Five of the gang were present for this month's meeting. Ann and Tony, Art and Janice were all there ahead of me. They were already being served by the time I got there and I think they had also had the discussion of the book. I ordered my latte and waited for someone to come back and take my order for breakfast. I waited a long time. Finally someone figured out I needed food.
With my belly full of egg and salmon I brought up the book again. Did we like it? No. What was it we didn't like about it? No real answer. Art offered the problem of translation: are we reading bad writing or are we reading a bad translation?
I never really got to say what I thought. It can be like that when you come late to the party. I really liked this book. I visited Romania soon after the "revolution" and had a chance to experience a little of the country and its people. I thought that Müller nailed the surreal character of Romania in that period. I thought she accurately portrayed the sense of disorientation many people felt trying to navigate that insanity. I don't think this was the best novel I've ever read but I wasn't disappointed.
