Historical

Snow Country

Snow Country

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-08-24 00:51:31
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Sebastian Faulks
  • ISBN：1786330180
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Summary

1914: Young Anton Heideck has arrived in Vienna， eager to make his name as a journalist。 While working part-time as a private tutor， he encounters Delphine， a woman who mixes startling candour with deep reserve。 Entranced by the light of first love， Anton feels himself blessed。 Until his country declares war on hers。

1927: For Lena， life with a drunken mother in a small town has been impoverished and cold。 She is convinced she can amount to nothing until a young lawyer， Rudolf Plischke， spirits her away to Vienna。 But the capital proves unforgiving。 Lena leaves her metropolitan dream behind to take a menial job at the snow-bound sanatorium， the Schloss Seeblick。

1933: Still struggling to come terms with the loss of so many friends on the Eastern Front， Anton， now an established writer， is commissioned by a magazine to visit the mysterious Schloss Seeblick。 In this place of healing， on the banks of a silvery lake， where the depths of human suffering and the chances of redemption are explored， two people will see each other as if for the first time。

Sweeping across Europe as it recovers from one war and hides its face from the coming of another， SNOW COUNTRY is a landmark novel of exquisite yearnings， dreams of youth and the sanctity of hope。 In elegant， shimmering prose， Sebastian Faulks has produced a work of timeless resonance。

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Reviews

Robin Price ，

Sebastian Faulks always gets the intimate details of history right and with novels such as Birdsong， Charlotte Gray and now Snow Country he has set a standard so high it will be a long time before any novelist will equal him。In an emotionally devastating return to Schloss Seeblick the author again explores the price of being human。 This is an ambitious and compassionate novel with vividly drawn characters and an unforgettable love story。 It is written with passion and integrity and was an absolu Sebastian Faulks always gets the intimate details of history right and with novels such as Birdsong， Charlotte Gray and now Snow Country he has set a standard so high it will be a long time before any novelist will equal him。In an emotionally devastating return to Schloss Seeblick the author again explores the price of being human。 This is an ambitious and compassionate novel with vividly drawn characters and an unforgettable love story。 It is written with passion and integrity and was an absolute pleasure to read。 。。。more

Jackie ，

Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks is apparently the second novel in a series， the first book being ‘Human Traces’ which was published in 2011 and unfortunately not read by me！ However， fortunately this did not spoil it for me as Snow Country is easily read as a standalone。 It’s a profound account of human desire and the power it has over the human mind。 In short， it follows the lives of Anton， a tormented， aspiring journalist and Lena， a poor， young girl struggling with life。 The story sweeps thr Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks is apparently the second novel in a series， the first book being ‘Human Traces’ which was published in 2011 and unfortunately not read by me！ However， fortunately this did not spoil it for me as Snow Country is easily read as a standalone。 It’s a profound account of human desire and the power it has over the human mind。 In short， it follows the lives of Anton， a tormented， aspiring journalist and Lena， a poor， young girl struggling with life。 The story sweeps through Europe as it recovers from one war and awaits the coming of another…it’s a love story like no other ‘The search for what was absent made them vulnerable’， a sentence which is taken from the book captures the essence of the story perfectly。 Sebastian Faulks is undoubtedly a master storyteller and Snow Country is another literary treasure added to Faulks impressive stable。 Initially I thought I wasn’t going to like it as it appeared to be a full on ‘flowery’ love story…I couldn’t get my head around that some guy had an absurd fascination with a woman’s hairy lip！ However， once the story got going， around the time we were introduced to Lena， I thoroughly enjoyed it。 It was an intriguing exploration into the human psyche。 It was interesting to read that Faulks inspiration was from the original ‘Snow Country’ novel by Yasunari Kawabata。 Big thanks to Sebastian Faulks， Random House UK， Cornerstone and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review。 。。。more

Cathy ，

Profound and moving - full review to follow

Tony S ，

I must admit I like Sebastian Faulks and his writing style - this book does not disappoint。 I did not realise that this was the second book in a trilogy （though it can be read as a stand alone which is just as well as I had not read the first）。The story takes place over a 30 year time frame and follows the story of three main characters from Pre World War One through the war and up to pretty much the start of World War Two。The book is split into parts that switch between characters and times and I must admit I like Sebastian Faulks and his writing style - this book does not disappoint。 I did not realise that this was the second book in a trilogy （though it can be read as a stand alone which is just as well as I had not read the first）。The story takes place over a 30 year time frame and follows the story of three main characters from Pre World War One through the war and up to pretty much the start of World War Two。The book is split into parts that switch between characters and times and locations。 The story is set in Austria at a very turbulent time and as with other books by Faulks the historical backdrop plays an important role。The story is one of love that rolls over many years and twists and turns。 the descriptions of cities and places gives you a real sense of wanderlust。The book is pretty long but it captivates you and draws you into it。 It's a fantastic read and I will look forward to the next instalment。 。。。more

