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مارتا کیست؟
مارتا کیست؟ داستان پرندهشناسی نودوشش ساله است که خبر مرگ قریبالوقوعش را دریافت میکند و تصمیم میگیرد آخرین روزهای عمرش را در یکی از مجللترین هتلهای دنیا سپری کند. منتقدان ادبی کشورهای آلمانی زبان متفقالقول از قلم شیوای ماریانا گاپوننکو تمجید کرده و او را شاهزاده خانم روسی نامیدهاند که هم خودش هم رمانش شگفتانگیز است.
262 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2012
19 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
About the author
Marjana Gaponenko
7 books2 followersMarjana Gaponenko wurde 1981 in Odessa geboren und studierte dort Germanistik. Nach Stationen in Krakau und Dublin lebt sie heute in Mainz und Wien. Sie schreibt seit ihrem sechzehnten Lebensjahr auf Deutsch und veröffentlichte u. a. die Romane «Wer ist Martha?» (2012), «Das letzte Rennen» (2016) und «Der Dorfgescheite» (2018). Sie wurde mit dem Adelbert-von-Chamisso-Preis, dem österreichischen Literaturpreis Alpha und dem Martha-Saalfeld-Förderpreis ausgezeichnet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 26, 2020
хух. ну нарешті знайшовся час дочитати цю чудесну історію.
головний герой - Лука Левадський - смертельно хворий. Пригадуючи своє дитинство у дідуника виникає чудова ідея - фааайно пожити, в розкошах перед смертю. На Батьківщині своєї матері. Візу отримати не проблема -він відомий вчений, дослідник птахів. Але до чого ж тут Марта? Розкаже шоколадний торт і остання сторіночка чудокнижечки
головний герой - Лука Левадський - смертельно хворий. Пригадуючи своє дитинство у дідуника виникає чудова ідея - фааайно пожити, в розкошах перед смертю. На Батьківщині своєї матері. Візу отримати не проблема -він відомий вчений, дослідник птахів. Але до чого ж тут Марта? Розкаже шоколадний торт і остання сторіночка чудокнижечки
April 5, 2013
96-year old Luka Lewadski decides to eave Ukraine and spend the last days of his life in a hotel in Vienna. This is a great story - beautifully told, with lots of wit. I wished the book would never end for I just loved how Luka Lewadski deals with life (the nearing end of life) and the people he meets.
May 26, 2015
"A Moving Story About a Spectacular Life"
WHO IS MARTHA? is a magical work of literature written by MARJANA GAPONENKO who will definitely be on my author to watch list from now on. I hope to hear more of her work. This audiobook was a fantastic treat for the ears and I’ll listen to this one again for wonderful pearls of wisdom within its audio corridors. I feel honored as well as pleased to have had the opportunity to listen to this one. An audiobook not to be missed by contemporary fiction lovers as well as any book lover for its exceptional quality and importance. The way this story contrasted the life of one man with that of birds was fabulous.
Levadski, an aged ornithologist learns he has lung cancer and spends some time weighing the gravity of his situation. He’s 96 years old and reflects upon his life which has been rich and colorful then decides to live out his final days at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna. He sees anthropomorphic characteristics between people and birds as the meaning of life begins to reveal its mysteries to him. While reflecting back on his life, he has flashes of clarity through the fog of his declining health. Things begin making sense to him and he begins having ‘aha’ moments. He becomes friends with Habib, the hotel butler who helps him with his baths as well as the concierge and another elderly gentleman he meets named Mr. Witzturn whom he also chats with.
As I listened to this audiobook, I began to wonder if Levadski had maybe become slightly senile in his age and as his condition worsened perhaps he was hallucinating about being at the hotel in Vienna. Throughout his process of dying, he began to see the many truths of his lifetime and life overall. This book will make a person think. As for Martha, I feel that she influenced his entire life. I especially loved where he said that birds give up their entire souls to the world when they sing. It almost seemed like a metaphor of himself when I think about him making bird calls. Another place in the book I thought was interesting was when they were talking about different alcoholic beverages and likened them to some of life’s quandaries and he said he wanted a spirit cocktail. This audiobook was a true gem.
ALLAN ROBERTSON epitomized Luka Levadski. His narration was exceptionally amazing. He had perfect voice inflections and voice control. I thought his accents and bird calls were extremely good and he made this book an absolute joy to listen to. Congratulations on a job very well done. This was impressive work. This has become one of my favorite audiobooks thus far.
Audiobook gifted in exchange for review.
April 23, 2020
Ця історія не про Марту. Марта померла задовго до того, як вона почалася.
.
Це історія про радість життя і про смерть, яка може стати гідним фіналом. Таким, який зрежисуєш сам. Це історія про професора орнітології Луку Левадського і Віденське музичне товариство, про пташок і шоколадний торт, про гідність і свободу робити, що заманеться, про музику і старечі бешкетування, про прийняття невідворотного і вміння насолоджуватися моментом.
.
Отак доктор орнітології, якому перевалило за 90, Лука Левандовський дізнається, що йому лишилося жити дуже мало. І замість того, аби негайно розпочати курс хімії, як радить лікар, він купує білі сорочки і ціпок зі срібним набалдашником і вирушає у свої "місця щасливих людей" - до Відня.
.
Коли ти за два кроки до смерті, то маєш розкіш не перейматися тим, що про тебе подумать інші. І Лука користається з цієї розкоші сповна.
.
Чи історія, яка завершується смертю, може бути життєствердною? Певне, що так, адже Мар'яні Гапоненко це вдалося. Роман австрійської письменниці українського походження смакує так добре, як європейське незалежне кіно. Власне, у Видавництві 21 практично всі видання такі. Тож якщо любите досліджувати немейнстрімні тексти і насолоджуєтеся ними, обов'язково зверніть увагу ❤️
.
