Each of these essays is a master class in self-absorption. Handke is peripatetic and restless, and each piece is at once an instance of generic travel writing and a record of extraordinary noticing. He proceeds not just from place to place, but also from instance to instance, sensation to sensation. He looks so deeply into himself, he finds the world ... The translation is superb, capturing Handke’s kinesthetic style that makes novel thoughts and perceptions possible, each image an ember, blown on until it glows.
Handke makes curious statements and the prose, at least in translation, can get flamboyant ... Yet the author is also admirably self-critical ... The book also contains some welcome light touches ... Nuanced essays from a challenging writer whose appeal varies widely.
... erudite ... Handke’s essays are existential and weighty, his writing wordy and winding, and he’s always richly imaginative. This is as challenging as it is playful.
