The Physics of Sorrow

( Bulgarian - I vsichko stana luna (Физика на тъгата ) - 2012 )

novel by Georgi Gospodinov

translated by Angela Rodel

Published: Open Letter - trade paperback - 2015
ISBN: 194095309X / 9781940953090

Open Letter - e-book - 2015
eISBN: 1940953103 / 9781940953106
ASiN: B00TXS4A38


synopsis
Using the myth of the Minotaur as an organizing image, the narrator constructs a labyrinth of stories about his family, jumping from era to era and viewpoint to viewpoint, exploring the mindset and trappings of Eastern Europeans. Incredibly moving - such as with the story of his grandfather accidentally being left behind at a mill - and extraordinarily funny - see the section on the awfulness of the question "how are you?" It also follows the narrator down various "side passages," getting pleasantly lost in the various stories and empathizing with the sorrowful, misunderstood Minotaur at the center of it all.

awards
Hristo G. Danov Award for Bulgarian Literature, 2012