Це історія про радість життя і про смерть, яка може стати гідним фіналом. Таким, який зрежисуєш сам. Це історія про професора орнітології Луку Левадського і Віденське музичне товариство, про пташок і шоколадний торт, про гідність і свободу робити, що заманеться, про музику і старечі бешкетування, про прийняття невідворотного і вміння насолоджуватися моментом.
.
Отак доктор орнітології, якому перевалило за 90, Лука Левандовський дізнається, що йому лишилося жити дуже мало. І замість того, аби негайно розпочати курс хімії, як радить лікар, він купує білі сорочки і ціпок зі срібним набалдашником і вирушає у свої "місця щасливих людей" - до Відня.
.
Коли ти за два кроки до смерті, то маєш розкіш не перейматися тим, що про тебе подумать інші. І Лука користається з цієї розкоші сповна.
.
Чи історія, яка завершується смертю, може бути життєствердною? Певне, що так, адже Мар'яні Гапоненко це вдалося. Роман австрійської письменниці українського походження смакує так добре, як європейське незалежне кіно. Власне, у Видавництві 21 практично всі видання такі. Тож якщо любите досліджувати немейнстрімні тексти і насолоджуєтеся ними, обов'язково зверніть увагу ❤️
December 11, 2014
http://www.mytwostotinki.com/?p=969
When the family doctor calls on a Sunday with urgent news, it means usually no good news. The news are indeed so bad that Luka Levadski, the hero of Who Is Martha? has to go to the bathroom and throw up - for the first time since ages.
"The last time it had happened to him, he had still been wearing knickers. What had the girl's name been? Maria? Sophia? The young girl had allowed her hand to be kissed by a man with a moustache. In front of her a slice of cake. Jealousy had grabbed the schoolboy Levadski by the throat. He had stopped in front of the window of the cafe, taken a bow and spilled the contents of his stomach onto the pavement. Touching his chest, he'd slowly assumed an upright position again."
The cancer diagnosis for the 96-year old Professor emeritus Luka Levadski, a capacity in the field of ornithology, is certainly devastating for him, but since he lives alone and is without relatives or close friends, it is not an event that makes the world turn upside down at his age. Consulting the shelf with the medical books in his private library, he is considering his situation:
"Cyclophosphamide, sounds like a criminal offense...checks the multiplication of rapidly dividing cells. Side effects: nausea, vomiting, hair loss. May damage the nerves and kidneys and lead to loss of hearing, as well as an irreparable loss of motor function; suppresses bone marrow, can cause anemia and blindness. Well, Bon appetit. Levadski would have liked to call the doctor and chirp down the line.
Tjue-tjue
Ku-Kue-Kue---Ke-tschik-Ke-tschik!
Iju-Iju-Iju-Iju!
Tjue-i-i!
If the doctor had asked him what this was supposed to be, Levadski would have stuck with the truth: A female pygmy owl attracting its mate, you idiot! And hung up. He felt like a real rascal. At the age of ninety-six Levadski was game for playing a prank."
For Levadski, the decision is obvious: he will have none of these life-prolonging treatments and will die in style. He will buy a walking stick, an elegant new suit and hat, pull a few strings to get a passport and a visa for Vienna quickly and - thanks to the money in his bank account he got for his decades of publishing articles such as On the Red-Backed Shrike's Humane Art of Impaling Insects and Large Prey on Thorns, or How Global Warming Alters Fish Stocks and Turns North Sea Birds into Cannibals in Western journals - is going on a visit to this place that is filled with childhood memories. Especially the regular visits of the Musikverein with his grand-aunts and the concerts there that, together with the piano lessons of his mother created a second lifelong passion in him: music.
While preparing for his last journey - he has no intention to come back to his flat in Lemberg (Lviv) - we get to know this remarkable person better. Levadski, son of two bird lovers had not an easy but an interesting life: born on the eve of the outbreak of WWI and on the same day when Martha, the last of a rare and now extinct species of passenger pigeons passed on in 1914, he survived two utopias (Austro-Hungary and the Soviet Union), a childhood overshadowed by the early suicide of his father, the war, exile in the mountains of Chechnya and later Siberia, and finally a late career as a professor with international recognition. It was a rather lonely life since Levadski never developed a deep relationship with the female sex:
"That he had a long time ago thought of winning over the opposite sex with his pathetic behavior, when his head had been filled with nothing but the mating dances and brooding habits of birds, was something he did not want to be reminded about. But he did think about it, he thought about it with a hint of bitterness. After a fulfilling academic life he knew: Women would have interested him more if they hadn't constantly insisted on emphasizing that they were different from men. If they had been like female birds, a touch grayer and quieter than the males, perhaps they would have awakened his interest at the right time. Levadski would gladly have procreated with such a creature. Only he didn't know to what purpose."
The second half of the book sees Levadski in his new, last home: an old luxury hotel in Vienna, just around the corner of the Musikverein. We see him enjoying the big bath, bigger than his flat in Lemberg, we see him making acquaintances - with a taxi driver from the Ivory Coast who shares Levadski's love of the German language; with a cheerful chamber maid from Novi Pazar, a small Balkan town; with Habib, the kind and music-loving Palestinian butler; with another old hotel guest, Mr. Witzturn with whom he is developing a kind of friendship culminating in a joint concert visit at the Musikverein followed by an evening in the hotel bar where they talk their mind about the meaning of life, friendship, and the advantages of gin as a basis to various cocktails.
In the end, Levadski looks back without bitterness. He re-discovered parts of his ego that seemed to be lost a long time ago; memories of happy moments with his parents come back; and he realizes that the gift to make friends even at an old age in the face of the end of his life makes it possible to cross barriers - physical one's like borders, but also invisible one's that are imposed to us by society, upbringing or our own prejudices. Or, as Levadski explains on the phone to a young intern of the Konrad Lorenz Institute:
"Barriers, barriers, barriers, you see, Madam, human beings are forever being confronted with limitations, internal or external. Sometimes the shoes are too tight, sometimes the coffin too close, do you understand what I mean?"
Luka Levadski finally breaks the barriers. And he even remembers the name of the girl he thought he had forgotten.
Who Is Martha? is a wonderful book. It is well-written, very entertaining and I read it two times in a row. It breathes sadness, wisdom, humor, and a deep human sympathy for its protagonist and people in general - they are not so different from birds, so they deserve that for sure would Professor Levadski probably say.
Marjana Gaponenko is a young author from Odessa who writes in German - what a great gift to the German language! Who Is Martha? was a big surprise for me and arguably the best book I read in 2014.
A word about the English edition: the translation by Arabella Spencer reads very smoothly and close to the original. New Vessel Press, a small American publisher with an extremely interesting program of translated fiction, is to be congratulated - this book will hopefully gain many readers and the attention it deserves. Also the cover is beautiful. A pleasure to have this book in hands.
I won the review copy of this book in the framework of the Wednesdays-are-wunderbar events of my blogger colleague Lizzy as part of the activities related to the German Literature Month. I am very grateful to have been provided with a copy of this amazing novel.
When the family doctor calls on a Sunday with urgent news, it means usually no good news. The news are indeed so bad that Luka Levadski, the hero of Who Is Martha? has to go to the bathroom and throw up - for the first time since ages.
"The last time it had happened to him, he had still been wearing knickers. What had the girl's name been? Maria? Sophia? The young girl had allowed her hand to be kissed by a man with a moustache. In front of her a slice of cake. Jealousy had grabbed the schoolboy Levadski by the throat. He had stopped in front of the window of the cafe, taken a bow and spilled the contents of his stomach onto the pavement. Touching his chest, he'd slowly assumed an upright position again."
The cancer diagnosis for the 96-year old Professor emeritus Luka Levadski, a capacity in the field of ornithology, is certainly devastating for him, but since he lives alone and is without relatives or close friends, it is not an event that makes the world turn upside down at his age. Consulting the shelf with the medical books in his private library, he is considering his situation:
"Cyclophosphamide, sounds like a criminal offense...checks the multiplication of rapidly dividing cells. Side effects: nausea, vomiting, hair loss. May damage the nerves and kidneys and lead to loss of hearing, as well as an irreparable loss of motor function; suppresses bone marrow, can cause anemia and blindness. Well, Bon appetit. Levadski would have liked to call the doctor and chirp down the line.
Tjue-tjue
Ku-Kue-Kue---Ke-tschik-Ke-tschik!
Iju-Iju-Iju-Iju!
Tjue-i-i!
If the doctor had asked him what this was supposed to be, Levadski would have stuck with the truth: A female pygmy owl attracting its mate, you idiot! And hung up. He felt like a real rascal. At the age of ninety-six Levadski was game for playing a prank."
For Levadski, the decision is obvious: he will have none of these life-prolonging treatments and will die in style. He will buy a walking stick, an elegant new suit and hat, pull a few strings to get a passport and a visa for Vienna quickly and - thanks to the money in his bank account he got for his decades of publishing articles such as On the Red-Backed Shrike's Humane Art of Impaling Insects and Large Prey on Thorns, or How Global Warming Alters Fish Stocks and Turns North Sea Birds into Cannibals in Western journals - is going on a visit to this place that is filled with childhood memories. Especially the regular visits of the Musikverein with his grand-aunts and the concerts there that, together with the piano lessons of his mother created a second lifelong passion in him: music.
While preparing for his last journey - he has no intention to come back to his flat in Lemberg (Lviv) - we get to know this remarkable person better. Levadski, son of two bird lovers had not an easy but an interesting life: born on the eve of the outbreak of WWI and on the same day when Martha, the last of a rare and now extinct species of passenger pigeons passed on in 1914, he survived two utopias (Austro-Hungary and the Soviet Union), a childhood overshadowed by the early suicide of his father, the war, exile in the mountains of Chechnya and later Siberia, and finally a late career as a professor with international recognition. It was a rather lonely life since Levadski never developed a deep relationship with the female sex:
"That he had a long time ago thought of winning over the opposite sex with his pathetic behavior, when his head had been filled with nothing but the mating dances and brooding habits of birds, was something he did not want to be reminded about. But he did think about it, he thought about it with a hint of bitterness. After a fulfilling academic life he knew: Women would have interested him more if they hadn't constantly insisted on emphasizing that they were different from men. If they had been like female birds, a touch grayer and quieter than the males, perhaps they would have awakened his interest at the right time. Levadski would gladly have procreated with such a creature. Only he didn't know to what purpose."
The second half of the book sees Levadski in his new, last home: an old luxury hotel in Vienna, just around the corner of the Musikverein. We see him enjoying the big bath, bigger than his flat in Lemberg, we see him making acquaintances - with a taxi driver from the Ivory Coast who shares Levadski's love of the German language; with a cheerful chamber maid from Novi Pazar, a small Balkan town; with Habib, the kind and music-loving Palestinian butler; with another old hotel guest, Mr. Witzturn with whom he is developing a kind of friendship culminating in a joint concert visit at the Musikverein followed by an evening in the hotel bar where they talk their mind about the meaning of life, friendship, and the advantages of gin as a basis to various cocktails.
