The Second Jacob
- date of publication: 15.02.2021
- 448 Pages
- Hanser Verlag
- hardcover
- ISBN 978-3-446-26916-3
- Deutschland: 25,00 €
- Österreich: 25,70 €
- ePUB-Format
- E-Book ISBN 978-3-446-26989-7
- E-Book Deutschland: 11,99 €
“The question preoccupying Gstrein is how much a person can know about themselves, their unfathomable depths and those of others.” Christoph Schröder, DIE ZEIT
“Of course nobody wants to turn sixty.” This is how Jacob’s confession of a lifetime begins. He is a well-known actor, and is planning to publish his biography. But Jakob is terrified of what will come next. Then his daughter Luzie poses the question: “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” And this causes an explosion in this nail-biting book.
Jacob recalls doing a film shoot years ago on the Mexican-American border. He remembers women being murdered and the terrible conditions in general, but he only ever witnessed these things from afar. Twice, however, he found himself in the middle of sinister events. Jacob is ashamed and struggles with the simplistic verdicts of the outside world. In his vivid memories, he longs for happiness and fears his own mortality, like a child fears the dark. Why is he never the original but always “the second Jacob”? Norbert Gstrein gets right to the heart of his vulnerable, unfathomable hero in this gripping novel that is also a great work.
“The propensity for self-destruction makes the brutal play on identities in this novel an impressive achievement.” – Hilmar Klute, Süddeutsche Zeitung
“Gstrein draws the reader into the complex dynamics of the film team as a participating observer. The rivalries and jealousy, as well as the underlying atmosphere of violence, characterise the work on set as does the social conditions of the region. Private lives and roles, theatrical poses and real breakdowns merge, while emotional conflicts become as claustrophobic as in a Kammerspiel.” – Richard Kämmerlings, Die Welt
“The Second Jacob is a brilliantly constructed novel that does everything in its power not to permit a definitive reality.” – Hubert Winkels, Die Zeit
“Norbert Gstrein is a specialist in unreliable storytelling. He breaks down moral and biographical certainties into elegant lyrical sentences.” – Christoph Schröder, Deutschlandfunk Kultur Büchermarkt
“Gstrein is a master of grey zones, a writer who eludes black-and-white certainties and who has always refused to make simple judgements in his books. This book contains all the ingredients of great literature.” – Bernd Melichar, Kleine Zeitung
“Readers tend to skip a few sentences out of impatience. In this case, they won’t want to. It’s not possible.” – Peter Pisa, Kurier