Time Shelter: Winner of the International Booker Prize 2023

Role of time in a person's life

Dr. Gaustine starts a clinic for patients with Alzheimer's disease where they get to travel to their past. Each room is designed and designated to a particular time period in history, hence the title 'Time Shelter'. Once the clinic becomes famous for its work, people start rushing to it to relive their former lives, even though they are perfectly normal.A political agenda is formulated, and people must now vote on which period and where they would all want to return. Is it Germany during the Great War, Czechoslovakia during the Velvet Revolution, Spain during the Spanish flu or Rif War, Poland in the 1920s, or Switzerland, which was considered a haven at the risk of soon being overcrowded? Were they the perfect time and place to revisit without causing any temporal chaos in the present? The narrator takes us on a ride through history to reveal the secrets of time.But why did Dr. Gaustine start the clinic in the first place? Did he do it for the patients or his own sake? As with the narrator, we don't get to learn much about him except that he assists Dr. Gaustine in running the clinic. But there are also moments in the book that made me doubt if the narrator actually existed or was just the doctor's second personality.This book is so nuanced that a lot of nonfiction gets passed off as fiction as it's entirely based on European history in the late 19th and 20th centuries, and the author has decided to make an elaborate commentary on it without boring the readers - genius-level writing. Fifty years from now, this book might share space with Gabriel Marquez, Murakami and Co, and people might come up with their own theories and interpretations of the text.I loved reading the book as I am a historical fiction enthusiast, but people who aren't would find it difficult. It needs attention to detail and patience to go through facts and fallacies to fall in love with this book. But once you get to the end, you sure will.

After finishing, I am left wondering whether it was a novel or was even meant to be one. Past apparently was the theme or was meant to be, but it got so diffused into absurdities and so scattered by the uniqueness of form and lack of coherence that it in the end nothing sticks to the mind.

Good

Georgi Gospodinov crafts a narrative that resonates like a blend of Italo Calvino and Franz Kafka, pulling readers into a world where the past, present, and future collide.The story begins with a profound reflection on time and its origins, setting the stage for a narrative that pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling. The unnamed narrator introduces us to Gaustine, a "vagrant in time" whose existence is characterized by a deliberate disconnection from contemporary reality. Gaustine's creation of the "clinic for the past" in Zurich is an ingenious concept. Within the apricot-colored walls of this institution, Alzheimer's patients are given the unique opportunity to relive the past decades, to rekindle memories through meticulously recreated settings. It's a sanctuary for those grappling with the erosion of their recollections, and Gaustine's vision is nothing short of brilliant.As the story unfolds, it takes an unexpected turn, with a growing number of healthy individuals seeking refuge in the clinic's simulated past. Here, the author's brilliance shines, as he delves into the consequences of an ever-expanding retreat into history. The boundaries between eras and reality begin to warp, and the narrative takes on a surreal quality.The prose in "Time Shelter" is nothing short of breathtaking. Gospodinov's ability to blend the ethereal with the tangible is spellbinding. The story meanders through labyrinthine vignettes, each crafted with precision and depth. It forces readers to question the nature of memory, the passage of time, and the significance of the past in shaping our present and future.This novel is a poetic journey that leaves a lasting impression, and I enthusiastically award it 5 stars. Prepare to lose yourself in the intricacies of past, present, and future, as "Time Shelter" is a literary masterpiece that demands your attention.

Metallic, unpleasant voice spoiling and excellent book.

El tema me pareció muy interesante. Haber ganado el Booker Prize, también. Sin embargo, no he logrado pasar de la página 72 de 302... Y muchas de ellas, las leí en "transversal". No tengo ganas de seguir...Me parece que ganó el premio por motivos políticos. Yo le iba más al de Guadalupe Nettel.... Ya leeré los otros finalistas.Sin embargo, cada lector es un juez y pueden opinar de otra manera. A mí, ¡no me gustó!

Intelligently conceived - everyone turning their back on the present, decaying world to live solely in the past, with all the ramifications. Brilliantly executed - lively prose with dabs of ironic humor blended in, through a beautifully readable, transparent translation. Highly recommended!

Interesting ideas, easy to read.I will recommend.

One of the best books I've read recently. It's original and thought-provoking. I enjoyed every single page.