In the end, Levadski looks back without bitterness. He re-discovered parts of his ego that seemed to be lost a long time ago; memories of happy moments with his parents come back; and he realizes that the gift to make friends even at an old age in the face of the end of his life makes it possible to cross barriers - physical one's like borders, but also invisible one's that are imposed to us by society, upbringing or our own prejudices. Or, as Levadski explains on the phone to a young intern of the Konrad Lorenz Institute:
"Barriers, barriers, barriers, you see, Madam, human beings are forever being confronted with limitations, internal or external. Sometimes the shoes are too tight, sometimes the coffin too close, do you understand what I mean?"
Luka Levadski finally breaks the barriers. And he even remembers the name of the girl he thought he had forgotten.
Who Is Martha? is a wonderful book. It is well-written, very entertaining and I read it two times in a row. It breathes sadness, wisdom, humor, and a deep human sympathy for its protagonist and people in general - they are not so different from birds, so they deserve that for sure would Professor Levadski probably say.
Marjana Gaponenko is a young author from Odessa who writes in German - what a great gift to the German language! Who Is Martha? was a big surprise for me and arguably the best book I read in 2014.
A word about the English edition: the translation by Arabella Spencer reads very smoothly and close to the original. New Vessel Press, a small American publisher with an extremely interesting program of translated fiction, is to be congratulated - this book will hopefully gain many readers and the attention it deserves. Also the cover is beautiful. A pleasure to have this book in hands.
I won the review copy of this book in the framework of the Wednesdays-are-wunderbar events of my blogger colleague Lizzy as part of the activities related to the German Literature Month. I am very grateful to have been provided with a copy of this amazing novel.
May 24, 2025
رمان "مارتا کیست؟" اثر ماریانا گاپوننکو، درباره مرگ، پیری و تنهاییه.لوادسکی با شنیدن خبر بیماری خود، به جای بیمارستان انتخاب میکنه که باقی عمر را در هتلی مجلل بگذراند. این کار لوادسکی شاید به نوعی یه فراراز واقعیت باشه یا شاید پذیرش آرامبخش سرنوشت.
بخش عمدهای از داستان به یادآوری گذشته توسط لواد��کی میگذره. با وجود موضوع سنگین مرگ و تنهایی، رمان لحظات کوچک لذتبخش هم به وفور داره. لوادسکی در این پایان زندگی به کیکهای وینی، موسیقی و چیزهای ساده توجه داره. شاید زندگی همین باشه لذت بردن از لحظه حال و چیزهای ساده و در ظاهر کم اهمیت.
بخش عمدهای از داستان به یادآوری گذشته توسط لواد��کی میگذره. با وجود موضوع سنگین مرگ و تنهایی، رمان لحظات کوچک لذتبخش هم به وفور داره. لوادسکی در این پایان زندگی به کیکهای وینی، موسیقی و چیزهای ساده توجه داره. شاید زندگی همین باشه لذت بردن از لحظه حال و چیزهای ساده و در ظاهر کم اهمیت.
February 25, 2015
Perhaps 2.5 - 3 stars. Who is Martha has all the makings of a quaint and charming story - had it been read in hardcopy format. Who is Martha was granted by Listen Up Audio (thank you!) and it is rather ruined unfortunately by the narrator chosen to read this story. For me, for my ears, it was like listening to nails down the chalk board. So unfortunate! (Another irritating factor was that the narrator changes his voice for Levadski at the end of the story, so completely he was almost unrecognizable - and had he used this voice he used at the end - it may have been far more enjoyable! That frustrated me.)
Luka Levadski is a 96 year old ornithologist that has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Determined to live out his remaining time in luxury, rather than waste it on treatments and the like, he leaves his home in Ukraine and moves to his mother's land in Vienna. He purchases new suits, a fancy walking cane and befriends, for perhaps the first time in his life, another elderly gentleman and the hotel's butler where he is staying. These new friends are perhaps the first time he has befriended those not of the feathered variety. A great little story right? It would have been had it unfortunately not been rather ruined by the terrible narration. Sorry! It is how I feel. I do recommend reading, however reach for the hardcopy for full enjoyment.
Luka Levadski is a 96 year old ornithologist that has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Determined to live out his remaining time in luxury, rather than waste it on treatments and the like, he leaves his home in Ukraine and moves to his mother's land in Vienna. He purchases new suits, a fancy walking cane and befriends, for perhaps the first time in his life, another elderly gentleman and the hotel's butler where he is staying. These new friends are perhaps the first time he has befriended those not of the feathered variety. A great little story right? It would have been had it unfortunately not been rather ruined by the terrible narration. Sorry! It is how I feel. I do recommend reading, however reach for the hardcopy for full enjoyment.
October 27, 2014
I don't know what I think... I found it very interesting and was drawn in to the point of missing my bus stop and accidentally going to the end of the line. I enjoyed a lot of it, and some of it very humorous, but I was also very baffled by a lot of it. The significance of the birds was lost on me, and I was confused about some of the events. Was Levadski hallucinating sometimes? Was the cancer so advanced that it had spread to his brain? I wish I knew. Some of the thoughts in this book struck me as so profound, but I couldn't connect all the symbolism, metaphors, etc. so I feel like it wasn't as profound as it was meant to be. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a book to make you think, really think. I know I'll be thinking about this one for a while. My copy will be staying on my bookshelf as this is one a book I'll read again and again in an attempt to really Get It.
"'So here we are' were her last words."
"'So here we are' were her last words."
February 24, 2023
Мабуть, моя смерть у випадку, коли б я дожила до старості, була б чимось схожа на те, як абсурдно помирав тутешній головний герой. Це книга-агонія, буквально: її читаєш і задихаєшся, неначе рак легень не у діда, а не у тебе. Фізично важко.
June 4, 2025
I can’t tell if my reading level wasn’t up to this book or if I just didn’t enjoy it. Felt like a classic (the kind that rambles a little too much and needs more interesting characters). And I like rambly literary fiction. Oh well.
Update: MARTHA WAS A PIGEON?!?!?!
