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Three Book Reviews + An Excerpt
It’s been just over two months since the limited 1st-edition release of my second novel, The Requisitions, a historical metafiction set during the Nazi Occupation of Poland.
There are precisely 109 / 300 copies remaining, and the reviews are starting to come in from dozens of readers who now know the story of Viktor, Carl, and Elsa.1
While the nature of independent publishing requires me to grit my teeth through necessary self-promotion, I’m proud to say it’s the people who matter most to me—my readers—who will be at the forefront of that push. Many of you are already sending me emails, text messages, and thoughtful reviews about your experience reading The Requisitions, and what an honor it is to be on 191 bookshelves and counting.
But alas, as a novelist, I’m told I live in a world wherein the opinion of pay-to-play review magazines like Kirkus Review is more important than that of a screenwriter from Tennessee named Conner
, to whom I gave a walking tour last summer and now consider a literary compatriot. I’m told it’s best to consider reaching out to strangers who work for quarterly reviews and literary supplements that none of us read, rather than mention , a fellow writer living in Champagne, who heard about The Requisitions a few weeks back, ordered a copy, and met me for coffee at Gare de l’Est to discuss life, literature, and all the rest of it.But alas, as any modern day self-promoter will tell you, I should be focusing on building a following personality cult on BookTok, a sub-community on a controversial video platform that addicts teenagers and produces viral memes, in the hopes that a complete Internet stranger with a cult-like following (to what is he leading?)—let’s call him Tony—can record a 1-minute video extolling the virtues of The Requisitions …. not because Tony cares about the book, but because if Tony records a video about The Requisitions, then maybe, just maybe, I can become famous.
But is Tony the BookTokker’s opinion more important to me than the words of
, a wise, seasoned, award-winning journalist who I had the pleasure of meeting in a Parisian dive bar during the last Parisian Substack Meetup? Or what about the words of JoJo and Barrie of, writers who embody the art of slow living in southern France and with whom, through comment sections alone on this platform, I’ve been able to develop a digital friendship?One day, perhaps, more “industry standard” reviews of The Requisitions will come, but it’s a curious world, one in which the words of our friends, colleagues, peers, and mentors matter less than the opinions of “qualified” strangers, all in the name of making more money. I don’t have much faith in the current standards of the book review please-go-on-Amazon-and-and-review-my-book-even-if-you-haven’t-read-it-industry, and since there’s nothing standard about the way me and my wife
Four Reviews that Matter to Me:
: “… a captivating, chilling, culturally important novel concerning humanity’s great capacities for barbarity, beauty, and noble revolt in the face of senseless cruelty. paints a compelling portrait in his novel, weaving rich philosophy, a rollercoaster plot, deep, dynamic characters, and his own meta-narrative into a grand, impactful story I can only describe as unmistakably brilliant and inspired by a boundless empathy for and understanding of the human condition.” : "...a deeply engaging immersion into two of the hardest questions to answer regarding the Holocaust--namely, why? And how?... masterful prose and plotting, and a unique and imaginative approach to the subject, blending personal memoir, historical metafiction, and philosophical inquiry into the deepest recesses of the human soul...sobering, unsettling...but comes out--barely--on the side of a case for hope.": “Mighty writing. Powerful thinking and astonishing storytelling. Any book about the Nazi occupation of Poland must explore the depths of human cruelty but the necessarily hard-hitting sections are countered by hope and human kindness, as life is. The way historic and contemporary tales weave in and around one other is compelling; such an imaginative approach.” : “Lopez-Barrantes has provided us with a roadmap through some of the most dangerous and emotional moments of our time, with lessons that will resonate far beyond its fraught era in the depths of the Second World War. The moral choices, the roads chosen or rejected are universal in their appeal and how his finely-wrought characters handle the choices presented to them in the converging narratives that arrive at a single crossroad leave readers choices that can only open ever broader horizons. This page-turning book is a must-read for all those who value the work of a master storyteller in command of his material.”
Excerpt, The Requisitions, p. 28
Viktor goes to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face and inspect himself in the mirror. Out there, everyone expects something of him—a joke, a smile, a word of reassurance—but Viktor is neither a prophet nor a friend, not today. Back in his university days, Viktor published a book of poetry, but the silence that followed became a source of shame. Since then, he hasn’t published much of anything at all … a few articles here and there, but who reads academic journals anyway? Rachel, Tadeusz, and Sasha still call him a writer (Martin puts it bluntly: “Viktor, you’re faltering”), but for the first time in twenty years, Viktor won’t be going back to school in the autumn. He hates what he’s become: an academic, a charlatan, a false idol with nothing to show for it, aside from this second damn cold sore forming on his upper lip.
Viktor moves closer to the bathroom mirror and covers his face completely, peeking at his reflection as if he were a child playing a game. He wants to catch a glimpse of the Professor Viktor Bauman others see, a man of levity and for whom life comes easily. Carefree. Ha. He used to speak to esteemed academics in crowded lecture halls. He used to think it meant something, having a Ph.D. And yes, in a different world, a different life, he might be known for his accomplishments: a master’s in history and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna; an additional master's in psychiatry from Kings College, London; a Distinguished Professorship in History at the Free University in Łódź; and two other honorary degrees from Oxford and the Sorbonne. But what remains of “The Professor” on this day of days? Was it not an illusion all along? Viktor glares at his reflection. What was he trying to prove all those years? What use is philosophy in the face of death squads? What can Voltaire or Mary Shelley say to explain the Luftwaffe strafing columns of refugees just outside town?
A non-comprehensive list of the first Substackers to read The Requisitions :
Excited to have my copy in hand to read this weekend. Glad to be a part of the movement to establish more meaningful connections between writers and readers.
I love the way you have framed the need (and wish) to develop deeper connections with your readers and the way that changes the act of publishing. Delighted to play a small part in rippling out the good vibes about such an important book. Warmly, Barrie