Dunkelblum

A portrait of a little rural town with a dark past, on the border between Austria and Hungary. Small events on the precipice of the fall of the iron curtain lead several inhabitants of Dunkelblum to unearth secrets and lies that the older generation seems to have agreed upon to take to their graves. Like in a mystery with a huge cast of characters, the narration sweeps across time and families, lays out the story in puzzle pieces that you're meant to fit together, before sweeping by again to help you along the way.

I had a good time listening to this. Yes, there were a LOT of characters, and it was tricky remembering who is who, but the way Menasse circled back on people and storylines made it seem that you don't necessarily needed to keep track of everything. That one could just go with the flow. Enjoy the narration, enjoy the masterful language, the dark humor. And Menasse for sure has a way with words.

The audiobook narration by the author was wonderful, she obviously perfectly communciated the wry humor of her text.