Update: MARTHA WAS A PIGEON?!?!?!
December 6, 2018
This was a nice little story about an old man who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides to forgo his treatment in favour of a last few weeks of luxury. He moves to a deluxe suite in a Viennese hotel where he stayed at better time in his life. He gets a butler, eats good food and wallows in his big bathtub. There are some nice characters and a gently comic tone, along with quite a few crazy dream sequences. It reminded me of another story I read this year (in Baba Yaga Laid An Egg by Dubravka Ugrešić) which was also about elderly people living out their days in a luxury spa environment, and I enjoyed that more. This is the kind of book that I wouldn't recommend rushing out to buy but would still go for if you came across a copy somewhere.
June 21, 2023
gaponenko kann bestimmt gut schreiben, aber mich hat die story nicht gecatcht. ein paar themen, wie bspw die beziehung zur mutter des protagonisten und die flucht in die berge sind sehr interessant, könnten jedoch ein bisschen mehr ausgebaut werden.
letztendlich habe ich mich in der gegenwart des todkranken neunzigjährigen in wien sehr gefangen gefühlt und zugleich sprachlich überhaupt nicht die perspektive einer so alten, dem tod nahen person gespürt. meh.
letztendlich habe ich mich in der gegenwart des todkranken neunzigjährigen in wien sehr gefangen gefühlt und zugleich sprachlich überhaupt nicht die perspektive einer so alten, dem tod nahen person gespürt. meh.
January 5, 2015
in marjana gaponenko's charming who is martha? (wer ist martha?), nonagenarian ornithologist and former professor luka levadski opts to live out his final days in the luxury of a vienesse hotel after receiving a terminal diagnosis. seeking the indulgences of a life he'd not known previously, luka finds himself in the unexpected company of a fellow lodger, with whom he waxes philosophical about life, death, and the many moments in between. gaponenko, ukrainian poet and novelist, has created a thoughtful work of both modesty and melancholia.
*translated from the german by arabella spencer
levadski spoke to his books as if to his most gifted students. "a common primeval language appears to be physiologically and philologically undisputed. but from where is philology meant to take the means to prove that animals have a faculty for speech and explore their grammar?" the approving silence of the books spurred levadski's eloquence on. "the day will come," he continued, "when the dictionaries of animal language will no longer cause their authors to be taunted and ridiculed, but bring them fame and honor. the authors will demurely lower their eyes." slightly embarrassed, levadski stared at the floor on which balls of dust were being driven back and forth by the draft. "despondent because they arrived too late at the thought of recognizing in the animal an equal neighbor, a friend who can be confidently ascribed a language and an immortal soul once again, after such a long time..."
*translated from the german by arabella spencer
February 3, 2021
Читала без поспіху, з задоволенням, часом перечитуючи. Про минуле, пам’ять, життя, мрію, дрімоту та реальність, спокій, вдячність. Тут мова не про те, як спокійно та чудово чекати смерті у розкошах. Мова про те, що у той час очікування смерті є потреба бути сам на сам, говорити сам на сам, мова про те, коли можна залишитися нарешті з собою й оглянути своє життя через спогади, метафори, про прагнення бути в очікуванні в своєму маленькому рідному затишку, займаючись справою, що виповнила твоє життя, а розкоші в кінці це таке (вони лише можуть дозволити ближче торкнутися моментів пам’яті, що можна собі дозволити і раніше продовж життя)... особливо, коли тобі є чим наповнювати своє життя і надалі, коли ти можеш зі спокоєм в собі з нього піти.
Лука нікуди не виїздив, ні в яких розкошах він не чекав смерті. Він помирав в лікарні, під наглядом. Будучи абсолютно самотнім він зрежисував в своїй уяві своє альтернативне життя в очікуванні смерті, затьмарений знеболюючими, які навіть в удаваному ним в його розумі житті створювали химерні видіння, котрі він намагався в своїй створеній мрії-прощанні з життям вирівняти до звичного плину речей. Кожен з нас сам вирішує, який він створює світ навколо себе та думки в своєму розумі, коли знає, що помирає.
І що?
У Вас є вибір.
Який тут вибір.
Лука вибрав: не продовжувати життя на кілька місяців хіміотерапією та опромінюванням, а згаснути швидко, плинучи в хвилях пам’яті, вибудувавши в розумі своє особисте прощання життю.
Автор майже з самого початку майстерно вводить читачів в оману. І це ще одне, чому я під враженням.
Лука нікуди не виїздив, ні в яких розкошах він не чекав смерті. Він помирав в лікарні, під наглядом. Будучи абсолютно самотнім він зрежисував в своїй уяві своє альтернативне життя в очікуванні смерті, затьмарений знеболюючими, які навіть в удаваному ним в його розумі житті створювали химерні видіння, котрі він намагався в своїй створеній мрії-прощанні з життям вирівняти до звичного плину речей. Кожен з нас сам вирішує, який він створює світ навколо себе та думки в своєму розумі, коли знає, що помирає.
І що?
У Вас є вибір.
Який тут вибір.
Лука вибрав: не продовжувати життя на кілька місяців хіміотерапією та опромінюванням, а згаснути швидко, плинучи в хвилях пам’яті, вибудувавши в розумі своє особисте прощання життю.
Автор майже з самого початку майстерно вводить читачів в оману. І це ще одне, чому я під враженням.
