Hinterland

Winner of the Schlegel-Tieck Prize for German Translation

'Both a great anti-war novel and a love story, full of tenderness as around it the world shatters.' Der Spiegel, 'Novel of the Year'

The year is 1944 and Veit Kolbe, a young German soldier, injured fighting in Russia, is recovering in a small village below Drachenwand mountain in Austria. Here he meets Margot and Margarete, two young women who share his hope that sometime, sooner or later, life will begin again.

The war is lost but how long will it take before it finally comes to its end? Arno Geigers Hinterland, translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch, tells of Veits nightmares and the strangely normal life of the village, of the Brazilian who dreams of returning to Rio de Janeiro, of the landlady and her rallying calls, of Margarete the teacher with whom Veit falls in love, but who doesnt return his affection.

But when Veits wounds are healed his next call-up orders arrive. The military outlook for Germany and Austria looks increasingly grim and Veits luck has run out . . .

Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch