Reviewed by Merritt Ruffner
Set in the lively, bustling city of Vienna, The Café with No Name, is a realistic novel that illustrates the magic that exists in the simple sharing of stories – the beauty that is created in people dedicated to the task of living. An accomplished author, Robert Seethaler utilizes beautiful storytelling to bring life to a simple cafe in Vienna, depicting the wonder that can be created when people have a place to call their own – one that feels like home. Utilizing a candid, unassuming, gentle tone, Seethaler manages to build a cast of characters that is humorous and compelling – even in the midst of a socially and politically tense atmosphere.
“3 wine / white and nothing else” – a simple refrain that Robert Simon has longed to hear for many years. Following the death of his parents in the early days of World War II, Robert Simon floats through life as a kind of spectre, only slightly in touch with the world around him. However, the sight of a glittering Ferris wheel and the stilted relief that comes in stages at the end of the war push him towards a grounding desire, towards a dream – to open up his own cafe.
In the present, Simon is a steady worker with a quietly large heart and a dedication to his lifelong dream. Even though he is rather ordinary and unimposing, he functions as the thread that brings a wonderful cast of characters together. As he takes the plunge to finally open his own place, Simon creates a spot where people of all classes, stories, and backgrounds can come together to briefly share in an unspoken connection – a place where new identities are formed and slow transformations are possible – in the cafe with no name.
The Café with No Name gives the characters dreams and desires that the reader can relate to, showing Robert’s craving to give his life value, Mila’s longing to make her way in a world that seems to be set up against her, Johannes Berg’s hope of making a good life for his family, and many other characters simply searching for a place to belong. However, Seethaler imbues the prose with undeniable realism as he shows the difficulty that can come with actually carrying these dreams out. Ultimately, accomplishing a dream is a task that must be pursued daily, functioning in conjunction with the passage of time and an ever-changing atmosphere. As they grapple with issues such as monetary struggles, broken dreams, social reforms, and the uncertainties generated by external circumstances, the characters display heart and grit, captivating the reader with a relentless pursuit of contentment.
The cyclical nature of life permeates the work, illustrated by the continual passing of the seasons. Cold winters require a kind of resilience that brings out the fight in Simon and Mila. Autumn days bring a kind of heat that makes life feel heady and potent, a physicality that seems to redefine consciousness. Spring gives the characters a chance to expand and reinvent themselves, to break free from the shell that winter has forced upon them. However, throughout all of these phases there is a sense of passion and life that is undeniable. Seethaler utilizes introspective, evocative moments of continuous dialogue to show how life has passed through them, refracting into new expressions of personal meaning and social identity. Small moments of triumph mingle with instances of endurance, celebrating life simply for the act of it. The reader is brought to a sense of appreciation for the sincere stories of life, the little moments that culminate to make one’s existence into something magnificent.
The masterful prose mixes with the warm breath of poetic description and ingenuity, transforming the piece into a kind of living entity — a friend that the reader wishes to know better. Seethaler’s images are moving and engrossing, drawing the reader into the cafe and the market, and allowing them to ponder what kind of dream might keep them there.
Simon shows us that there is beauty in the work, a simple perfection in showing up. As he walks through different seasons in the cafe, he sees the way that life is held in so much more than the present. Instead, our bodies hold memories that influence us in ways we might not even understand until much later. Dreams do not have to stop time or alter reality. Sometimes, they just have to create a space for the passions flowing inside every single one of us – a place that is quiet enough to let us see the magic.