Debra Davidson-Smith ，

Snow country manages to powerfully combine a detailed and intimate focus on the lives and minds of its main characters， with a grand overview of a tumultuous and rapidly changing world across three decades。 The novel interrogates how all our lives are shaped by forces outside our control but rather than evoking a feeling of hopelessness， Faulkes manages to convey the complete opposite – this is a book about resilience， love and desire， where human suffering is counter balanced by hope and the ch Snow country manages to powerfully combine a detailed and intimate focus on the lives and minds of its main characters， with a grand overview of a tumultuous and rapidly changing world across three decades。 The novel interrogates how all our lives are shaped by forces outside our control but rather than evoking a feeling of hopelessness， Faulkes manages to convey the complete opposite – this is a book about resilience， love and desire， where human suffering is counter balanced by hope and the chance of redemption。 Snow Country is the second book in a trilogy， but I haven’t read the first book in the series， and it worked really well for me as a stand-alone novel。 The book tells the story of Lena， a girl born to an alcoholic mother in a small town in southern Austria in 1906， Anton， the restless son of a bourgeois family who sets out to make his fortune in pre-First World War Vienna， and the idealistic young lawyer Rudolf Plischke， who wants to change the world。 Their lives move apart over the years but come together again in 1934 at the atmospheric snow-capped sanatorium Schloss Seeblick， where human suffering is laid painfully bare but there remains a chance to rebuild broken lives。Faulkes’ ability to stitch together grand themes and sweeping page-turning narrative together with the innermost feelings of believable characters is truly impressive。 Even the minor players come to life as he takes us to the heart of what it means to be human。 Sweeping across a fragile and frightening Europe precariously placed between two wars， Snow Country is the kind of book that sucks you into its world， with its elegant prose， superbly paced narrative and tantalising glimpses of a better world。 With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Melanie Garrett ，

With SNOW COUNTRY， Sebastian Faulks reaffirms his place as one of the greatest novelists of our times。 It is both learned and lyrical and confirms Mr Faulks’ role as the voice of the human heart。 The narrative starts in Vienna， where we meet a series of characters who are standing on the threshold of First World War。 All over Europe， lives and loves are being thrown into chaos。 Although we already know this intellectually， the beauty of SNOW COUNTRY is that we feel it as well。 The characters are With SNOW COUNTRY， Sebastian Faulks reaffirms his place as one of the greatest novelists of our times。 It is both learned and lyrical and confirms Mr Faulks’ role as the voice of the human heart。 The narrative starts in Vienna， where we meet a series of characters who are standing on the threshold of First World War。 All over Europe， lives and loves are being thrown into chaos。 Although we already know this intellectually， the beauty of SNOW COUNTRY is that we feel it as well。 The characters are exquisitely rendered so that when this person goes missing， the reader is left anxiously awaiting news that may or may not ever come。 Because the novel is being played out against actual events from the first half of the 20th century， the reader effectively holds a crystal ball over the characters’ plans。 It’s a tantalising， yet heart-breaking position to be in， and I was conscious of trying to slow myself down and savour the piece rather than just rush on to find out what happens。There is so much to admire about Sebastian Faulks， not least the way he seems to renew his rules of engagement with each novel。 In SNOW COUNTRY the backdrop is the great sweep of early 20th-century history and the big debates underway in politics and psychology。 Yet， while reading， I kept thinking of Monet’s waterlilies and how Faulks’ prose feels like a form of narrative impressionism。 It’s this accumulation of perfect details， a verbal pointillism if you will， which brings the lives and loves of his characters to life。 As readers we are then able to zoom in and out between the enormous， unfathomable canvass of history， and the minutiae of the hearts and minds which speak to us the most。All in all， another triumph for Sebastian Faulks。 With many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me see an advance copy of SNOW COUNTRY。 。。。more

Donna read。athon2021 ，

I have read Sebastian Faulks’ other books over many years and this book is definitely as powerful as his others。 This book follows the story started in Human Traces， published in 2005。 I remember reading it on honeymoon in Thailand in 2006 and loving it。 I wish the gap between reading these wasn’t as long， I can only remember the actual story vaguely （it was a long time ago！）。 In this beautiful story， we are introduced to Anton， a young man in Vienna before WW1， working as a low paid journalist I have read Sebastian Faulks’ other books over many years and this book is definitely as powerful as his others。 This book follows the story started in Human Traces， published in 2005。 I remember reading it on honeymoon in Thailand in 2006 and loving it。 I wish the gap between reading these wasn’t as long， I can only remember the actual story vaguely （it was a long time ago！）。 In this beautiful story， we are introduced to Anton， a young man in Vienna before WW1， working as a low paid journalist and tutor。 He meets the French Delphine and falls in love。 When he returns from working in Paris just as war breaks out， Delphine has disappeared。 He is injured in the war and struggles with PTSD and grief afterwards。 Lena is a daughter of an alcoholic， the first child Carina does not give up to the orphanage。 Lena grows up knowing she is different from the other children。 After she has lived in Vienna for a while she hears her mother has died。 She comes home and starts working in the hospital that featured in Human Traces。 Anton comes to write an article about the facility and stays on as a patient。 I was expecting this to be a harder read than it was。 Some of the difficult and sadder parts are tackled in the context of the therapist’s sessions。 There is also quite a lot of philosophical debate， but it’s not too hard to process。 For me， this is a story with immense healing and lonely souls finding solace with one another。 A beautiful and thought-provoking story 🇦🇹❤️📚 。。。more

