Alain Claude Sulzer

I can't quite make my mind about this book. Somehow it was much more difficult to read through than other of Sulzer's novels. The different storylines felt too disconnected from each other, and while they were all interesting in themselves, the looseness made it difficult for me to see the wholeness of it all. I was ready to give this book two stars at most, until I read the postscript, which managed to convince me that this book deserved a bit better.

As usual with Sulzer novels, homosexual romance in times of rampant homophobia and taboo are a central part of the story. There is also grieving and loss, another common component of his works, as well as simple people whose lives see a sudden romantic high come and go, leaving them in their solitude and simpleness again. While the characters, settings, and circumstances vary considerably, the underlying feel of the book repeats, making me feel that I have read this book already in his previous works.

If my memory and my limited command of German serve me well, I have to admit that Sulzer's prose and language are growing rich and more challenging for a non-native like myself. While [b:Zur falschen Zeit|15740396|Zur falschen Zeit|Alain Claude Sulzer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341669895s/15740396.jpg|21426491] and [b:Ein perfekter Kellner|6475672|Ein perfekter Kellner|Alain Claude Sulzer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435498646s/6475672.jpg|1900925] were easier to read, 'Postskriptum' was definitely more challenging. Perhaps one day I'll read this book again, if my German has developed enough for me to give this book a more educated chance. We will see how I feel about it then.… (altro)

It has been almost one and a half years since I read this tiny little book, but it has not managed to elude my regular thoughts, and for such a plain, seemingly unimposing novel without any impressive sequences of action, that should probably say more than enough.

"A Perfect Waiter" deals with a protagonist called Erneste who works as a waiter in a Swiss hotel and has obtained a reputation as being a man who quietly possesses all the qualities expected of a waiter - of a perfect waiter. He is polite and attentive, but remains withdrawn and never puts his personal affairs above his professional obligations. What seemingly nobody knows: Erneste engages himself in a love affair with another waiter, Jakob, but what feels like true, affectionate and tender love to Erneste, is nothing more than just another fling, just another love affair to Jakob.

The action lies in the protagonist's thoughts, in his recollections of the past and his observations of the present, in the quiet existence of his sorrow and solitude. In many ways, one might expect those feelings to amount to some kind of revelation, to an eruption which could mean escape from his predetermined, ordinary and repetitive everyday life. But this eruption never happens, and quietude is what the bars of his prison are made of.
The main story (told through flashbacks by Erneste) is set during the mid-1930s, a time when the revelation of Erneste's love affair would have meant his social demise, his ejectment from his work, from the people he knows, from society. He knows that well enough, and the simple knowledge of the fact that there never will be anybody he could possibly discuss the true nature of his emotional condition with causes him to feel like the loneliest person on the planet. He finds escape and distraction in his work, a profession he loves and doesn't want to lose.
And to all this, there is only one possibe solution: Erneste has no other choice but to become invisible. And as a waiter, he needs the ability to become invisible, to attend his guests' wishes without them noticing his presence. It's the perfect disguise for his fragile emotional state. After all, there is no reason to think that the wounds inflicted by love might not heal one day, or is there?

The story focuses on being a prisoner in one's profession, on being emotionally injured in an involvement of love. As a result, the two main themes of this novel are two of the things I personally fear the most, and maybe that's why this novel has touched me so profoundly. Erneste's life has been a source of inspiration, and even if this story may be fictional, there is no doubt that the emotional turmoil expressed by author Alain Claude Sulzer is one experienced by many people around the world.

This novel reveals that sometimes it's the quietness which expresses itself the loudest. I honestly have no idea of how you should define perfection in a book - but this tale about a perfect waiter is, to my perception, also a perfect novel.… (altro)

> Babelio : https://www.babelio.com/livres/Sulzer-Une-autre-epoque/233580

> «Une Autre Epoque» d’Alain Claude Sulzer
A partir d’une photo et d’une montre, un fils se lance, solitaire, dans une longue enquête sur la mort de son père, qui s’est suicidé avant sa naissance. Un roman sensible… ; (en ligne),
URL : https://www.letemps.ch/culture/une-epoque-dalain-claude-sulzer… (altro)