Buybook, 2024, 174 pp.
Exploring the dynamics of relationships – the forces that build and break the bonds of love and parenthood – Drago Glamuzina’s work constantly blurs the lines between genre and form. One could argue that his entire work is a single text that celebrates the beauty of a world defined by fluidity.
A middle-aged man whose marriage has unraveled and whose subsequent relationship with another woman has also fallen apart, records his intimate thoughts in the stillness of the night, between 3 and 6 a.m., while the world around him sleeps. By contrast, his days are frenetic – filled with interactions with his “new lover,” his ex-wife, and his children – experiences that accumulate during the day only to be processed, understood, and reassembled in the quiet hours before dawn. Books and literature lie at the intersection of these two realms– day and night, chaos and reflection – serving as both companions and sources of insight. As the protagonist delves into the lives and words of others, episodes from his own past inevitably resurface, gradually revealing his character, his worldview, and his deepest desires, fears, and weaknesses. Much of this introspection revolves around his evolving relationship with the woman who now frequently stays with him, though his past experiences leave him wary of forming a new, lasting bond. Wounded and cynical, he continually questions whether he should attempt to build a life with someone again. In addition to its nuanced, vividly drawn protagonist and the rich cast of characters surrounding him, The Night Porter stands out for its precise, lucid language. Glamuzina deftly captures the complex inner world of his narrator, inviting readers into an intimate, absorbing exploration of human emotions and relationships.
