Today's still life: Calderon, carrot cake, theatrum mundi and soy latte. Intellectual and culinary stimulation - what a perfect afternoon!
Finally, after eons of procrastination, falling asleep in front of the screen or on exercise books, and chewing nails above exams, I've finally found some time to write! Yay!

My current read is Radetzkymarsch by Joseph Roth. Not quite the typical summer book, but I've started it when the weather was still cold, sizzling and windy outside. Not quite my first choice, I have to admit - it definitely makes my schoolbag even heavier than it already is. I've originally intended to read Das Orangenmädchen by Jostein Gaarder, but soon laid it aside, being tired by the somewhat tedious style of the text.

So I was positively surprised when I first picked up Radetzkymarsch. Regarding stylistic choices, it is certainly a masterpiece. It's sophisticated, yet captivating, it's elaborate without wasting a single word - it is beauty. What I currently enjoy so much is the imagery and the subtlety - just to give you one example: a final goodbye between a young lieutenant and the widow of his (formerly) best friend. Instead of describing things like movements, hesitations, looks, words and thoughts, Roth just refers to a quick, warm and gentle waft of air and the lady's request to write to her.

But another brilliant feature is the use of motifs, which is definitely one of the most challenging aspects of modern writing (as you easily slip into sounding too pathetic and kitsch). The image of the emperor - for the protagonist Carl Joseph heavily loaded with the burden of keeping up his ancestor's achievements - seems to follow him everywhere, even into the brothel. Disgusted to find it in such a place, he puts the picture down, folds it and puts it into the pocket of his coat. His grandfather saved Franz Joseph's life in the battle of Solferino - but now, this is the only way and opportunity for Carl Joseph to prove himself worthy to be part of the same family line as his grandfather, who was celebrated as a hero even in school textbooks.

I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot. It is set in the late 19th and early 20th century, a time when the heyday of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy has passed and a new era is about to come. The former glory has passed, people see that traditional means do no longer suffice in various situations, there is more that has to be done, but they feel unable to cope. They have learned set phrases and behavioural patterns appropriate for the majority of social moments that occur in their lives, but at some point they realize the complexity of the new times and have to face situations in which they feel powerless.

This novel has touched me in many ways - it has made me think of my own ancestors and even given me a way to try to understand their actions. It is fascinating, as I often have the feeling social changes happen much faster nowadays and individuals also often struggle to keep up. On the other hand, the social sphere of the former empirial bureaucracy and military seems rather alien to me. It is fascinating, yet rather detached from today's world, as terms like honour today just don't have the same impact or meaning anymore (fortunately, I'd say)...