Swiss writer Peter Stamm (The Sweet Indifference of the World; Agnes) is known for his ability to cut away every unnecessary phrase and still leave readers feeling awash in a kind of quiet abundance. In The Archive of Feelings, translator Michael Hofmann renders Stamm's original German with care, capturing with apparent ease the buoyant rhythm of the text and the structure's complexity.
After his boss deems obsolete his job curating and organizing news clippings, the unnamed archivist moves the entirety of the collection to his basement and attempts to continue the work independently. He recognizes that the archive "didn't pay its way. But tell me, what does? The archive not only points to the world, it is a picture of the world and a world in and of its own...." The archivist, despite his desire to create and maintain order, has entered a period of searching and uncertainty, especially as he dwells on his lifelong love of a childhood friend--Franziska, now a Swiss pop star known as Fabienne. The narrative moves seamlessly between the present and the past, tracking the years of his longing for Franziska and various other relationships along the way.
Gradually, his view of the archives changes, as does his perspective on the next phase of his life. When he unexpectedly reconnects with Franziska, everything is imbued with possibility, a familiar feeling to those who, like the archivist, have reached midlife and wondered what might come from risks newly taken. Stamm's prose is remarkable, exerting a hypnotic draw that may catch readers unaware but will surprise them with its force. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian