"The Taste of Lead": A Significant Novel About an Ordinary Man (Video)
"The Taste of Lead" by the contemporary Latvian writer Maris Berzins unfolds a narrative about an ordinary or small individual living in a crucial and fateful period in history. The central character, Matis, is a young craftsman from Riga. The book is abo
Within the pages of "The Taste of Lead" and in the life of the protagonist, the brutal events of Latvia's history unfold surreptitiously, culminating in an unexpected and dreadful climax. Matis finds himself alone on the historical stage as his mother departs for Germany with her German stepfather to escape the communists. However, after the Reds, the Germans arrived. Matis performed a small surgical procedure to improve his sex life, after which historical and political events turned against the young man. Because of his circumcision, he becomes a Jew first for the Reds, then for the Browns.
Maris Berzins delves into the years 1939-1941 in the novel, showcasing societal indifference and the continuation of daily life before each new disaster and political upheaval. The author masterfully conveys the disbelief of people, not anticipating that the harsh boomerang of history will one day reach them.
In a poignant episode, the characters in the Jewish ghetto recall the Armenian Genocide. Latvians, however, dismiss the idea that such a tragedy could be repeated, especially in Riga. Unfortunately, a few days after this conversation, thousands of Latvians and Jews in Riga fell victim to shootings, burnings, and exile.
"The Taste of Lead" is a novel encapsulating realistic and historical events, where the paradoxes of war are accompanied by the metaphorical taste of lead, leading to a tragic conclusion. The book has also been adapted into a stage performance, remaining one of the most widely watched ones.
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