Elmer Schönberger

Elmer Schönberger
Second chances, old flames, philosophical

Elmer Schönberger (Utrecht, 1950) is a writer, composer and musicologist. He publishes essays and biographies about music and composers, writes theatre plays en was for years a regular contributor to the quality opinion magazine Vrij Nederland. Meulenhoff published his novels Vic, met name and Vuursteens vleugels, and the essay bundle Het gebroken oor (non-fiction about classical music).

Books

Ysbrand, a single musician, hears from his doctor he will almost certainly die within half a year. He finishes what needs to be finished and consents with his fate, but then he recovers miraculously from his illness. It seems he has been given a second chance. This causes much confusion, and in a sudden fit of melancholy he decides to try and find his first love - he knows she's dead, but why not try to find a woman who resembles her enough?

Of course this search, that brings him all the way to Mexico, is a disaster waiting to happen. Detached from his past and without a clue what he should do with his future, Ysbrand's journey ends in the transit zone of an international airport. All sorts of people, from a priest and a doctor to an official of the Dutch embassy, try to take care of the airport sleeper, but without result: slowly but inevitably Ysbrand disappears into an abyss of memories.

A literary and philosophical novel, full of beautiful, musical sentences that you want to read over and over again.

Represented by 2 Seas Agency.