AtomicBooks ，

I will start by confessing I’m a big fan of Sebastian Faulks writing， and this is another great read。 He is most definitely a master craftsman and this is another brilliant work of art。What I love about this book is that the writing just flows beautifully and it reads so easily but when you sit back and reflect on what you have read there is nothing easy about this book。 The characters of Lena， and Anton are just so well written， you can’t help but become emotionally attached to them， although a I will start by confessing I’m a big fan of Sebastian Faulks writing， and this is another great read。 He is most definitely a master craftsman and this is another brilliant work of art。What I love about this book is that the writing just flows beautifully and it reads so easily but when you sit back and reflect on what you have read there is nothing easy about this book。 The characters of Lena， and Anton are just so well written， you can’t help but become emotionally attached to them， although all the characters in the story play their part brilliantly， and stay with you throughout the story。This book beautifully explores many complex issues and emotions in a very real way， without sensationalism or being overly sentimental。 When I’d finished this book though， and reflected on the book as a whole， I actually felt quite emotional， about the time I’d spent with the characters and the events that they had been through， and also quite worried for their future， as I have the benefit of foresight and know what period in our history is coming next。 。。。more

Keith Currie ，

CoincidencesI had read two of Sebastian Faulks’ novels before this， Birdsong and Enderby， one of which I liked and one of which I did not。 Snow Country， set mainly in Austria before， （briefly） during and after the First World War， falls into the former category。 I liked it。Anton， escaping from the family pork sausage business， aspires to be a journalist of renown。 His lover is an older woman， Delphine， French， mysterious。 His ambitions take him to Panama to report on the building of the canal， a CoincidencesI had read two of Sebastian Faulks’ novels before this， Birdsong and Enderby， one of which I liked and one of which I did not。 Snow Country， set mainly in Austria before， （briefly） during and after the First World War， falls into the former category。 I liked it。Anton， escaping from the family pork sausage business， aspires to be a journalist of renown。 His lover is an older woman， Delphine， French， mysterious。 His ambitions take him to Panama to report on the building of the canal， and immediately before the outbreak of war， to Paris， to report on a celebrity murder case。 On his return to Austria， Delphine has disappeared without trace。Lena， uneducated， poor， fatherless， her mother an alcoholic who has given away all her other children， starts life with every disadvantage。 But she has aspirations， and improves her lot through determination and life experience。 At a low point in her life in Vienna， she entertains men， with one of whom in a single encounter she feels an emotional link， immediately lost as this injured soul disappears from her life。 After the war， in a progressive and radical asylum in the Austrian mountains， Lena and Anton will meet again。 Is the link Lena imagined to be reciprocated？ Can Anton step beyond the loss of Delphine （and others from his life）？ Will he discover what happened to Delphine？ Can another fill her place？Faulks’ novel is impressive in many ways， the emotional pull， the Hardyesque use of coincidence， both positive and negative， the personal drama set in a much wider stage， Austria before， during and after the war， the folly and callowness of youth， the early days of psychological treatment， the challenges， losses and occasional triumphs of the individual。 The author balances the individual and the political in an ambitious narrative， achieving a satisfying conclusion。 。。。more

Diana Ellis ，

This would not have been my choice of story were it not for wanting to review something a little different。 I engaged with the book as I enjoy historically placed novels。 Relationships between countries and people are explored pre wars in the early twentieth century。The huge scientific advances in both medicine and psychology were prevalent and are interwoven into the story。 The choice of a journalist as one of the main characters is an opening to all sorts of countries and situations。 There is This would not have been my choice of story were it not for wanting to review something a little different。 I engaged with the book as I enjoy historically placed novels。 Relationships between countries and people are explored pre wars in the early twentieth century。The huge scientific advances in both medicine and psychology were prevalent and are interwoven into the story。 The choice of a journalist as one of the main characters is an opening to all sorts of countries and situations。 There is a love story woven throughout too。 Interesting choice for those who enjoy social history。 。。。more

Greville Waterman ，

I am sure that Mr Faulks is sick and tired of every reader comparing his subsequent work with "Birdsong" but I am afraid that is inevitable and whilst I enjoyed this book it did not captivate me as others of his have previously。The story is complex， sometimes too so and also graphic at times。 I also think it would have helped if I had read， "Human Traces"， the previous novel in what will eventually be a trilogy however his descriptions of personal relationships are as lyrical and beautiful as ev I am sure that Mr Faulks is sick and tired of every reader comparing his subsequent work with "Birdsong" but I am afraid that is inevitable and whilst I enjoyed this book it did not captivate me as others of his have previously。The story is complex， sometimes too so and also graphic at times。 I also think it would have helped if I had read， "Human Traces"， the previous novel in what will eventually be a trilogy however his descriptions of personal relationships are as lyrical and beautiful as ever。 。。。more

