Will (Paperback)

A brilliant, uncomfortable exploration of the moral compromises necessary to live alongside evil I loved this book. Will is a vivid, complex, and captivating novel about the grubby moral compromises of life under occupation A masterful book, a gripping epic, necessary and gorgeously written Constantly grapples with what the ordinary man might do when faced with a horror so huge that to resist might threaten his very survival. Olyslaegers bravely explores moral compromise, betrayal and collaboration - and throws our polarised times into sharp relief A vital and endlessly frightening question: under the cosh of an occupier, who among us would actually risk our lives or livelihoods for the sake of principle, or a fellow citizen?... It is Will's inner darkness that drives this book, and it lends a ferocious energy to the narration... Olyslaegers seems intent on pulling the scales from our eyes Will is suited to a time when people can remain apolitical only by hiding from politics A violently atmospheric novel... asks the big, implicating questions about the shadowy terrain of appeasement A dark story of the dangers of herd mentality What moral boundaries would you be willing to cross? Nobody knows, until they've been in such extreme situations themselves. Jeroen Olyslaegers is never judgmental, but he makes a terrifying judgement: this happened once and this could happen again... More than a meeting with history, this is a meeting with ourselves Captivating... addictive reading, and offering a new perspective on a period of history whose disasters still sadly echo in our day and age A lyrical meditation on guilt and evil A gripping panorama which moves the reader from tears to laughter, one minute turning the pages avidly, the next filled with dread... Disturbing and provocative What do you do if evil invades your city?... Olyslaegers, a Flemish author whose grandfather was a Nazi collaborator, is masterly in probing the moral quandaries of collaboration. This is historical fiction at its best: provocative, uncomfortable and illuminating A brilliant, morally complex creation... in a fine translation... and is a compelling read A book that manages to cause this degree of disquiet is a classic I couldn't recommend Will more highly, and I suspect we might hear quite a bit more from Olyslaegers An important and confrontational book in which the past continues to resonate with the present, in a style sharp as a razor A book that asks many questions, plunging us into the streets of Nazi-occupied Antwerp and resonating with the present day A book like a slap in the face A truly epic story This powerful novel proves that, despite the overwhelming amount of war literature available, valuable additions are still possible Captivating Among the ocean of novels written about the Nazi occupation, Will stands out for its force and singularity... A majestic style, blending the colloquial with the lyrical This inventive author grabbed me with his bold, appealing images and furiously paced scenes Introduces an original, fresh perspective on a period that seems to have been written to death Will's earthy yet lyrical language is masterly. Jeroen Olyslaegers's best novel A solid blow to your fiercely beating reader's heart. Pass the word: read Jeroen Olyslaegers Without doubt one of the year's best Flemish novels