Time Shelter: Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023

Time Shelter is a novel by Georgi Gospodinov that was awarded the 2023 International Booker Prize. It is a genre-busting novel of ideas that explores the philosophical and the everyday extraordinary. The novel is set in a clinic for the past that offers a promising treatment for Alzheimer's sufferers, and the unnamed narrator is tasked with collecting the flotsam and jetsam of the past. As the rooms become more convincing, an increasing number of healthy people seek out the clinic as a time shelter, leading to an unexpected conundrum when the past begins to invade the present.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

The winner of the 2023 International Booker Prize is Olga Tokarczuk's novel "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead." The book has been praised by critics for its exquisite writing, its timely themes, and its ability to blend humor and profound philosophical ideas. Tokarczuk's novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world and follows the journey of a plow driver who travels through a desolate landscape searching for her missing husband. The book explores themes of love, loss, and the nature of humanity in a world that has been ravaged by war and disease.

"Time Shelter" by Dan Gospodinov is a genre-busting novel that takes readers on a journey through time and space. The book is set in a future Europe that is facing a catastrophic environmental crisis and a breakdown of social order. The protagonist, a flâneur named Gaustine, opens a clinic for the past that offers a promising treatment for Alzheimer's sufferers: each floor reproduces a decade in minute detail, transporting patients back in time.

As Gaustine's assistant, the unnamed narrator is tasked with collecting the flotsam and jetsam of the past, including old photographs, letters, and other artifacts. The narrator begins to develop a relationship with Gaustine and her patients, and as they delve deeper into the past, they begin to uncover the secrets and tragedies that have shaped the world they live in.

"Time Shelter" is a powerful and brilliant novel that offers a clear-sighted, foreboding, and enigmatic vision of the future. Gospodinov is one of Europe's most fascinating and irreplaceable novelists, and this his most expansive, soulful, and mind-bending book. The novel is filled with memorable characters, including Gaustine, her patients, and the unnamed narrator, and it explores themes of memory, loss, and the nature of time itself.

"Time Shelter" has received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its exquisite writing, its timely themes, and its ability to blend humor and profound philosophical ideas. The book has been described as a "masterpiece" by the Financial Times and as "a genre-busting novel of ideas" by the Guardian. The New York Times has praised the book for its "powerful and brilliant" writing, and the Irish Times has described it as an "immensely enjoyable book which achieves depth with an affable narrative voice."

In conclusion, "Time Shelter" by Dan Gospodinov is a remarkable novel that has won the 2023 International Booker Prize. The book is a genre-busting exploration of time, space, and the nature of humanity that offers a clear-sighted, foreboding, and enigmatic vision of the future. Gospodinov is a master of his craft, and this his most expansive, soulful, and mind-bending book is a testament to his talent and creativity. "Time Shelter" is a must-read for anyone who loves literature and is interested in exploring the depths of the human experience.

Weight: 274g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474623070