January 27, 2015
Born in Odessa, Gaponenko writes in German and Luca Levadski, her hero, is a 96- year-old Professor of Ornithology who has just been told (or concludes from a few words from his doctor, ‘We need to talk about your results- at the hospital, right away’) that he has terminal cancer. He decides to go on a journey back to Vienna where he lived as a young boy. We learn about his mother’s passion for birds and his upbringing with her against a background of war and dispossession. Theories or dreams of the possibility of a universal language where birds, men, and animals all understand each other, images of a girl oblivious to his gaze, her hand stretched out to take a piece of cake, nights at the opera with ancient relatives, are woven against the background of life in the penthouse suite of an expensive hotel in Vienna. In the days that follow the conviction that he is soon to die, he is attended by a gentle ‘butler’, he goes up and down in lifts, consumes enormous amounts of alcohol, and reflects upon life in conversations with barmen, taxi drivers and his new friend and drinking companion Mr Witzturn. He is buoyed up by the past, he is lives in the present. More and more he seems to weave in and out of hallucinatory (or drunken) images. The end of his story is mysterious, but any of the possibilities seem to fit. A wonderful read about a man supremely engaged and interested in every phase of his life and of the people and creatures around him.
October 22, 2014
I received this as an arc from Goodreads. Thank you Goodreads!
What would you do if you got a diagnoses of incurable cancer and you are 96 years old? Would you use your life savings for chemotherapy or would you go to spend your last days at a lavish hotel?
Luka chose the latter. Not sure where the rollicking part fits in from the review. Levadski was born in 1914, the same year that Martha – the last of the now-extinct passenger pigeons – died. He is an ornithologist and uses birds many time as metaphors to humanity.
Luka contemplates his past while also learning the importance of what it means to be human and to live. The author is talented and has a gift with words. At times, though, I was lost in the beautiful prose and not knowing what was reality or dream. The story did bog down in a few parts, but remained fascinating to read.
A couple of quotes showing the author's way with words. In describing a couple of woman at a dining table: "Engrossed in the menu, they compress their pearl-laden concertina necks in an unappetizing way."
During a scene when Luka is in the bathtub listening to Beethoven: "The forest of violins advanced into the bathroom, beseeching flutes circled around the crystal chandelier for several chords, and then fate began to violently trample."
What would you do if you got a diagnoses of incurable cancer and you are 96 years old? Would you use your life savings for chemotherapy or would you go to spend your last days at a lavish hotel?
Luka chose the latter. Not sure where the rollicking part fits in from the review. Levadski was born in 1914, the same year that Martha – the last of the now-extinct passenger pigeons – died. He is an ornithologist and uses birds many time as metaphors to humanity.
Luka contemplates his past while also learning the importance of what it means to be human and to live. The author is talented and has a gift with words. At times, though, I was lost in the beautiful prose and not knowing what was reality or dream. The story did bog down in a few parts, but remained fascinating to read.
A couple of quotes showing the author's way with words. In describing a couple of woman at a dining table: "Engrossed in the menu, they compress their pearl-laden concertina necks in an unappetizing way."
During a scene when Luka is in the bathtub listening to Beethoven: "The forest of violins advanced into the bathroom, beseeching flutes circled around the crystal chandelier for several chords, and then fate began to violently trample."
May 14, 2015
Who is Martha? by Marjana Gaponenko's and translated from German by Arabella Spencer is a delightful introspection of one's life when facing the end of it. [Martha was the last passenger pigeon to die in captivity and she died in the same year that our "hero" was born].
The story focuses on Luca Levadski, who is a 96-year-old Professor of Ornithology who has terminal cancer. Soon after his diagnosis Luca decides to travel to Vienna (a place of his youth) where he decides to live out the remaining days of his life in a posh hotel. It is here that he finally begins to appreciate life and simply enjoy the small pleasures in life. Besides Luca, one other character stands out - the hotel butler who befriends Luca and who is wise well above his station in life.
I listened to the Audible version of this book, which is narrated By Allan Robertson. Robertson was amazing in the varying voices he portrayed. As can be expected from an ornithologist, Luca describes many people he meets by their characteristics that resemble varying bird species. Robertson's voices take on these same characteristics, from clicking, speaking quickly or musically. I felt like I was listening to Jim Dale! I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The story focuses on Luca Levadski, who is a 96-year-old Professor of Ornithology who has terminal cancer. Soon after his diagnosis Luca decides to travel to Vienna (a place of his youth) where he decides to live out the remaining days of his life in a posh hotel. It is here that he finally begins to appreciate life and simply enjoy the small pleasures in life. Besides Luca, one other character stands out - the hotel butler who befriends Luca and who is wise well above his station in life.
I listened to the Audible version of this book, which is narrated By Allan Robertson. Robertson was amazing in the varying voices he portrayed. As can be expected from an ornithologist, Luca describes many people he meets by their characteristics that resemble varying bird species. Robertson's voices take on these same characteristics, from clicking, speaking quickly or musically. I felt like I was listening to Jim Dale! I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2014
This book was a giveaway from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Goodreads review of this book calls it "rollicking." This book is anything but rollicking. After all, the main character, Luka Lavadski, is a 96-year old ornithologist who is so frail that he can no longer get out of the bathtub without help. And he has never, even when young and agile, been rollicking. This book would better be called reflective, contemplative. When Luka receives a diagnosis of terminal cancer and a recommendation for treatment, he decides to forego the treatment and instead go to Vienna to die in style in a city and grand hotel that for him in his youth had been the center of culture and learning. As he journeys toward his inevitable death, he reflects on his life - famiy, milestones, successes, loneliness - and shares his journey briefly with another aged gentleman and a hotel butler. There are only two other reviews besides mine at this point, and I wish there had been more so I could have compared my questions and reflections with those of other reviewers.
The Goodreads review of this book calls it "rollicking." This book is anything but rollicking. After all, the main character, Luka Lavadski, is a 96-year old ornithologist who is so frail that he can no longer get out of the bathtub without help. And he has never, even when young and agile, been rollicking. This book would better be called reflective, contemplative. When Luka receives a diagnosis of terminal cancer and a recommendation for treatment, he decides to forego the treatment and instead go to Vienna to die in style in a city and grand hotel that for him in his youth had been the center of culture and learning. As he journeys toward his inevitable death, he reflects on his life - famiy, milestones, successes, loneliness - and shares his journey briefly with another aged gentleman and a hotel butler. There are only two other reviews besides mine at this point, and I wish there had been more so I could have compared my questions and reflections with those of other reviewers.
