Sylvie Germain Bücher

An das "Buch der Nächte" zeitlich und inhaltlich anschließend, erscheint nun der Roman "Bernsteinnacht". Charles-Victor Peniel, das Nachkriegskind, 1945 im Dorf Terre-Noire im Ardennenvorland geboren, erleidet als Fünfjähriger das Schlimmste, was einem Kinder widerfahren kann. Seine Mutter ignoriert ihn im Schmerz um den zu Tode gekommenen älteren Sohn. Charles-Victor, das verstoßene, verratene Kind, gebärdet sich grausam und gewalttätig, ist erfüllt von Hass auf Mutter, Vater und den verstorbenen Bruder. Herangewachsen, wird er schließlich zum Mörder seines Freundes.

"Sylvie Germain's The Medusa Child beautifully translated from the French by Liz Nash, tells a heartbreaking and violent story about sin and redemption in fantastical language; a myth from la France profonde." Books of the Year in The Independent on Sunday 'Germain's language is redolent with decay, rich with religious torment and ecstasy, and filled with the decadence so loved by this publisher.' Time Out 'The Medusa Child is her most accessible novel, and my favourite. A coherent pattern of metaphor depicts an enchanted country childhood. Lucie explores the marshes around her home and studies the stars. But when she is given a room of her own, an ogre starts to pay her nocturnal visits. Helpless and alone, Lucie decides to fight back by turning herself into a monster. This is a superb and compassionate study of damage and resistance.' Michele Roberts in Mslexia

Theodore Lebon's life is shattered when he receives his wife's headless body after a tragic riding accident. Sylvie Germain immerses readers in a surreal realm where reality blurs, allowing the unexpected, absurd, and miraculous to coexist. Her richly imaginative storytelling invites exploration of themes such as loss and the uncanny, revealing a world where certainties fade and the grotesque becomes part of the human experience.

Set against the backdrop of post-communist Prague, the story follows Ludvik, a man returning to a homeland marked by spiritual emptiness after years of exile. His return is driven by personal despair following a rejection from a woman, leading him to seek solace in a place that offers little comfort. Amidst the bleakness, the narrative explores themes of heartbreak and the possibility of redemption through unexpected moments of grace. Sylvie Germain's evocative writing guides readers through this journey of despair and potential enlightenment.