Thank you to @istros_books for sending me a free copy of Doppelgänger by Daša Drndić to review! They have such an interesting array of translated literature from South Eastern Europe and the Balkans, so please do check them out if you're interested in broadening your reading horizons!

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This is my first book by Drndić, and by any Croatian author in fact, and it's left me with a strong desire to read more of her work and learn more about the history of Croatia. The book is split into two stories, one rather short, Arturo and Isabella, and one much longer, Pupi. Arturo and Isabella is the more powerful of the two. The two eponymous central characters are 70-somethings who meet outside on New Year's Eve and enjoy a rather rogue-ish encounter. Their meeting is frequently disrupted by police reports, as they are both under surveillance by the police on account of their political pasts.

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Pupi is a bit more meandering, as a now-vagrant man wanders through life trying to navigate his family troubles. Strange similarities with the first story begin to arise as the story progresses, hence the title. This is one of those books that would benefit from multiple readings to catch the nuances and coincidences you might have missed the first time around, especially if (like me) your knowledge of the historic and political context is not too hot.

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I read a really interesting piece in Granta about Drndić's style, which she is very rigid about when it comes to the English translation! The first story is translated by S.D Curtis  the second by Celia Hawkesworth, and both apparently emulate her style well. Drndić says her style is supposed to irritate the reader, and she doesn't want any changes made in translation to make it more palatable. Indeed, the rhythms and repetitions of her writing made me feel slightly panicked when I was reading it, like I was in the head of the anxious narrator, almost becoming them. It's quite unnerving and extremely impressive, especially given it's been reproduced in translation!

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Overall I think it was a great introduction to Drndić's work, and I look forward to picking up more in the future!