Visitation

by Jenny Erpenbeck
Visitation cover
Good Books rating 4.23
Literary Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 664
  • Added: 2025-09-18
  • Updated: 2025-09-18
  • ISBN: 9780811219310
  • Publisher: New Directions Publishing
  • Published: 2010-09-30
  • Formats: 2
  • Reviews: 3
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Waterstones
Paperback • £8.99–£9.99

Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck is a bestselling novel that has established her as a significant contemporary author in Europe. The story unfolds around a forested property on a Brandenburg lake outside Berlin, serving as a timeless witness to over one hundred years of German history. From the nineteenth century to the present day, the novel captures the passions and fates of twelve inhabitants who seek refuge and meaning in this enchanting house. /n/n The narrative shimmers through the everyday life of the house, offering a poetic and elegiac exploration of the landscape and the people who have called it home. With its darkly sensual and evocative prose, Visitation forms a literary mosaic of the last century, revealing both the wounds and moments of reconciliation that have shaped Germany's past.

Reviews
BookMunch · 2024-11-22
thoughtful 4.00

The novel's poetic style leaves gaps for readers to fill, making it a personal and unique experience. The reviewer appreciates the novel's ability to evoke a sense of history and personal connection.

The reviewer notes that the novel's poetic and folk-like style leaves many gaps, which allows readers to fill in the blanks with their own interpretations. This makes the reading experience deeply personal and unique. They also highlight the novel's ability to capture the essence of a place and its history, making it a compelling read.

Quick quotes

    The poetic, folk-like style leaves many gaps, and the readers would have to fill them in on their own.

    That's what makes this novel so personal.

    The novel breaks into the everyday life of the house and shimmers through it, while relating the passions and fates of its inhabitants.

London Review of Books · Benjamin Markovits · 2011-06-30
insightful 4.20

The novel is seen as a companion to Sebald's The Emigrants, offering a unique perspective on history and personal stories. The reviewer appreciates the novel's ability to evoke a sense of place and time.

Benjamin Markovits compares the novel to Sebald's work, noting its ability to capture the essence of a place and its history. He appreciates the novel's unique perspective on personal stories and historical events, making it a compelling read. The reviewer highlights the novel's ability to evoke a sense of place and time, making it a memorable experience.

Quick quotes

    Jenny Erpenbeck's new novel, Visitation, can be read as a response or a companion to Sebald's The Emigrants.

    Unlike the first two books, it serves as a weekend getaway on a Brandenburg lake in what will be East Germany.

    The novel breaks into the everyday life of the house and shimmers through it, while relating the passions and fates of its inhabitants.

The Guardian · 2010-10-30
engaging 4.50

The book is praised for its poetic and historical depth, capturing the essence of a place over time. It is noted for its ability to evoke a sense of history and personal connection.

The reviewer highlights the novel's ability to weave together the lives of various inhabitants of a house by a lake, spanning over a century. They appreciate the poetic and elegant style, which allows readers to feel a deep connection to the place and its history. The novel is seen as a beautiful exploration of how personal stories intertwine with broader historical events.

Quick quotes

    The novel breaks into the everyday life of the house and shimmers through it, while relating the passions and fates of its inhabitants.

    Elegant and poetic, Visitation allows us to feel we've known real individuals, experienced the slow unfolding of history, and bonded unconditionally with a place.

    The narrative tells the stories of all the people who live there over one hundred years, from the early twentieth to early twenty-first centuries.

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