The time, the time (novel)
Die Zeit, Die Zeit is a novel by the Swiss author Martin Suter . It was published by Diogenes Verlag in September 2012 .
content
The main character of the novel is Peter Taler, a 42-year-old clerk in the finance department of a construction company. Taler's wife Laura is shot in front of the apartment door and he cannot get over her death. From now on, Taler's goal in life is to find the murderer and kill him with his pistol.
While observing the surrounding houses every evening, Taler becomes aware of his neighbor Knupp, who behaves strangely and is thought to be crazy. Knupp's wife died of malaria 20 years ago and Knupp feels complicit in her death. The 82-year-old is a time nihilist and advocates the thesis that there is no such thing as time, only change. He therefore wants to arrange the entire environment - trees, cars, etc. - exactly as it is shown in photos from 1991. In this way he hopes to win back his wife and give the story a different course.
Using photos that promise evidence of the murderer of Taler's wife, Knupp extorts Taler and forces him to help him in his plan to undo all changes. The two men redesign the surrounding houses, gardens and Knupp's apartment to the state of 1991 with considerable financial and time expenditure. Taler exposes Knupp as Laura’s murderer and shoots him in his house.
The book ends with a short final chapter that presents a big surprise.
Reviews
“A novel that makes you think and turns our world upside down for a moment. ›Die Zeit, Die Zeit‹ is an absolute must for all Suter fans and those who want to become one. "
“› Die Zeit, Die Zeit ‹is a kind of science fiction in the petty bourgeoisie. It starts atmospherically strong, but it ends in the bean counting. Every box tree, every birch, every children's toy is reconstructed for pages. The resolution of the murder case is not surprising either. In the end, the author uses the simplest trick to make the whole thing seem plausible. "
“With his accustomed straightforward, direct language, the former copywriter succeeds in creating tension again. "Die Zeit, die Zeit" does not come close to his earlier successful novels (such as "Small world", "Lila, Lila" or "Der Teufel von Milano"). The story becomes increasingly lost in uninteresting details and finally ends not only completely surprising, but also implausible. "
Book editions
- Hardcover: Diogenes, Zurich 2012, ISBN 978-3-257-06830-6