Laura Spira ，

I didn't enjoy this book， although I remember liking Human Traces， Faulks' previous book to which this is a sort of sequel， dealing with similar themes。 I found the characters uninspiring - indeed， I found Rudolf and Anton， the two main male characters difficult to distinguish between and had to keep checking back to find out which one I was reading about。 The writing was sometimes quite lyrical but then became didactic in dealing with the psychiatric background。 The plot seemed fragmented and I I didn't enjoy this book， although I remember liking Human Traces， Faulks' previous book to which this is a sort of sequel， dealing with similar themes。 I found the characters uninspiring - indeed， I found Rudolf and Anton， the two main male characters difficult to distinguish between and had to keep checking back to find out which one I was reading about。 The writing was sometimes quite lyrical but then became didactic in dealing with the psychiatric background。 The plot seemed fragmented and I found the ending unsatisfactorily tidy - I had the sense that Faulks had written more than one ending and couldn't choose between them。 I think it's a huge challenge for authors to adequately convey the mental health issues of their characters and in this case I don't think it's been managed well。 。。。more

Carol ，

‘Snow Country’ has a long section set in the psychiatry clinic Schloss Seeblick， introduced to us in Faulks’ 2004 novel， ‘Human Traces’ Once again， his research and attention to historical， social and scientific detail is painstaking and is woven into the fabric of this picture of 20th Century Austria up to the rise of the Nazis。Several plot lines are engaging: the friendship of journalist Anton and Friedrich， who serve together in the trenches， the love of Anton for Delphine， the life of Lena， ‘Snow Country’ has a long section set in the psychiatry clinic Schloss Seeblick， introduced to us in Faulks’ 2004 novel， ‘Human Traces’ Once again， his research and attention to historical， social and scientific detail is painstaking and is woven into the fabric of this picture of 20th Century Austria up to the rise of the Nazis。Several plot lines are engaging: the friendship of journalist Anton and Friedrich， who serve together in the trenches， the love of Anton for Delphine， the life of Lena， who like her mother， becomes a prostitute and has to live on her wits。But the whole novel for me lacks coherence and conviction。 There is simply too much going on， and the weight of history and science intrude into the stories of the characters。 Thank you to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUk for my pre-release copy。 。。。more

Paromjit ，

Sebastian Faulks latest historical novel spans the years from 1903 to 1933， encompassing the political turbulence of the time， the war torn years of WW1 and the pre-war rise of Nazism and the right wing in Austria and Vienna。 It examines this period of history， structured into 5 parts， through 3 people， through the lives of the Styrian journalist and author， Anton Heideck， who with his best friend， Friedrich， are students in Vienna， he has no intention of returning home to help run the family bl Sebastian Faulks latest historical novel spans the years from 1903 to 1933， encompassing the political turbulence of the time， the war torn years of WW1 and the pre-war rise of Nazism and the right wing in Austria and Vienna。 It examines this period of history， structured into 5 parts， through 3 people， through the lives of the Styrian journalist and author， Anton Heideck， who with his best friend， Friedrich， are students in Vienna， he has no intention of returning home to help run the family blood sausage company。 As he struggles to establish himself in his chosen career， he takes on private tutoring which is how he meets the French Delphine Fourmentier， falling for her as the two embark on a passionate love affair that have them setting up home in the Vienna Woods。 In 1914 he is reporting on the trial of Henriette Caillaux in Paris， hoping that war does not begin。。However， he is doomed to be disappointed， and upon his return home finds Delphine has gone。 His harrowing experience of fighting in the war has him seriously injured。 The horrors of what he sees， the huge losses that include friends， leaves him unsurprisingly with PTSD， finding it hard to come to terms with the loss of Delphine， exacerbated by not knowing whether she is alive or dead。 Rudolf Plischke is a idealist young lawyer committed to the Rebirth party with its spiritual aspects。 The impoverished Carinthian Lena meets Rudolf when she is 15 years old， illiterate， with a mother， Carina， who likes to drink， who has given away all the children she gave birth to， keeping only Lena。 At Rudolf's urging， Lena moves to Vienna， only to find it an unforgiving place。 She takes a menial post at the Schloss Seeblick， a place Anton has been sent to write an article evaluating the state of psychiatry and whether Austria has lost its pre-eminence to the newer psychotherapies utilised in the U。S。Both Anton and Lena are to find help with their mental health issues from the strong and independent therapist， Martha Midwinter， the daughter of one of the founders of the Schloss， with Anton aided by learning what happened to Delphine， and Lena finally overcoming her sense of shame over her time in Vienna。 Austrian psychiatry had moved on from the early mistakes of the influential Freud， his unhealthy and unhelpful obsession with hysteria， and it is Martha who embodies the forefront of the profession with her more compassionate， less judgemental talking therapies， and the hope it offers for a wide variety of prevailing mental health issues。 They provide people with the potential of moving on and being able to live and love in a Europe and Austria that seem determined to be at war， damaging， killing and destroying the lives of countless millions in the run up to WW2。 This is a wonderfully insightful novel that covers key issues from this historical period， the impact of war， and the relationships between 3 people who live through it， and the evolution of psychiatry in its capacity to help， seen through Martha's work， even though she is not a qualified psychiatrist。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more

