[exhibeKed]

Has everyone already heard of Julia Franck, or are you all as ignorant as I am? I had never heard of her until yesterday, when I read a rave review of her latest book, which was originally published in German as Die Mittagsfrau, winning the German Book Prize.

The writer and critic Allan Massie, who isn't usually prodigal with his praise, says "Historical sweep and vivid, living characters make this a great novel". It deals with Germany in the two world wars. Says Massie:

"A brief summary cannot do justice to the penetrating imagination of this book, to the author's certainty of tone and to the wealth of significant detail she provides. No doubt much research has gone to its making, but the research has been thoroughly absorbed and is never obtrusive; instead, it is illuminated and brought to life by the vividness of the author's imaginative sympathy. She offers a panorama of a society stumbling blindfold to disaster ... The narrative is gripping, the atmosphere densely oppressive. The tone has the authority which comes only when people, feelings, thoughts, scenes and actions have been so thoroughly imagined that you can't conceive of events turning out otherwise than they are presented ..."

One thing I like about Allan Massie's reviews in the "Scotsman" is that he always pays tribute to the English translator when reviewing a foreign work of fiction he has enjoyed. In this case he concludes:

"German critics have praised the quality of the prose, and I would think this a very difficult novel for the translator, Anthea Bell, to render into English. She has done it admirably, retaining the feel (one supposes) of the original while presenting it in natural and flexible English."

Harry