantly, getting to know the new arrivals, Richard finds his life changing, as he begins to question his own sense of belonging in a city that once divided its citizens into them and us. My thoughts It seems the universe has consolidated its forces to bring me two perfect books in a row. While Vengeful and Go, Went, Gone could not be more different, they are both extraordinary works. Go, Went, Gone is a masterpiece of the 21st century. It tackles one of the most contentious subjects of our era: immigration. While this concern is nothing new, the beauty and insight that Erpenbeck infused in her book make it one of the best novels I've ever read. Go, Went, Gone is first and foremost a story about people. Every character lives on a spectrum from more to less aware of the issues encountered by migrants. On the one hand, there are the asylum seekers themselves. On the other, some of Richard's oblivious but kind friends, and others who are actively spreading racist stereotypes and ignorance. Richard stands in the middle, acting out as a diplomat between two worlds. Part of why this book is mammoth is because the entirety of Western society is reflected. Some will identify with the migrants and others with Richard's friends. However, very few will truly understand Richard. The rarity of his type is what makes him such a fascinating character. He begins with the story as most people do, blissfully ignorant of the plight of asylum seekers. However, unlike most, he develops an interest in trying to understand their situation; he pushes beyond his own discomfort and tries to relate to these Africans on a deep interpersonal level. Erpenbeck does not turn Robert into a hero. She manages to perfectly capture the essence of a man fighting his own prejudices and trying to fight an uphill battle to defend his new friends. The other main characters are African migrants such as Apollo, Hermes, Tristan and the Thunderbolt Hurler. These are Richard's nicknames for the asylum-seekers whose names he struggles to remember due to their foreignness, highlighting the marginalization of African experiences and people in our daily lives. The presence of the Africans challenges us to explore our world beyond our Western reality, to understand that access to healthcare, food and education depends not on "human rights," but on our membership to a country. They also challenge how we conceive immigrants' stories. Richard's students' deepest desire is to work. They do not want to rely on public welfare for their subsistence. They want to make money for themselves or to send back to their families. They are not terrorists, rather victims of violence. Civil wars or terrorist groups have waged war in their countries, burning their homes, killing their fathers and brothers, and taking their mothers and sisters. They were further victimized as smugglers extracted their money with no guarantee of safe transport or were sold into slavery on Libyan markets. They are not coming to Europe to wreck chaos and take away white women. They are coming out of desperation for a better solution.
The strength of Erpenbeck’s character-driven structure is that it allows us to understand the multitudes of human experience. Not all refugees had the same motivation for leaving, some faced civil wars, some did not, some have to provide for their families back home, some do not, some enjoy the arts, others sports, others both, some are shy and quiet, some are bold and funny, some are educated, some are not, some are healthy, some are not, some have family already on the Old Continent, some do not. Even within Richard's character, we see the fundamental contradiction between a person that grew up in a society that instructed him to be fearful of immigrants, but also has a deep-seated belief that humanity is not black or white. Erpenbeck shows us that there is no monolithic model of a migrant or Westerner. In reality, the only uniting factor between us and anyone else is the fact that we are but flesh and bones, and have the same rights in theory. GWG's other strength is its creativity. I always hesitate to discuss the writing style of translated works, however, since we are highlighting women in translation, I have to mention it. Susan Bernofsky did a brilliant job at translating GWG. She managed to keep Erpenbeck’s innovative imagery intact. Erpenbeck creates powerful mental images that are not only shockingly beautiful, but also make us genuinely reflect on the material. A fiction book can rarely combine instruction with beauty, but Bernofsky and Erpenbeck did it brilliantly. GWG's creativity is also reflected in the author's use of pre-1989 East Berlin as a parallel to the African experience. I don't believe the goal was to make a perfect comparison, but there remain some similarities in the way that East German citizens felt distanced from West Germans after the Wall was built. Some technologies are foreign to Richard, such as dishwashers and public transport. He remembers that, as a child, he and his mother were almost separated as they were trying to board a train to flee war-torn Silesia. Perhaps this is why Richard comes to want to understand and help the Africans: he recognizes parts of himself inside their stories. The last little nugget of genius in GWG is Erpenbeck’s approach to philosophy. As a classics scholar, philosophy is central to Richard's conception of society. He mentions the Greeks at length, but as if he was just passing by concepts in his mind. This could make the book difficult to read for some who might not have a basic understanding of Greek philosophy, although it will not ruin the reading experience. Erpenbeck does not detail Homer’s Odyssey or Plato’s Republic, still, she draws parallels that those familiar with these works will appreciate. Personally, I am not a great fan of philosophy, but her constant references intrigued me enough to open Google. I was enriched by this experience as her analogies offer pertinent reflections on XIX century migration. Overall, I would recommend GWG to every single human being, especially those who feel confused or are against more open migration policies. It is also worth it to challenge your beliefs and explore new perspectives. If you get to do that while reading a delightfully written book, what more could you ask for? If you liked, Go, Went, Gone, you will love… A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum Eldorado by Laurent Gaudé The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
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