Louise ，

2。5 starsThis book has genuinely left me feeling totally indifferent。I can't remember the last time that happened。There's nothing I liked，or indeed disliked about it。I think had it not been by a writer who's past work I've enjoyed，I may have given up on it。Struggling for anything else to say，that isn't already in the books blurb。 2。5 starsThis book has genuinely left me feeling totally indifferent。I can't remember the last time that happened。There's nothing I liked，or indeed disliked about it。I think had it not been by a writer who's past work I've enjoyed，I may have given up on it。Struggling for anything else to say，that isn't already in the books blurb。 。。。more

Sharyn ，

Sebastian Faulks has written another excellent book。 It doesn't read like the second in a trilogy which I am glad about as I discovered that I DNF'd Human Traces in 2015！ I shall have to revisit it。 This book has a great cast of characters and is quite moving and emotional in places。 I liked the character of Lena very much。 It was an interesting journey through a desperate and depressing time in Austria and the other close countries involved in the Great War。 I do hope that the third in the tril Sebastian Faulks has written another excellent book。 It doesn't read like the second in a trilogy which I am glad about as I discovered that I DNF'd Human Traces in 2015！ I shall have to revisit it。 This book has a great cast of characters and is quite moving and emotional in places。 I liked the character of Lena very much。 It was an interesting journey through a desperate and depressing time in Austria and the other close countries involved in the Great War。 I do hope that the third in the trilogy doesnt take as long to appear as this one did。 With thanks to NetGalley， the publishers and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Helen ，

Set in Austria， the events of Sebastian Faulks' latest novel， Snow Country， take place between 1906 and 1933 and it focuses on three main characters， whose lives intersect at various points over the decades， and culminate in Schloss Seeblick clinic in Austria。 （Interestingly， Snow Country is the second of an intended "trilogy" of linked novels， with Schloss Seeblick clinic providing the setting for Human Traces which was published in 2005。 Each title can be read completely independently， and non Set in Austria， the events of Sebastian Faulks' latest novel， Snow Country， take place between 1906 and 1933 and it focuses on three main characters， whose lives intersect at various points over the decades， and culminate in Schloss Seeblick clinic in Austria。 （Interestingly， Snow Country is the second of an intended "trilogy" of linked novels， with Schloss Seeblick clinic providing the setting for Human Traces which was published in 2005。 Each title can be read completely independently， and none are intended to be sequels， ）The three major protagonists are Lena， Rudolf and Anton。Lena is not academically gifted， but she is a strong， independent woman who has had to be self-reliant from an early age， due to a childhood lived in poverty with her alcoholic single mother。 She eventually gains employment as a maid at Schloss Seeblick Sanatorium which treats people suffering from a range of mental ill health conditions。Rudolf is a few years older than Lena and is a somewhat idealistic student from a very wealthy background who later becomes a lawyer。 Anton is the oldest of the three characters and is a journalist and writer who lost the love of his life， Delphine， when the outbreak of the First World War separated them。 He arrives at Schloss Seeblick having been commissioned by a magazine to write an article about the clinic's work。The novel is very much character driven， with Faulks' three strong， interesting， yet diverse and contrasting figures at the heart of it。， As the story unfolds， going back and forth between the decades， more and more of their respective stories and connections are pieced together。 Each of the central characters has suffered， and each has their own particular mental struggle or traumatic experience to come to terms with， which influences their reactions and behaviour。 Lena had to overcome loneliness and friendlessness， as well as real neglect and poverty， which at times caused her to do things and to behave in ways that would be frowned on by polite society， simply in order to survive。 She had dreams of a life in Vienna but eventually had to abandon these hopes， and become a maid at the sanatorium where she eventually makes friends amongst the staff there。。 She worries that her past may eventually catch up with her and lead to rejection， whilst also discovering that she could share her mother's weakness for drink。 Meanwhile， Rudolf may have had immense privilege， coming from a much more wealthy background than Lena， but he struggles greatly with his religious and political beliefs at a time of huge turmoil in Austria when the right wing is taking control and democracy is under threat。 He becomes the member of a radical political group， putting himself in great danger in doing so。 Anton was deeply scarred - mentally and physically - by his time as a soldier during the First World War。 He is clearly suffering some form of PTSD and a strong sense of guilt。 He is still trying to come to terms with the loss of his relationship， and also the loss of his best friend during the war。 Only when he comes to Schloss Seeblick， years later， does he realise how much he needs the benefits and the insights afforded by the talking therapy which is on offer there。Can each of these 3 characters overcome their demons， and come to terms with the troubled past？The mental turmoil and intensity is mirrored in the depiction of the brooding political tensions of the 1930s era， and the rise of extreme right wing fascism throughout Germany， Austria and Italy。 The historical context is really well done， with the atmosphere of the novel pervaded by a real sense of unrest and the impending shadow about to descend across Europe。 This， along with the prose of the novel with its evocative and beautiful descriptions is what we have come to expect from Sebastian Faulks over the yearsSnow Country is a thoughtful and thought provoking read， with only one slight weakness。 For me， the relationship between Lena and Anton， was a tad unconvincing and felt a little contrived， but this was the only small disappointment in an otherwise beautifully written and executed， very readable novel。， which examines the many ways that the human mind， body and spirit can be challenged and the possibility of， if not a cure， finding an accommodation with the past - in whatever form that may be。With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the arc in return for an honest review 。。。more

Jean-Luc ，

Set in Austria between the waning days of the Austro Hungarian Empire and the unsettling and menacing times that foreshadow the Hitlerian catastrophe， this gorgeous novel tell the life stories of Anton & Lena， as they love， hope， despair and struggle before and after the painful ordeals of WWI and their bittersweet encounter at the cusp of the 1930s。Gorgeously written and exquisitely cast， this novel is a beautiful and haunting portrait of an Austrian society that is very much reminiscent of the Set in Austria between the waning days of the Austro Hungarian Empire and the unsettling and menacing times that foreshadow the Hitlerian catastrophe， this gorgeous novel tell the life stories of Anton & Lena， as they love， hope， despair and struggle before and after the painful ordeals of WWI and their bittersweet encounter at the cusp of the 1930s。Gorgeously written and exquisitely cast， this novel is a beautiful and haunting portrait of an Austrian society that is very much reminiscent of the sad and marvellous tales of Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth。 I loved this magnificent fictional journey。 Mr Faulks is without any doubt one of the best wordsmiths at work today in English lit。Highly recommended and to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever！Many thanks to Netgalley and Random/Cornestone for this terrific ARC。 。。。more

Martin Turner ，

Part of a trilogy but easily read as a stand alone， this is a book set during the Great War and going on to just before the outbreak of the second world war。 It is mainly at in Austria and follows the fortunes of Anton， a journalist and Lena， from her poor upbringing to becoming employed as best she can。 Much of the book is set in a sanatorium and covers issues ranging from psychology to reincarnation。 Very enjoyable

Lisa ，

ARC via Netgalley for review purposes。I really enjoyed reading this one。 Part wanderlust， part troubled upbringing， part missed connections and the slow reveal of where paths meet kept me interested throughout。

Ceecee ，

This ambitious character driven novel spans 1906 to 1933 and is set principally in Austria with Vienna and the sanatorium at Schloss Seeblick being central settings。 There are three main characters， first of all Anton Heideck who becomes a well known journalist， secondly， Lena who comes from humble origins and who goes to work at the Schloss as a maid。 Here， her life and that of Anton intersect when he visits to write an article as there is much interest as this time in psychoanalysis and treatm This ambitious character driven novel spans 1906 to 1933 and is set principally in Austria with Vienna and the sanatorium at Schloss Seeblick being central settings。 There are three main characters， first of all Anton Heideck who becomes a well known journalist， secondly， Lena who comes from humble origins and who goes to work at the Schloss as a maid。 Here， her life and that of Anton intersect when he visits to write an article as there is much interest as this time in psychoanalysis and treatments and he decides to stay as a patient。 Finally， there’s Rudolf Plischke， a lawyer and one time lover of Lena。 The novel focuses on war， political changes and upheavals and on mental health。 These three characters are interesting and form quite a contrast to each other， especially Lena with these well educated men。 Her background is done well and it’s easy to picture her somewhat hand to mouth existence， surviving as best she can。 She’s starved of affection which leads to her make mistakes and she views the prospect of a job at the Schloss as a fresh start。 Antony’s journalistic career is interesting as we follow him from Vienna to Paris where he reports on the trial of Henriette Caillaux as war looms in the background。 He reports on the building of the Panama Canal and these are colourful sections。 Anton lives a lot in his head， he’s searching for a lost love in Delphine who he meets before the war and he’s damaged physically and mentally by the action he sees in the horror of World War One。 Rudolf is a conflicted soul in many ways， he’s a political idealist at a time of huge change and through him we see that it’s not looking good for democracy in Austria by 1933。 In all honesty， I feel as if I never get to know these characters， it’s very hard to connect to them and so you don’t really invest in their lives。 The historical context is done well， we get a real sense of places and their atmosphere and the political changes are conveyed clearly。 There are some good fairly brief scenes in the trenches and some quite graphic medical scenes which shows the frantic and difficult conditions of field hospitals。 Through the Schloss the focus switches to treatments and views on mental health and this is interesting。 A particularly strong element of the writing are the beautifully written descriptions of the area in and around the Schloss and these are so easy to visualise。 However， despite these positives， I don’t think this is the authors best work by any means。 Parts of it are a real slog， the pace is very slow and we get a lot of inconsequential detail and conversations which seem to add very little to the bigger picture。 There’s little in terms of actual plot as it’s principally a character study and they don’t really come alive on the pages。 The love element I find hard to buy into as it seems a literary contrivance， it feels forced and inauthentic。 I think part of the problem is that the novel has a huge overarching aim which doesn’t come of and which leaves you unsatisfied。 Overall， a mixed bag with some very good sections and some which I find dull。 With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK， Cornerstone for the arc in return for an honest review 。。。more

