Brodeck by Philippe Claudel

January 2013

Also known as “Brodeck’s Report”, and translated beautifully by John Cullen. It’s set in a fictional village somewhere like Alsace (but not), after a war you assume was WWII. But the book has such a timeless, placeless feel about it, and it addresses such universal issues, that it could really have been set anywhere, at any time. It’s unsettling and moving and dark (sometimes very, very dark), and it left a more lasting impression on me than most books I’ve read. Brilliant.

Further reading…