Polyphonic in structure, the distinctiveness of each narrative voice is testament to Austen’s skill and the resulting novel is both intimate and ambitious, lyrical and moving.
[A] nimble debut ... The glancing nature of the chapters inevitably leaves certain elements unrealized ... Francois, Charlotte and Leo, each an artist or art lover, all believe in a unity of 'ethics and aesthetics' that should guide our actions, a tantalizing concept that doesn’t materialize in tangible ways. And the recurring references to the 'Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus' by Ludwig Wittgenstein—a professor of Julian’s—remain as puzzling to me as that philosopher’s gnomic aphorisms ... One can overlook these elisions thanks to Ms. Austen’s skill at quick personality sketches and her knack for suspense.
Engrossing ... With eloquent and tense wartime suspense, the novel 33 Place Brugmann is an intricate character study about individuality and communal connection.