Sarah ，

Following on from Sebastian Faulks’ 2005 ‘Human Traces， ‘Snow Country’ is another thematically ambitious novel， set principally in Austria in the first third of the twentieth century。 It also focuses on mental health and the ways in which psychotherapy and psychiatry may or may not cure suffering。 Not surprisingly there are plenty of references to Freudian beliefs。 And yet this novel wears its learning a little more lightly than in ‘Human Traces’ and is the better for it。Journalist Anton falls i Following on from Sebastian Faulks’ 2005 ‘Human Traces， ‘Snow Country’ is another thematically ambitious novel， set principally in Austria in the first third of the twentieth century。 It also focuses on mental health and the ways in which psychotherapy and psychiatry may or may not cure suffering。 Not surprisingly there are plenty of references to Freudian beliefs。 And yet this novel wears its learning a little more lightly than in ‘Human Traces’ and is the better for it。Journalist Anton falls in love with a mysterious French woman， Delphine。 After his assignment covering the Panama Canal （a fascinating section）， he returns to Vienna but it is 2014; she has fled and he joins the army。 When the war is over， like millions of others who survive the battlefields of WW1， Anton leads a troubled existence。 He explains that it’s difficult to keep the war experience apart， ‘…and not let it flood you with its blood and poison into thinking all life before and after was meaningless and absurd。’ However， when he is sent to report on the medical practices at the Schloss Seeblick sanatorium in the Austrian mountains， he is encouraged to reflect on his experiences to date。Lena， a servant at the sanatorium， has met Anton before although he’s not fully aware of this。 Child of a neglectful upbringing by an alcoholic， sometimes prostitute mother， Lena is aware that her life is anything but conventional。 She is fortunate that the owner of Schloss Seeblick accepts her for who she is and Lena enjoys her predictable， comfortable life in the mountains， safe from the previous turmoil of Vienna。 Nevertheless， when Anton appears past feelings begin to emerge。Whilst Faulks， as ever， allows the history of the time to permeate the narrative superbly， this is a novel for those who enjoy a focus on the inner life。 Faulks’ elegant writing is always a pleasure to read and his characters express universal truths memorably as they ponder their own lives。 As Anton ruminates， ‘None of us is spared history。 That’s what history is。 A leveller。’ Both Lena and Anton must come to terms with past losses and damaging experiences。 Readers will， undoubtedly， feel some satisfaction that these sympathetic characters gravitate towards each other。 Nevertheless， there is something about this relationship which feels a little contrived and perhaps why， ultimately， ‘Snow Country’ cannot be described as one of Faulks triumphs。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more

Jill Westerman ，

This novel is set in Austria around the beginning of the 20th Century。 The action centres on 3 characters: Lena， a young woman with minimal education， brought up by an alcoholic mother and learning to be self-sufficient at an early age she moves between suspicion and romance。 Rudolf is an idealistic young student， the member of a radical Christian political group， and Anton， who loves Delphine， an older woman he meets in Vienna， until his country declares war on hers and he goes off to fight， re This novel is set in Austria around the beginning of the 20th Century。 The action centres on 3 characters: Lena， a young woman with minimal education， brought up by an alcoholic mother and learning to be self-sufficient at an early age she moves between suspicion and romance。 Rudolf is an idealistic young student， the member of a radical Christian political group， and Anton， who loves Delphine， an older woman he meets in Vienna， until his country declares war on hers and he goes off to fight， returning to Vienna with a damaged lung and damaged psyche。 The action moves between Vienna and a psychiatric hospital， where the new theories of Freud are a strong influence on treatment。 Lena encounters both Rudolf and Anton in Vienna， moves to work in the hospital where （somewhat improbably） they both end up visiting for different reasons。 The novel has a broad scope， covering love and loss， the politics of Austria at the beginning of the century and the aftermath of the First World War as the country moves to the right and the growing influence of Hitler。 It is a gripping read， and I enjoyed it。 Many thanks to Negalley and the publisher for a review copy。 。。。more

Ormondebooks ，

Sebastian Faulks is quite a prodigious author having written over 20 novels in the past 30 years。 As a lover of 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 & 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺， I have continued to dip and out of his books over the years。 𝘚𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺， his latest book， is due for publication on 2 September 2021。The novel is set in Austria in the years 1914-1933， a time of great historical and social upheaval。 Lena is the impoverished daughter of an alcoholic mother， who meets the enigmatic Rudolf Plischke and moves to Vienna; Anton i Sebastian Faulks is quite a prodigious author having written over 20 novels in the past 30 years。 As a lover of 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 & 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺， I have continued to dip and out of his books over the years。 𝘚𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺， his latest book， is due for publication on 2 September 2021。The novel is set in Austria in the years 1914-1933， a time of great historical and social upheaval。 Lena is the impoverished daughter of an alcoholic mother， who meets the enigmatic Rudolf Plischke and moves to Vienna; Anton is a journalist， living in Vienna and waiting for his big break。 Vienna proves to be a big disappointment for Lena and she leaves the city to take up a job as a servant in the Schloss Seeblick sanatorium located in the mountains。 Anton， who fought on the Eastern Front， is traumatised by what he has seen in war。 He is now a renowned writer and is commissioned to do a piece on the mysterious sanatorium。 He is drawn immediately to Lena， but does not realise that they have already met before in Vienna under very different circumstances…This was a fascinating period in World History and is one of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most: World War 1， the growth of socialism， the depression， the construction of the Panama canal， they all feature here。 Of particular interest to me are the references to Freud and the development of psychoanalyses。 This is also a story about human suffering and redemption as Lena and Anton discover the essence of who they are。 I found the love story element a bit implausible and preferred the historical backdrop to the story。 Not the best Faulks noveI I’ve read， but it is an ambitious read。 Lovers of historical fiction will certainly enjoy the book。 I also wondered whether the book title was the right choice？ It did not resonate sufficiently， for me， with the themes of the novel。 Many thanks to @netalley and @randomhouseuk for this e-book in return for my honest review。 。。。more

