- Reading suggestion
- 2 July 2021
Readers of Europe 2021 - Belgian recommendation
Readers of Europe - recommendation by the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU
Book selected: The Capital by Robert Menasse
Brussels is a multi-layered capital. From the fritkots of Flagey to the cathedral of Saint Catherine, you will find a city diverse in language and rich in culture and in character. Renowned for many reasons, it is the home of Art Nouveau houses, surrealist artists, beer, chocolate and waffles. It is also where the European Union has based many of its institutions. It is around this particular aspect of life in the city that Robert Menasse has created his lucid political satire, The Capital.
This is a novel about the European Union in all its facets. It transports you to the Schuman roundabout. You will meet determined bureaucrats with competing interests. There are idealists and tragic heroes, and people scaling the political ladder.
Ambitious in its scope, stylistically it could be compared to Balzac’s The Human Comedy, Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 or The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil. Its core plotline involves a ‘Big Jubilee Project’ that the European Commission is planning to mark the 50th anniversary of its foundation. Into this, several seemingly unrelated subplots are blended, including a murder at a city hotel and a pig on the loose in the city.
Much like the multi-layered capital where the novel is set, there are multiple lenses through which you can view this book. On a basic level, it could be viewed as a biting political satire about a particular part of Brussels, told with wit and observation and a vast cast of characters from all over Europe.
But if you widen the scope, you can see that this is a novel about European identity and the future of the European project. For although Menasse can be critical at times, and funny throughout, you can tell that there is an underlying understanding of what the European Union represents at its core.
A further observation could be that it is a necessary – and at times moving – look at how the EU was born out of the horrors of WW2. As one character proclaims, the EU is meant to be ‘a guardian of the lessons of history’.
Translated from German into more than twenty languages, The Capital was the winner of the 2017 German Book Award.
For those looking to unearth Belgian literary gems, discover more via Eureka, the online catalogue of the Council libraries.
About the Readers of Europe campaign - Travel across Europe through literature
Through the long months of winter, in the utmost depths of the pandemic, the thought of travelling again was a guiding light for many sailing towards uncertain shores.
Although people were confined to their homes, many made epic voyages in uncharted lands with the aid of an old friend – books. For many, books were used as an invaluable coping measure to help deal with the psychosocial strain of being confined. Reading has helped people in Europe and around the world to cope with isolation during enduring lockdowns, and to deal with the uncertainty about the future.
Summer 2021 has a more hopeful feel than last year. The ever-increasing vaccination rates and the EU Digital COVID Certificate will hopefully facilitate the safe, free movement of citizens in the EU.
But situations can change quickly during pandemics. Some people may prefer to have staycations in their country of residence. But whether you are travelling at home or overseas, the Council Library has found a ‘budget’ way to enable everyone to visit Europe.
This summer the Council Library will whisk you away across the continent, moving not only across the Member States, but in and out of time as well.
We have once again invited colleagues from the Permanent Representations to the EU to make recommendations for books to read over the summer, with the second edition of our ‘Readers of Europe’ campaign. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Travel across Europe through literature’.
The literary pit stops on this tour will shine a light on some of Europe’s hidden charms, visiting places that are both eerily familiar and profoundly new. The works selected cover a broad range of genres, from contemporary to classic. Stories that penetrate deeply and consume entirely. Stories with strange beauty, nostalgia, mystery and love. Stories that showcase the vast wealth of European literature.
The itinerary is set. No passport is needed to go on this trip. The only carry-on permitted is books and bookmarks (and maybe a cup of tea).
Join us as we travel across Europe through literature, as we once again encounter the Readers of Europe.
For more information about the EU Digital COVID certificate, please see
This post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.
The Council Library reading room is currently closed. The Info Desk remains open online and will reply to queries by email from Monday to Friday, 10.00 to 16.00.