February 16, 2015
Dying Ukranian ornithologist packs himself off to Vienna and stays in a fancy hotel. Some really gorgeous and inventive descriptions of bird calls and music. Luka himself seems by turns daft and petulant, and there's an odd bit toward the end where the author herself appears in the bar? Interesting.
May 25, 2021
3.5 rounded down to 3 stars
96-year old Luka Levadski was born in 1914 on the day that Martha died. With Martha's death, carrier pigeons became extinct.
Levadski lives in one of the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. Levadski is an ornithologist and a retired professor. He was quite well-known in his field. Once he was featured at a conference in Vienna (where his mother was from and where he spent a number of years as a child) - he was flown first class to the country and provided a suite at the classiest hotel in the city.
One morning, Levadski gets a call from his doctor asking him to come to the office ASAP. Levadski knows why - cancer has been confirmed and the doctor wants to start him on chemo. But Levadski wants nothing to do with that. So Levadski buys an expensive suit and a walking stick. He checks his savings account and finds he has quite a bit of money in savings. He calls the institute in Vienna that sponsored the conference he headlined many years before - he is remembered - and asks for assistance in getting a visa quickly. He buys a plane ticket - one way. He makes a reservation at the fancy hotel. Levadski is going to go out in style.
Levadski is enthralled with the suite he is given, especially the bathroom that is bigger than his entire apartment. He so wants to take a bath but knows once in, he'll never be able to get out so he calls room service and asks for someone whose eyesight is bad to assist him. It turns out that the hotel has a butler service he can use. Levadski appreciates Habib, who becomes his go to butler.
Levadski enjoys going to the hotel's restaurant and cafe where he watches people. One morning, when the hotel is very busy with a horde of American tourists, he meets Mr. Witzturn, a man who claims he is older than Levadski. They strike up a friendship of sorts. At Habib's suggestion and with his help, Levadski takes Witzturn to the a concert at the Opera House. They have very expensive tickets and bubbly awaiting them at intermission. Witzturn sleeps through much of the concert, snoring loudly. Levadski ends up stretched out on the floor. Back at the hotel, they discover the power is out, so the elevator is not working. The two old men retreat, like most of the guests, to the bar where they drink way too much. Levadski even requests a song and sings along. A woman author comes into the bar and talks to the bartender about the book she is writing about an old man who decides to go out in style.
Levadski seems to slip in and out of a dream state throughout the book. Usually it is when he is asleep but then it happens over and over at the bar. Levadski does a lot of remembering and through it, we learn about his life, his family, and that of Eastern Europe.
Overall I liked the book but some things did not work as well as others. Definitely worth reading.
I bought this book in 2017 from New Vessel Press using a coupon for women in translation books. When it arrived I placed it on the shelf and there is sat, unread. A couple of days ago, I went the shelf looking for a book that would fit in my pocket to take on a walk to Starbucks (3 miles) for a late lunch. This book fit the requirements. I only know when I bought it because the invoice was in the book.
96-year old Luka Levadski was born in 1914 on the day that Martha died. With Martha's death, carrier pigeons became extinct.
Levadski lives in one of the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. Levadski is an ornithologist and a retired professor. He was quite well-known in his field. Once he was featured at a conference in Vienna (where his mother was from and where he spent a number of years as a child) - he was flown first class to the country and provided a suite at the classiest hotel in the city.
One morning, Levadski gets a call from his doctor asking him to come to the office ASAP. Levadski knows why - cancer has been confirmed and the doctor wants to start him on chemo. But Levadski wants nothing to do with that. So Levadski buys an expensive suit and a walking stick. He checks his savings account and finds he has quite a bit of money in savings. He calls the institute in Vienna that sponsored the conference he headlined many years before - he is remembered - and asks for assistance in getting a visa quickly. He buys a plane ticket - one way. He makes a reservation at the fancy hotel. Levadski is going to go out in style.
Levadski is enthralled with the suite he is given, especially the bathroom that is bigger than his entire apartment. He so wants to take a bath but knows once in, he'll never be able to get out so he calls room service and asks for someone whose eyesight is bad to assist him. It turns out that the hotel has a butler service he can use. Levadski appreciates Habib, who becomes his go to butler.
Levadski enjoys going to the hotel's restaurant and cafe where he watches people. One morning, when the hotel is very busy with a horde of American tourists, he meets Mr. Witzturn, a man who claims he is older than Levadski. They strike up a friendship of sorts. At Habib's suggestion and with his help, Levadski takes Witzturn to the a concert at the Opera House. They have very expensive tickets and bubbly awaiting them at intermission. Witzturn sleeps through much of the concert, snoring loudly. Levadski ends up stretched out on the floor. Back at the hotel, they discover the power is out, so the elevator is not working. The two old men retreat, like most of the guests, to the bar where they drink way too much. Levadski even requests a song and sings along. A woman author comes into the bar and talks to the bartender about the book she is writing about an old man who decides to go out in style.
Levadski seems to slip in and out of a dream state throughout the book. Usually it is when he is asleep but then it happens over and over at the bar. Levadski does a lot of remembering and through it, we learn about his life, his family, and that of Eastern Europe.
Overall I liked the book but some things did not work as well as others. Definitely worth reading.
I bought this book in 2017 from New Vessel Press using a coupon for women in translation books. When it arrived I placed it on the shelf and there is sat, unread. A couple of days ago, I went the shelf looking for a book that would fit in my pocket to take on a walk to Starbucks (3 miles) for a late lunch. This book fit the requirements. I only know when I bought it because the invoice was in the book.
