Izgubljeni raj

Nooteboom tells the story of two people who meet by chance in Perth, the Brazilian Alma who goes to Australia to overcome trauma and the Dutch literary critic Erik, whose life has long since lost all meaning. Alma can become an angel in Perth thanks to an unusual art project, and Erik meets her there and is sure that she is his angel... And while Alma, an art student fascinated by angels, narrates in the first part of the novel, in the second part that role is taken by Erik, a sharp literary critic whose monotonous life Alma will bring a touch of mystery and excitement. The brilliantly told story of Alma and Erik is full of ironic comments and witty dialogues, which Cees Nooteboom underlays with an impeccable blend of contemporary, historical and mythical images, and gave birth to another prose masterpiece.