An Infuriating Masterpiece

I don't think I've ever come across a book where all the Amazon readers' reviews, be they positive or negative, are so astute in dissecting at least certain aspects of what is an incredibly intricate structure. This speaks volumes about the power of what Vollmann attempts, regardless of whether he succeeds with every single reader.

For my part, I'm heartily relieved to have finally finished this book that has been weighing on me for a long time. And yet, I simply couldn't abandon it. For one thing, it enlightened me on numerous aspects of 20th-century history that I knew next to nothing about, such as the early days of Stalinism and the Nazi war on the eastern front. It also touched on matters that I thought I was quite familiar with, like the long struggle of the composer Shostakovich with the Soviet authorities. For another, several of its massive central chapters presented captivating portraits of real people ensnared in morally ambiguous situations. There's the captured Russian General Vlasov, who allowed himself to be exploited to recruit an army of expatriates to fight against Stalin. Then there's Field-Marshal Paulus, tenuously clinging to his honor through the debacle at Stalingrad. Kurt Gerstein, who became a functionary of the Final Solution while simultaneously trying to expose it. And the "Red Guillotine" Hilde Benjamin, the hanging judge of the DDR, who realizes too late to question her own rigidity.

As a musician, I ordered the book because its main character, Dmitri Shostakovich, is one of my favorite composers. Indeed, he is given extensive treatment, but I found these sections only sporadically satisfying and ultimately infuriating. His music - primarily the cello sonata, the fifth and seventh symphonies, the eighth quartet, and the opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk - is cited as a repository for far more sound impressions, political reactions, and extreme emotions than the notes can plausibly hold. The composer's story is interwoven with a plethora of romantic liaisons, both real and increasingly fantasized, which soon become tiresome. These chapters in particular are peppered with passing references to other characters, mentioned in Soviet style by surname and initials only, which even a specialist might struggle to fully identify. And the narrative voice, which elsewhere has the stylistic neutrality of political propaganda, takes on a curious vagueness when dealing with Shostakovich, in which thoughts seem to be initiated but, so to speak, never quite... The composer might not have dared to express himself except through the ambiguous medium of music, but it's a risky proposition for an author to assume the same privilege.

Undoubtedly, the strongest chapters deal with the War itself. I could recommend pages 260 - 471 to anyone, even if read in isolation, and there are strong chapters both before and after. But with the defeat of Germany, a haze of unreality pervades the novel. The objective historical writing generally ceases, and a kind of extended nightmare takes its place. Perhaps this is intended as a political parallel, but it makes it challenging to persevere. Only at the very end, with twenty pages描绘 the end of Shostakovich's life and a fine chapter on American pianist Van Cliburn's success in the Moscow Tchaikowsky Competition, does the novel return to terra firma.

Still, read it and be amazed. It's not every day that a contemporary novelist has the audacity to emulate Tolstoy on his home turf!

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*For more on which, see Julian Barnes' recent novel The Noise of Time.

On the cover of the edition I read, there is a quote from the London Times, stating "Highly serious, deeply ambitious."

GR informs me that in this novel, a young German joins the SS to expose its crimes, two generals collaborate with the enemy for different reasons, and Soviet composer Shostakovich endures Stalinist oppression. This daring novel showcases human actions during wartime and lists real people such as Friedrich Paulus, Käthe Kollwitz, Andrey Vlasov, Dmitri Shostakovich, Kurt Gerstein, Nadezhda Krupskaya, Fanya Kaplan, Roman Karmen, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, and Hilde Benjamin.

All of this evokes the flowery prose of old Book of the Month club selections promoting books like "Dr. Zhivago" - sweeping, epochal, and magisterial - to middle-brow readers who might be deterred by all the foreign names.

Unfortunately for me, the word that came to mind was Brobdingnagian. I read every one of its 800+ pages, yet not a single page left me indifferent. Maybe the essence of important literature is not to care or be engaged, but I prefer to care and be involved. I don't desire novels to be morality tales, but they must offer something.

Perhaps I'm too stupid to appreciate what Mr. Vollmann is attempting.

I've given him three stars because I did read the entire book six years ago, but I won't be reading it again, and Mr. Vollmann is nowhere on my to-be-read list.

The war of Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union serves as the backdrop against which Vollmann vividly portrays the troubled allegiances of every character. They are tormented by doubts and fears, facing threats not only from their opponents but also from their own governments. Violence pervades every corner, and monstrosity exists on both sides. Conscience appears to be nothing more than a weakness. Each moral choice entails a sacrifice that compromises love, honor, or safety. In this way, the theater of operations transforms everyone into sleepwalkers, plunging Europe into horror, with the false hope that awakening lies beyond the iron curtain.

This novel of extremes also delves into the relations between art and politics and the status of the artist within the state. Among the various real-life artists on whom the narration focuses in the first third of the book, the Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich is of utmost importance. This is due to the remarkable influence of his musical style on Vollmann's prose throughout the novel.

Vollmann's detailed and immersive description of this historical period and the complex characters within it offers readers a profound exploration of the human condition during times of war and political upheaval. It forces us to confront the difficult choices that individuals are faced with and the consequences that follow.

The connection between art and politics is a central theme, highlighting the power and impact that art can have in a society. Shostakovich's music, with its unique style and emotional depth, serves as a symbol of the artist's struggle to express himself in a repressive environment.

Overall, Vollmann's novel provides a thought-provoking and engaging read that invites us to reflect on the past and consider the implications for the present and future.

Yes! I've finally accomplished it. I've successfully finished reading "Europe Central". Seriously, the reading time was incredibly long (almost 50 days). After closing this beautiful, monster-sized, cranium-bashing brick of a book, I felt OVERWHELMED. It was an experience like no other. The story took me on a journey through the complex and often harrowing events of war.

I was left with a profound sense of the absurdity of war. The characters and their experiences made me realize just how senseless and destructive it can be.

Now that I've completed this reading adventure, I can't help but reflect on what I've learned.

"Europe Central" has truly opened my eyes and made me appreciate the importance of peace and understanding.

I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts and insights with others who have also read this remarkable book.

In a book of such substantial size, I must admit that a certain degree of unevenness is nearly inevitable.

However! In a work of this magnitude, there is also a rather high probability of uncovering revelatory beauty. Despite L. Ron Hubbard, Vollmann truly delivers in abundance. He delves deep into the real and imagined lives of Shostakovich, Kollwitz, and others who were compelled to make some extremely difficult decisions around the time of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

Europe Central has great ambition. I have a penchant for ambition. And similar to other highly ambitious works with disturbing themes (I'm looking at you, Gaspar Noë and Lars Von Trier), it is bound to leave some readers unimpressed. But even if there were some issues, I am extremely glad that books like this are being written.

Hey, William T., perhaps trimming that approximately 100 pages of military and tactical verbosity in the middle. That would have made me very happy.

Wow.

How many of these dense 800+ page novels can I get through without hitting my head against a wall? I'm not sure, but here is another one. Vollmann reigns supreme among living writers. I can't think of a single American writer more prolific than Vollmann, going all the way back to the country's founding.

An historic novel set in early 20th century central Europe, it sets out to depict the mindset of many famous people put in moralistic binds during warfare; a modern War and Peace, essentially.

His treatment of composer Dmitri Shostakovich is standout. I've never read such beautiful prose describing music anywhere else. If it were any more beautiful, it would actually be the music he's describing. Shostakovich was easily my favorite character in the novel.

The book makes use of plenty of historical source material, so it's true history with Vollmann employing artistic characterization to drive a compelling narrative. A book of this magnitude seems like it would take decades upon decades upon decades to put together. Vollmann must have access to some of the best stimulants around.

It's sometimes difficult to try connecting the characters -- some of them are brief and have seemingly no connection to any others -- but that appears to be intended. Those particular portions are meant to stand on their own, offering the worldview of that particular German/Russian person. I preferred the Russian parts of the book more than the German.

Europe Central succeeds in showing what it was like to live in such a tumultuous time, and the difficulties in human beings trying to connect or disconnect one with another. I'd like to read this book again at some point, and think you'd do well to do the same.

minor edits added on 02/20/13 to fix small errors

EUROPE CENTRAL is an absolute masterpiece, a novel that truly stands out. It's not just a beautiful work of fiction; it's a literary achievement that demands to be read. After finishing the first chapter, STEEL IN MOTION, I was left in awe, wondering how Vollmann could maintain such a high level of prose and surreal imagery. But he does more than just maintain it; he elevates it throughout the book, reaching a climax with some of the most amazing passages I've ever encountered in fiction.

The book is constructed like a mosaic, with each chapter adding a new tile to create a four-dimensional art-exhibit of the tumultuous first 50 years of the 20th century. It's not a traditional novel with a linear storyline; instead, it weaves together multiple tales that analyze specific characters or situations while also furthering and elaborating on the stories of the other characters in the background. The use of leitmotifs, such as images, phrases, cadences, and rhythms, helps to glue all the different tales together and create a single cohesive tapestry.

Vollmann invents a new genre here, historical fantasy, which bridges the gap between real life and the written word. He uses every stylistic trick available to bring the events of World War II and the Cold War to life, even indulging in pure fantasy at times. For example, he visualizes the mobilization of Germany not just as the mobilization of troops, but as the animation of Germany's art. Statues of eagles take flight, paintings come alive! It's a brilliant concept that is executed perfectly.

