[ book tip by Preis der Literaturhäuser ] The situation is dire. There is no hope. This is how Ilija Trojanow describes life in Bulgaria in his reportage “Hundezeiten”. A country, more especially, his own homeland is utterly destitute after the collapse of Communism. With the injured pride of a native Bulgarian, Trojanow illustrates how he experienced his visits back “home”. The results of his research suggest that not a single new politician has not profited from the former connections with the Stasi secret police. The situation depresses him so much that Trojanow gives up all his literary work to focus instead entirely on facts and observations. “Hundezeiten” is thus a nightmarish documentary, an account of grieving even in the post-totalitarian democracy. The old social elites cheerfully claim all the new posts with the help of the West and the old victims remain where they always were – forgotten.
(Beat Mazenauer)

[ book info ] Trojanow, Ilija: Hundezeiten. Heimkehr in ein fremdes Land. (original language: Deutsch) Hanser Verlag, München, 1999 .