Milly Reynolds ，

This was sent to me by Netgalley in return for a review。After a quite gruesome beginning， we are taken to 1914 Vienna where we meet Anton who is trying to be a journalist against the wishes of his family。 To supplement his income， he is is engaged as a tutor and it is on one visit that he meets Delphine， a woman who changes his life。 But then， his country declares war on hers。In the next section we are whisked to the year 1927 and meet Lena， who lives with her drunken mother， and is convinced th This was sent to me by Netgalley in return for a review。After a quite gruesome beginning， we are taken to 1914 Vienna where we meet Anton who is trying to be a journalist against the wishes of his family。 To supplement his income， he is is engaged as a tutor and it is on one visit that he meets Delphine， a woman who changes his life。 But then， his country declares war on hers。In the next section we are whisked to the year 1927 and meet Lena， who lives with her drunken mother， and is convinced that her life will amount to nothing。 Working in the local hospital， she meets a young lawyer who whisks her off to Vienna。 Life， however， goes wrong for her again and she takes a menial job at a sanatorium in the snow country - the Schloss Seeblick。Time moves on again and we are in 1933 where we meet up with Anton again who， although an established writer， is still suffering after his experiences on the Eastern Front where he lost many friends。 He accepts a commission to visit Schloss Seeblick and here， in this place where the mind can be healed， he explores his own suffering and seeks， finally， redemption。The writing is beautiful and the descriptions， especially of the snowy Schloss Seeblick are evocative。 My problem was that I just did not engage with the character of Lena。 Anton and Delphine got under my skin， but not Lena， I found her frustrating， annoying。 Another problem is that every time I pick up a novel by this author， I am wanting to be moved in the way the 'Birdsong' moved me。 That book has never left me and I keep searching for another one to touch my heart the way that it did。This was a nice read， spanning almost two decades and covering the political situation in Vienna as well as exploring the advances being made in the treatment of the human mind。 I nliked it， I just did not love it。Thank you， Netgalley， for giving me the opportunity to read this。 。。。more

Jeanie ，

NetGalleyMember ReviewCover Image: Snow CountrySnow Countryby Sebastian FaulksPub Date: 2 Sep 2021Review byjeanie m， ReviewerLast updated on 9 Jun 2021My RecommendationWith grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion。 I had heard a lot about this book and writer and was delighted to get a copy， was rather gruesome at the beginning but didn't put me off，it wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be be none the less rather interesting I did skip a few chapter NetGalleyMember ReviewCover Image: Snow CountrySnow Countryby Sebastian FaulksPub Date: 2 Sep 2021Review byjeanie m， ReviewerLast updated on 9 Jun 2021My RecommendationWith grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion。 I had heard a lot about this book and writer and was delighted to get a copy， was rather gruesome at the beginning but didn't put me off，it wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be be none the less rather interesting I did skip a few chapters but on the whole was good。Don't forget！ Come back to your Review on the pub date， 2 Sep 2021， to post to these retailers。 。。。more

Marieke du Pré ，

This book starts with a surgery， a very graphic surgery。 There’s one thing I’m not good at （next to many other things， by the way） and that’s watching a surgery on television。 I immediately get nauseated。 Reading about it obviously leads to the same reaction。 After the first page， I threw my e-reader away， shivering， nauseated。 I tried again with the same result。 I skimmed a few pages， skipped some more and the surgery was still going on。 The next day I tried again。 Started reading from the seco This book starts with a surgery， a very graphic surgery。 There’s one thing I’m not good at （next to many other things， by the way） and that’s watching a surgery on television。 I immediately get nauseated。 Reading about it obviously leads to the same reaction。 After the first page， I threw my e-reader away， shivering， nauseated。 I tried again with the same result。 I skimmed a few pages， skipped some more and the surgery was still going on。 The next day I tried again。 Started reading from the second chapter。 But after every sentence I read， I remembered the words scalpel and flesh and blade and cutting and more。 And I quit reading again。 I decided to DNF。 My fasted DNF ever。 Such a graphic start of a book and me are just not a good combination。 I’m sorry author and publisher。。。I received an ARC from Random House UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Snow Country

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Snow Country&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Snow Country&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0