September 27, 2017
Who is Martha? by Marjana Gaponenko is indeed a rollicking novel, as the copy claims. At the ripe age of 96, Luka, professor of birds (zoology, to be precise) and non-expert of girls, abandons his beloved apartment on Veteran Street (despite the fact that he was not a veteran at all) to live out his days in the luxurious Hotel Imperial of Vienna. He has terminal cancer, and he is determined to go out in style. In his new home, he makes new friends, a Palestinian butler, a Balkan housemaid, and another old gentleman who shares his love for music.
There are many gems in this short novel, but perhaps the most hilarious is the conversation Luka had with the three movers on the day he moves into his apartment on Veteran Street. It's not to be missed. The intermission at the Musikverein that young Luka experiences with his great-aunts is also hilarious; one can almost smell the powdered and perfumes bosoms of the old theater crowd as they roll their eyes and tsk-tsk at the middle classes who surely cannot do music justice.
Recommended for those who love birds, music, music halls, chocolate cake, and walking sticks with secret compartments.
There are many gems in this short novel, but perhaps the most hilarious is the conversation Luka had with the three movers on the day he moves into his apartment on Veteran Street. It's not to be missed. The intermission at the Musikverein that young Luka experiences with his great-aunts is also hilarious; one can almost smell the powdered and perfumes bosoms of the old theater crowd as they roll their eyes and tsk-tsk at the middle classes who surely cannot do music justice.
Recommended for those who love birds, music, music halls, chocolate cake, and walking sticks with secret compartments.
July 28, 2025
Я в цілому розумію, що хотіла сказати авторка, але для мене воно не спрацювало.
Старий орнітолог дізнається про невиліковну хворобу, але вирішує не лікуватися, а чухнути з рідного Львова у Відень, місто дитинства, погуляти там на останні. Ось він і гуляє, живе у пафосному готелі, трохи бешкетує у барі і опері із новим знайомим, теж вредним дідком, трохи ніби подружиться із своїм дворецьким, а ще багато згадуватиме про минуле і намагатиметься усе розкласти за пташиною класифікацією і поведінкою.
Воно місцями таки цікаве і поетичне, але в цілу картину не склалося. Може, і не потрібно, калейдоскопом теж має право бути, але якесь розсмикане. Головний герой не найприємніший дядько, і він не зобов’язаний приємним бути, але оті всі пасажі у відгуках про дружбу наостанок ну дуже перебільшені. Тут швидше як неприємний дядько має право і померти неприємним, але якихось радощів буття я не побачила.
Мабуть, не моє.
Старий орнітолог дізнається про невиліковну хворобу, але вирішує не лікуватися, а чухнути з рідного Львова у Відень, місто дитинства, погуляти там на останні. Ось він і гуляє, живе у пафосному готелі, трохи бешкетує у барі і опері із новим знайомим, теж вредним дідком, трохи ніби подружиться із своїм дворецьким, а ще багато згадуватиме про минуле і намагатиметься усе розкласти за пташиною класифікацією і поведінкою.
Воно місцями таки цікаве і поетичне, але в цілу картину не склалося. Може, і не потрібно, калейдоскопом теж має право бути, але якесь розсмикане. Головний герой не найприємніший дядько, і він не зобов’язаний приємним бути, але оті всі пасажі у відгуках про дружбу наостанок ну дуже перебільшені. Тут швидше як неприємний дядько має право і померти неприємним, але якихось радощів буття я не побачила.
Мабуть, не моє.
December 9, 2020
96 year old Professor Levadski, a retired ornithologist decides that instead of returning his doctor's call (which he knows will confirm that he has lung canger), we will go to Vienna and stay in a luxury hotel. What follows is self-reflection and the description of his dreams while staying in the hotel. Some parts of the book were very interesting and well-written. Other scenes went on too long. The dreams were just weird (as dreams are), and didn't advance the plot. "Martha" was mentioned once at the beginning of the book, and not again until the end.
August 7, 2023
This narrative features an older character (age 96) setting out on a mild adventure after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Its episodic structure and its use of stream-of-consciousness for some chapters make it a scattered, uneven read, though there are many enjoyable scenes and moments. The focal character is described as an ornithologist, and the opening pages are full of references to birds, but the character's/novel's true preoccupation is music.
September 21, 2022
How do we deal with a terminal illness? Professor Levadski abandons his comfortable lifestyle spending his life savings living in the best hotel in Vienna. It's not the luxuries of the hotel that gives his life meaning but the friends he makes. Some of his conversations with his friend, Mr. Witzturn are a bit long and, honestly, boring, but overall it's a sweet read.
February 21, 2021
naif ve tatli bir roman. Kuslara dair referanslari ve Viyana'ya dair baglantilari okumak harikaydi. Cokca paylasilan sarki sözleri biraz yabanci geldi. Akici bir anlatimin tadini arayanlara tavsiye ederim...
January 7, 2021
ترجمه متوسط. رمانی که فکر می کردم خوشخوانه اما ناامیدم کرد. بعضی قسمت ها فکر می کردم نویسنده هیچ طرحی برای ادامه داستانش نداره و مثل شخصیت داستانش خودش هم مست کرده و نوشته.
August 22, 2022
A gentle, meditative story narrated by a spry 96 year old ornithologist and music lover who is dying of lung cancer. It sounds gloomy but it really isn't and is even quite funny in parts.
March 8, 2023
Достатньо нудна книжка, просто описує життя людини похилого віку перед смертю. Задум цікавий, але реалізація погана
October 11, 2024
Мені не сподобалась. Нудна і нецікава історія. Так, і хто така Марта? Так і незрозуміло.
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