Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck is a novel set in East Berlin, starting in 1986 and continuing beyond the fall of the Berlin Wall. Through flashbacks, it also reaches back into the Nazi years and the early formation of both the Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Toward the end, the focus shifts to the painful aftermath of the Wende between 1989 and 1991. The political history and the personal story constantly reflect one another, reinforcing the sense that neither the relationship nor the state is headed toward a happy resolution.
The main story of this taken through the alternating perspectives of Hans, who is 53, and Katharina, who is just 19. Both voices are written in a noticeably detached way. The story is framed around Katharina sorting through Hans’s files after his death, using them to reflect on their shared past. Their relationship begins by chance and quickly grows into intense infatuation, before slipping into obsession, control, and eventual collapse. This personal trajectory is clearly meant to mirror the fate of the GDR and its complicated relationship with its citizens.
Because of this, along the pages, I felt that Kairos is a bleak novel. The writing style strengthens that mood. The characters often feel emotionally distant, moving through events almost mechanically, with very little warmth or visible feeling. While this may be a stylistic choice, it made the reading experience feel heavy and emotionally draining.
As I read, I kept trying to connect with the story. Before starting the book, I had already seen many critical reviews on Goodreads, which stood out to me given that the novel won the International Booker Prize. Since I loved Orbital, another Booker winner that received relatively low ratings, I assumed Kairos might be another case where I would end up with an unpopular opinion.
Sadly, that wasn’t the case.
I struggled to find anything particularly engaging about the plot, and the writing itself didn’t stand out to me as especially distinctive. What made it even more challenging was the amount of historical and cultural context presented without much explanation in this novel. Many references felt highly specific and niche, making it difficult to understand how they connected to the story as a whole. As a result, the link between the personal relationship and the political backdrop never fully came together for me, which I found frustrating.
I think this kind of experience explains why some readers out there grow frustrated with literary fiction in general. That’s unfortunate, because there are many literary novels that balance depth with clarity and emotional impact. For me, Kairos simply didn’t achieve that balance.
My Favorite Bits
Our supply of bliss is something no one can take from us.
Jenny Erpenbeck, Kairos
What you can’t forget, you can only celebrate.
Jenny Erpenbeck, Kairos
Author: Jenny Erpenbeck
Publication date: 16 January 2021
Number of pages: 379 pages
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