Reading materials to explore: Helen Oyeyemi, Balla, and Fernanda Eberstadt's works.

In the world of literature, a new gem has emerged, lovingly crafted by Juraj Feleslegi and translated into English for the first time in 2009. Titled "Among the Ruins", this novel, published by Europa Editions, is a captivating exploration of friendship, personal struggles, and the human condition.

"Bite Your Friends" is partly a memoir of Feleslegi's wild and wealthy 1970s New York childhood, but it transcends the boundaries of traditional memoirs, spanning across centuries, registers, and tenses. The prose is daring and sometimes dizzying, creating a unique and immersive reading experience.

The novel revolves around three old friends coming together on a bachelorette weekend. Feleslegi's characters are brought to life with genuine depth, a testament to the author's skillful storytelling. However, the story does not only focus on these friends. It also contemplates various outcast figures such as St Perpetua, Diogenes the Cynic, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Pussy Riot.

The writing in "Among the Ruins" is playful and absurdist, preventing the novel from becoming gloomy. It is a pastiche book focusing on the power of wounded or rejected bodies, a theme that resonates deeply in the narratives of its characters.

Feleslegi, a psychiatrist in a small Slovakian city, finds himself daydreaming during his patients' sessions and avoiding lunch with his psychiatrist mother on Sundays. His life takes an unexpected turn when he starts receiving letters from his former patient, Mrs Vargová, filled with Communist nostalgia, racist diatribes, and agoraphobic anxieties.

Vargová, haunted by years of domestic abuse, and Feleslegi, tormented by his brother's suicide, are characters who do not fit comfortably in the modern world. Their struggles add layers of complexity to the narrative, making it a poignant exploration of the human condition.

Helen Oyeyemi, a UK novelist known for her maverick style, explores Prague as a character, the narrator, and the center of gravity in her latest novel. The city's rich history and folklore are cheekily adapted, transforming themes of rejection and revenge, the weight of shared history, and the thrill of imagining alternative lives into a wild postmodern puppet show.

Alexander Wells, in his review, described the novel as charming, irreverent, and very nearly brilliant. It is a must-read for those seeking a fresh and unconventional take on the human experience.

Reading materials to explore: Helen Oyeyemi, Balla, and Fernanda Eberstadt's works.