Some of the stories in EUROPE CENTRAL are truly outstanding. STEEL IN MOTION is an impressive overture that introduces many of the book's themes and symbols. THE SAVIORS is a dark and surreal journey with a touch of magical realism. OPUS 40 delves into Shostakovich's relationship with Elena and tells the story of the beautiful Opus 40 and its composition. THE SLEEPWALKER is a larger than life villain who inhabits the dark corners of Vollmann's story. And THE PALM TREE OF DEBORAH is a suspenseful and thrilling story of Shostakovich's survival in besieged Stalingrad.

The three lengthy stories in the heart of the book, BREAKOUT, THE LAST FIELD-MARSHAL, and CLEAN HANDS, tell the stories of three moral actors in times of crisis. All three fail badly, despite their attempts to do good, which leads to some interesting questions about whether we can affect change by working with the system. The stories are exciting to read, full of grand gestures, pulpy fight-scenes, and great sweeping melodrama.

OPERATION CITADEL is an incredible, horrific story with headless zombie soldiers, an insane man, and hallucinations. AIRLIFT IDYLLS is one of the best things I've ever read, a crazy and terrifying dream-like story that combines elements of The Matrix and Thomas Pynchon. And OPUS 110, the longest story in the book, finishes the story of Shostakovich and shows him to be a true hero, despite being a doddering, frightened old man.

The book ends with THE WHITE NIGHTS OF LENINGRAD, an unspeakably beautiful close that shows us one last scrap of Shostakovich after his death and allows us to see him happy. Overall, EUROPE CENTRAL is a must-read for anyone who loves great literature. It's a big, ambitious book that blazes new paths into the unknown and contains some of the best stories I've ever read. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Well, unfortunately, I have to say, "that was a trudge."

It took me twenty days to read this book, and it wasn't because of its length. The truth is, I simply didn't want to read it. But being the hero that I am, I persevered and finished it. In fact, as I was nearing the finish line, I even exclaimed out loud in exasperation, "fucking die already."

The greatest flaw in this book is that it seems to be two books in one. One part is about the Russian-German front during the climax of World War Two, which is quite engaging. However, the other part is a fictional biography of Russian composer Shostakovich, and I was bored to death by the latter.

I'll simply state that in a very long novel, the worst thing an author can do is to repeat the same things over and over again in various ways. I understand the effect the author is trying to achieve, but books are not music. I just want the important events with the relevant facts, perhaps with a touch of poetry. I don't need two hundred pages about doomed love when I've already learned to roll my eyes reflexively whenever another Shostakovich section begins. Maybe I'm being too critical due to my own ignorance and lack of understanding when it comes to music. Well, in that case, I'm content to be a Philistine. (Yes, I know it's not all about romance; it's also about a romance underlying a lifetime of living in fearful defiance of the Soviet regime and a composer using that in his art, but give me a break.)

On the other hand, the war sections are truly fantastic. They highlight the "heroes" on both sides of the devastation, fighting to stay alive or fighting to avoid being executed. I especially loved the occasional dream-like narratives that wove mythology into surrealist nightmare visions. The beautiful prose would sometimes remove the veil to expose the grinning skull with maggots erupting from every orifice underneath. I definitely want more of that.

My three-star rating reflects my feeling that this could have been a five-star book if I didn't have to endure reading half of it.

I really tried to like this, I swear.

After about 200 pages, I came to the realization that Vollmann might as well have been writing page after page of "I'm clever I'm clever I'm clever". At first, the prose style was charming. However, that charm quickly turned sour.

Most of the book, whose subject matter should be approached with some level of trepidation, is too lyrical to be taken seriously. Some of the Shostakovich chapters are great, but one has to do an awful lot of laborious sifting to reach those moments of greatness.

I suppose my main issue is, why bother? A wartime novel about people forced into uncomfortable moral quagmires is not exactly the most original concept, and the big war novel even less so. (For a great one, read Vasily Grossman's Stalingrad.)

There are lots of little historical inaccuracies throughout. For example, Vollmann writes about the Waffen-SS at Stalingrad, a place they never were throughout the war. This sort of ruins the point of writing an encyclopedic novel.

The thing I couldn't really move past was how irreverent the tone became. It is clear Vollmann is an idiosyncratic writer, and style is obviously important, but so is taste. I am willing to admit I might be wrong about this book.

Europe Central is a remarkable work that showcases Vollmann's unique approach to historical fiction.

