Gosh, my question was a real conversation-stopper!

Bob,
never mind! I tend to think that this title may not be standard literature, so quite a many reader of your enquiry may have passed by wordlessly (at least, so did I, didn't want to show my illiterateness so bluntly). But now that it has happened, I might get on with looking for that book.

I think most people won't have read it.

Bob, ich habe auf Deine Anfrage nicht geantwortet, weil das Buch auch noch nicht gelesen habe. Ich habe Buchbesprechungen gelesen und gehört, die sehr positiv waren. Bis jetzt bin ich aber noch nicht dazu gekommen, es zu lesen. Schande über mein Haupt ... zumal der Autor aus meiner näheren Heimat kommt, wenn ich mich recht erinnere.

@ Bob
Austerlitz has been on my pile to read for a few years now. I've read nothing by W.G. Sebald (as yet) but my husband has read (I think) everything in German and "hin und weg". And Austerlitz was a wow - and he is critical. But no light fare for him - he likes "schwere Literatur", but said the book was wonderful to read -very moving.

It's a bit strange because I had a place at the University of East Anglia, where WGS taught, but since I wasn't 18, neither parents or teachers let me go .... (With hindisght it was a bit early). Anyway many years later when we were in that part of the country around Christmas, he (WGS) had a a fatal car accident. Strange how everything ties in. Now I will reorganise my pile to read.

I'll read it in German, but it would be interesting to hear how the translation comes over (professional spionage) ;-)

Maybe I can get my old man to send you a few words on this. Altho, once he gets going....

Neugierig georden, habe ich gerade ein paar Kundenrezensionen zu diesem Buch beim deutschen Amazon Website überflogen - die könnten hier vielleicht weiterhelfen.

[beim 2. Wort w vergessen]