April in Paris

Zusatztext “Touching [and] thrilling. . . . An impressive debut.” — USA Today “Bittersweet! resonant....[Wallner] evokes war-ravaged Paris with a deft touch.” — New York Times Book Review “A cross between Ken Follett and Bernard Schlink's The Reader … Exhilarating.” — Brigitte Magazine Informationen zum Autor Michael Wallner translated by John Cullen Klappentext Michael Wallner's thrilling first novel, set in occupied France during World War II, movingly recounts the impossible love affair between a German soldier and a French resistance fighter.Roth, a young soldier in the SS and a fluent French translator, works as an interpreter during the interrogation of Resistance fighters. But while off-duty, he slips away from his fellow officers, changes into civilian clothes, and wanders aimlessly through Paris disguised as his alter ego "Antoine." One day he is drawn into an antiquarian bookshop and becomes enchanted with the bookseller's beautiful daughter, Chantal. The two begin to meet and fall in love before Roth has the courage to reveal his true identity, or the time to discover that Chantal is part of the Resistance. Written in an elegant and arresting style, April in Paris is an engrossing novel from a promising new talent. Leseprobe 1 I learned about the transfer before noon. The small stripes of light had reached the windowsill. My major came in and kept one hand on the doorknob while gesturing to me with the other to keep my seat. He wanted to know if the hogwash from Marseille was ready yet. I pointed to the half–written sheet still in the typewriter. I could go when I reached the end of the page, he said. “And the dispatch from Lagny–sur–Marne?” I asked, surprised. “Someone else will have to do it. You’re needed elsewhere.” I pressed my knees together under the table. In those days, many people were being sent to the front. “I’m being reassigned?” “Rue des Saussaies has lost a translator.” The major ran his hand down the left side of his uniform coat. German Horseman’s Badge, War Merit Cross. He said he’d do all he could to get me back. I shouldn’t worry, he said; my transfer would be only temporary. “What happened to the translator from rue des Saussaies?” “He was run over and killed last night.” I flinched. “Partisans?” “Of course not. The guy was drunk, and he went staggering over a bridge. Because of the blackout, the patrol car saw him too late. Unfortunately, he didn’t die right away. Horrible. Anyway, the request for an interpreter wound up on my desk. You seem to have a reputation in rue des Saussaies,” the major said with a rare smile. “They specifically asked for you .” My back stiffened. I glanced across the room toward the wall map, scale 1:500,000. Arrows, hatching, the plaster rosette over the door, the remains of cloth wallpaper from the time when people still lived here. My desk, the French dictionary, badly chewed pencils. I was going to miss the lovely view out over the line of roofs to the west. The major looked at me gloomily. “Finish the Marseille thing. Then take the rest of the day off. You start over there tomorrow morning. You’ll be back in a few days. Those folks aren’t particularly fond of strange faces.” I stood up and saluted; the major absentmindedly raised his arm. I remained standing even after he left the room. The sunlight came through the window and cast a shadow like a cross on the wall. All at once, I was cold. I buttoned my top button and grabbed my cap, as though I was about to leave. Then I put it down again, lowered myself onto the chair, read the French original, and began typing the translation with two fingers. You could have gone another way, I said to myself. How careless, to walk down rue des Saussaies, of all streets. The black–and–silver uniform appeared quite suddenly, right in fron...

Product details

• Authors: Michael Wallner, Michael/ Cullen Wallner
• Assisted by: John Cullen (Translation)
• Publisher: Anchor Books USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 25.03.2008
• EAN: 9780307277688
• ISBN: 978-0-307-27768-8
• No. of pages: 256
• Dimensions: 132 mm x 203 mm x 13 mm
• Subject: Fiction > Narrative literature