He compresses and stretches the events of the Second World War's Eastern Front into brief vignettes, capturing the urgency and loss of life while exploring themes of aesthetic, dignity, and love.

The research that went into this book is evident, with the subject matter often feeling like an objective history.

Although it is fiction, the liberties taken, such as the role of Elena Konstantinovskaya in the Shostakovich-Karmen love triangle, add value to the story.

Vollmann encourages us to view the conflict from a human perspective rather than just in terms of groups and armies.

The coda, through Shostakovich's composition of Opus 110 in Dresden, is a powerful and disturbing exploration of the human condition.

The music synthesizes the most grotesque and excruciating aspects of existence, with an urgency and desperation to convey something that cannot be easily communicated.

The words and notes of Opus 110 seem to leave a tangible mark, filled with violence and anguish.

Post-war life fails to make sense of the horrors witnessed, and the screams of the dying are mirrored in the music and the written word.

Despite the darkness, there are moments of beauty, but they are dismembered and fleeting.

The lead-up to the end of the piece is a 700-page overture that crescendos into one of the most important passages in 21st century literature.

The piece ends, leaving us with a brief illumination before we are once again faced with the task of navigating the dark.

**"Europa Central": A Masterful Exploration of Totalitarianism and Human Resilience**

“Europa Central” by William T. Vollmann is a remarkable work that delves deep into the horrors of totalitarianism and the complex lives of those who lived through it. The book is a collection of almost forty stories, mainly set in Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II, although it spans from 1914 to 1975. Each story is both captivating and marked by the year in which the events took place, helping the reader to situate and follow the narrative. Vollmann's use of multiple narrators, who sometimes identify with the story and sometimes not, is a brilliant aspect of the novel, adding depth and variety.

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"No somos los monstruos que les pinta su secretario general Stalin. Somos seres humanos."




The novel features a diverse cast of characters, including musicians like Shostakovich, artists such as Käthe Kollwitz, poets like Anna Ajmátova, and many others. Shostakovich, in particular, stands out as a central figure, a symbol of the eternal dissident who managed to survive in the midst of the inferno. Vollmann's portrayal of Shostakovich is one of his most accomplished, showing the composer's chronic fear, vulnerability, and yet his determination to write the music he wanted. The juxtaposition of Shostakovich's states of mind while composing with the oppressive atmosphere of the times is masterfully done, especially in the long story "Opus 110".

"En aquella época ser neutral significaba no tener amigos, mientras que ser leal a un bando o al otro aumentaba la posibilidad de que el contrario le sentenciara a muerte. Además, tales castigos solían ser inflingidos a inocentes.”




One of the novel's strengths is Vollmann's ability to make us understand the moral decisions that the characters were forced to make. In a time of terror like the first half of the 20th century in Europe, it was extremely difficult to think clearly and maintain one's integrity. The experiences of characters like Ajmátova, Kollwitz, and Shostakovich, as they tried to keep their work free from outside influences, are both inspiring and heartbreaking. Vollmann's language also adapts to the different stories, ranging from the military and political to the poetic and lyrical.

"Y había un fotorretrato ampliado de Käthe de hacía mucho tiempo. Cuando rondaba la veintena se parecía de un modo extraño a la mujer de Lenin, Nadezhda Krúpskaya, que tan solo era dos años más joven que ella. Ambas mujeres tenían la misma mirada intensa, los mismos labios apretados, como si quisieran ocultar lo carnosos que eran. Käthe miró a su joven yo durante un largo rato..."




Overall, "Europa Central" is a brilliant and essential novel. It may be overwhelming at times, but it is well worth the effort. Vollmann's work challenges us to think about the past, the present, and the future, and to remember the importance of human resilience in the face of adversity.

Patronymics

--Europe Central


In the context of Europe Central, patronymics hold a significant place. They are not just a part of a person's name but carry a rich history and cultural meaning.

The concept of patronymics has been prevalent in many European cultures for centuries. It is a way to trace a person's lineage and connection to their ancestors. For example, in some Slavic countries, a person's patronymic is derived from their father's first name.

Sources
An Imaginary Love Triangle: Shostakovich, Karmen, Konstantinovskaya
Acknowledgements
These sources provide valuable insights into the topic of patronymics in Europe Central. The study of an imaginary love triangle involving Shostakovich, Karmen, and Konstantinovskaya may shed light on how patronymics were used and perceived during that time.

Acknowledgements are also an important part of any research. They show the appreciation and recognition given to those who have contributed to the study. In this case, the acknowledgements may include the people who provided information, the institutions that supported the research, and the authors who inspired the study.

Overall, the study of patronymics in Europe Central is a fascinating topic that offers a glimpse into the cultural and social history of the region.