Picaresque novel of folklore and history set across Germany
Bookreview of Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann
Picaresque novel of folklore and history set across Germany – What’s that I hear you cry? Well I wasn’t too sure when I first came across this novel but it turns out it’s a novel “relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.” Now that I had that straight, I wondered what or who Tyll was. I vaguely remember it being a character something like a jester, a confidence trickster and someone from German folkglore. This novel is set in the 30 Years War….Now that’s quite a mix!
On that note…. I wanted to investigate more…
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This book of magical and folkloric fantasy is set during of the Thirty Years War. Tyll is…well what is he exactly? He’s a confidence trickster, jester, a will-o-the-wisp and he more than embodies the spirit of rebellion. He has been transplanted three centuries after he was said to have existed and so portrays the horrors and tragedies that the war brings with it. The rumbles of war and the chaos of the time is a constant backdrop that pushes into the foreground again before floating back to showcase Tyll. It’s a magically woven thread that runs through this tapestry. Given the time period and the random nonlinear line of the plot, that’s exactly what this novel feels like. Take a step back and see the bigger picture. The travelling circus that you see before you is spellbinding although it can get confusing at times.
Tyll seems to represent the freedom and sense of flagrant disobedience when everyone else has to abide by the law and the conditions of the time. The time and place is well evoked with characters from history popping up on this literary tapestry. Take a look at one event – and then look around youy at the characters – each of whom will have a unique viewpoint and opinion of that event. The full picture becomes clearer by the end.
It’s on this shortlist too!
I admit that although I’d heard of Tyll, I knew little about him. His story and persona is well told although the non-linear did confuse me at times. However, this fits well with the overall story and meaning of the novel. I’m not sure what kind of novel this is – although it’s described as picaresque – “relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.”
This is a magical cauldron of a story with more toil and trouble that I could ever imagine reading in a novel. History, magical realism, folklore and so much more. I would even go so far as to say that it felt very Monty Python-esque. Make of that what you will!
This would be a good bookclub read – it would be interesting to see what others though and understood about it. Happily that bookclub is on Zoom tonight – #ReadtheWorld.
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