Immigration continues to be a very sensitive topic that has divided societies for as long as I can remember. It would seem that most of the discussion around it stems from the question of whether an immigrant will ever be accepted as a real member of the new society they find themselves in, and, more importantly, how will their own life change as a result of this. In the case of Theodor Kallifatides, that process is long, tiresome, and much more complicated than it would first seem.
Having been born in Greece and moving to Sweden in his 20s, Kallifatides has always been curious of who he really is. Interestingly enough, on Wikipedia - and in several languages -, he is referred to as either a Greek-born Swedish writer, or, in most cases, an immigrant from Greece who writes in Swedish. Thus, the question of his origins makes up the premise of this book, and takes us back to his roots.
The book starts with a memory of a man telling Kallifatides to go back where he came from, and serves as a stepping stone from where the story leaps into motion. From this point onward, he begins to wonder about his identity, and attempts to construct an answer to it. Much like every philosophical question, there is not an answer to it. This book can be read as both a personal history, or, in my own opinion, a reconstruction of a person's life, where meaning is applied to bridge a gap between different periods. Writing as a man nearing his 70s, Kallifatides no longer chases acceptance, and instead embraces his life in the way he sees it.
In these short chapters, he recounts some of the earliest memories he can look back on, such as his upbringing in Greece, his youth in Sweden, and many of the uncomfortable truths of being an immigrant. Throughout this journey, he looks at things in a very philosophical way, with language and culture being the driving forces behind most of his insights. He thinks back on poems he wrote in his new language, having given very little thought to what the words mean, and only focusing on the sound and emotion behind them; he wonders how differently a Greek and a Swede see the sun; he wonders how differently the two nationalities understand love; he ponders how one language is full of such emotion, while the other is so straight-forward; and most importantly, he recalls painful memories of his youth.
One thing that immediately struck out was the fact that regardless of whether he writes in Swedish, marries a Swede and brings up his children according to these customs, he will always be seen as an outsider. A visitor, a stranger, an immigrant. It was very refreshing to read the memories of a young man written by the pen of an older man, as he does not whine or cry over his shortcoming in life, but rather tries to learn from it.
Honest, and very eye-opening, another gem from Loomingu Raamatukogu!