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This is a dark tale by anyone's standards. It begins with Dr Viktor Larenz taking his daughter Josephine to see an allergist. Josy has been suffering a mysterious illness for some time and the allergist is a friend of her father, who is a psychiatrist. Mind, I raised my (professional) eyebrows to see that the allergist had prescribed a homeopathic drug, expecting it to effect a cure. Regardless, Josy disappears from the doctor's surgery. Viktor, when he comes back to collect his daughter from the rooms, turns the place upside down, but finds no sign of the twelve year-old. Years later, Viktor is strapped down in a psychiatric institute, being treated by fellow psychiatrist Doctor Roth. Roth requests that Viktor tell him the story of the whole unfortunate episode. This begins on the island of Parkum. Larenz is alone in his house when his solitude is shattered by the intrusion of a woman. She claims to be a schizophrenic, referred to him by a distinguished colleague. Anna Glass tells Viktor that she is a well known children's novelist but her psychiatric condition causes the characters about whom she writes to come to life in the real world. She claims that psychiatrists at an expensive private clinic have recommended she come to see Viktor, whose specialism is schizophrenia. Larenz tries to get rid of Anna, since he retired four years ago, when Josy disappeared, and tells her to catch the ferry to the mainland the following morning. She leaves him - but not in the direction which Viktor indicated. The mayor of Parkum is watching the psychiatrist and, as soon as Anna has left Viktor's house, visits him and warns him about Anna, because "she's not right in the head". I often have difficulty with translations. Somehow, I always feel a certain disconnection from the author simply because of the presence of the translator is interposed between the book and the reader. This volume produced such a reaction in me although I've no doubt the translation was perfectly adequate. To me, the characterisation didn't seem particularly strong, although, given the story, perhaps that might be a plus. The psychiatrist seemed more to be acting his suffering at the disappearance of his daughter, rather than experiencing it. The concept of fictional characters coming to life in the real world is scarcely a new one. Mind, I can't say I remember such a conceit in partnership with a missing person, but feel that's by the way. For all that I understand THERAPY was a huge success in Germany, I just didn't feel it quite succeeded.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, February 2009
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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