2024 - SRF best list - The best books in February

Contents

The portrait of a Romanian friendship, the story of three sisters and a man doomed to die. The five book highlights in February in the countdown.

5. Bernhard Schlink: “Late Life” (17 points)

Legend:

Bernhard Schlink: “Late life.” 240 pages, Diogenes 2023.

DIOGENESIS

Martin, 76, learns that he only has six months left to live. What else can he do during this time? What can he leave to his six-year-old son? Memories, values, insights into life? Martin doesn’t want to let impending death get him down – and develops a new vitality.

Bernhard Schlink shows in an admirably calm tone how his hero manages to let go. A consolation for all readers who are about to die at some point – even if not always as expected.

4. Nele Pollatschek: “Little problems” (22 points)

Lars is a brooder. Instead of getting things done, he thinks. But on December 31st, Lars decides to use the remaining hours until the turn of the year to complete all the things that have so far remained unfinished: cleaning, tax returns, saving his marriage, writing a book – hopeless projects, right?

This book is what you call ‘good entertainment with depth’.

3. Josephine W. Johnson: “The November Sisters” (24 points)

Book cover of Jospehine W. Johnson's “The November Sisters”.

In the 1930s, three sisters live on a farm in the USA. Because of the economic crisis, the family is fighting for survival. Then a young man moves in who breaks up the rigid conditions. Author Josephine W. Johnson won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for her debut in 1935, when she was just 24 years old.

Nature as the main character determines the life of the Waldemare family with its beauty and its cruelty. A read that resonates.

2. Zeruya Shalev: “Not me” (28 points)

The debut of the Israeli author Zeruya Shalev’s “Not Me” from 1993 is the soul striptease of a young woman who neither wants to be a loyal wife nor a caring mother. In a daringly confusing monologue, the protagonist talks about desire, freedom, the pain of separation and loss.

Shalev is a master at illuminating all the twists and turns of the soul. She does that in ‘Not Me’ too, in an uncompromisingly radical way.”

1. Iris Wolff: “Gleades” (29 points)

The street painter Kato and her traveling companion Lev are lovers. It was not always like that. Iris Wolff tells of a fragile love in the communist multi-ethnic state of Romania and presents it from behind. A thoughtful book about love, friendship, freedom and belonging.

Against the backdrop of political upheavals in Eastern Europe, Iris Wolff tells in clear, precise, visually powerful language about the power of strong bonds and the experience of foreignness at home within a fragile cultural society.

The SRF best list is determined every month by an expert jury. The jury includes 55 book critics, librarians, booksellers, literary scholars and representatives of literary institutions.

Each jury member is allowed to nominate up to four titles for the SRF best list that were published no more than six months ago. The scoring works as follows: