[ book tip by Incentives ] At the beginning, everything is up in the air. Theodora Bauer’s cryptically titled novel, “Das Fell der Tante Meri” (“Aunt Meri’s Fur”), narrates the story of three characters  - Ferdl, Anni, and Karl - in alternating turns. At first she leaves us in the dark as to the trio’s “true” nature as well as what exactly ties them together.

We follow Ferdl, the main character, from childhood through late bachelorhood. His destiny is shaped decisively by Aunt Meri, a dominant figure who ultimately bequeaths him her sizeable fortune. Ferdl, Anni, and Karl live in different eras, and the narrator’s tone varies accordingly. The cheeky hairdresser Anni and the lethargic Ferdl both use linguistically naïve tones of voice, outwardly conveying their internal states. Only Karl, the third of the trio, cultivates a more elegant use of language. Several details disclose the different layers of time. In Ferdl’s world, there are revealing campaign posters and conversations about Waldheim, Austria’s president in the late ’80s and early ’90s; the characters in Anni’s chapters greet one another with “Heil Hitler”; and we accompany Karl on his escape to South America.

Theodora Bauer feeds us with morsels of information, building suspense and piquing our curiosity. The slow, artful way the connections are unveiled is what makes the novel particularly compelling. Without giving too much away, Aunt Meri's accidental death and Ferdl’s “breakthrough in thinking” bring the novel into the realm of full-blown crime fiction.

The writer, born in 1990, demonstrates considerable talent with her debut. The novel is clearly structured yet cunningly interwoven, the characters’ worldviews are successfully transformed into language, and the content and characterization invite the reader’s emotional engagement. With rich detail, a delicate sense of humor, and abundant empathy, Bauer follows her characters along their quiet, entwined paths and even incorporates an unusual love story, which she wisely allows her readers to appraise for themselves.

Abridged version of the review by Beatrice Simonsen, February 2014. English translation by Jake Schneider
Full German text: http://www.literaturhaus.at/index.php?id=10259

[ book info ] Bauer, Theodora: Das Fell der Tante Meri. (original language: German) Picus Verlag, Wien, 2014 . ISBN: 978-3-7117-2011-5.