The weight of silence

In the book The Weight of Silence, Stanislav Struhar presents an intimate and simultaneously dramatic novel, which is not only a meditation on the relationships between parents and children but also an empathetic look at the fate of people in today's society. Through its distinctively lyrical portrayal and timeless theme, it creates a unique and exceptionally powerful portrait of contemporary Lisbon and Toulon. This impressive novel, which has attracted attention beyond Austria's borders, is presented here to Czech readers in an excellent translation by Markéta Kliková, who has twice been awarded the Translation Prize by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport for her translations of his works.

When Oliver arrives in Lisbon to visit his grandmother, he is already a grown man. Yet it feels as if it were only yesterday that he spent his childhood days here. He remembers his grandfather, who once found happiness again in Lisbon. Oliver is connected to his grandfather, who was rejected by his Viennese family, not only by their origins but also by their love for literature, and for him too, the city opens up with all its colours and languages; he too feels at home in Lisbon. One day, he meets a young woman he once hurt, and his life takes an unexpected turn.