In “Brussels naked”, Irina Papancheva skilfully and fascinatingly undresses Brussels, Europe and the world, by exposing people, feelings, faith, religiosity, passions and destinies; united in a novel construction.
The book consists of twelve interwoven stories, each with a separate narrator. The first person narration (with the exception of two chapters) complements their distinctness and essence; the characters are not alike, but alive and individual, which is an achievement. The convincing dialogues contribute to their individualisation and authenticity.
This polyphonic and multinational work begins and ends with the narrative of the main character, the Bulgarian Iris, with fifteen years between her two accounts. The political framework of the novel also appears in them – the signing of the European Constitution in 2003, the Brexit vote in 2016 and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018. Key events from our recent history (the wars in Yugoslavia and Syria, the migration,the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels) mark the lives and destinies of the characters and condition their behavior in their Brussels existence.
Irina Papancheva experiments both with the novel form and with her approach to Iris, who is not present in every chapter, in some she is only briefly mentioned, in others she is a main character or a participant in the story.
On the other hand, Brussels is present everywhere with its sights, places, history and atmosphere. The author has managed to build a multi-faceted image of the European capital, which goes far beyond its usual reduction to the European institutions.
The novel covers existential and social themes and asks important questions such as whether we are truly united in diversity, without demagoguery and offering unequivocal answers.
The book consists of twelve interwoven stories, each with a separate narrator. The first person narration (with the exception of two chapters) complements their distinctness and essence; the characters are not alike, but alive and individual, which is an achievement. The convincing dialogues contribute to their individualisation and authenticity.
This polyphonic and multinational work begins and ends with the narrative of the main character, the Bulgarian Iris, with fifteen years between her two accounts. The political framework of the novel also appears in them – the signing of the European Constitution in 2003, the Brexit vote in 2016 and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018. Key events from our recent history (the wars in Yugoslavia and Syria, the migration,the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels) mark the lives and destinies of the characters and condition their behavior in their Brussels existence.
Irina Papancheva experiments both with the novel form and with her approach to Iris, who is not present in every chapter, in some she is only briefly mentioned, in others she is a main character or a participant in the story.
On the other hand, Brussels is present everywhere with its sights, places, history and atmosphere. The author has managed to build a multi-faceted image of the European capital, which goes far beyond its usual reduction to the European institutions.
The novel covers existential and social themes and asks important questions such as whether we are truly united in diversity, without demagoguery and offering unequivocal answers.
Emil Andreev, Writer