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Reviewed by Olga Markova for Readers' Favorite
Echoes is a collection of eleven short stories by Matthias Meinhardt. The stories blend fiction and historical realism, spanning twelve thousand years. First, we find ourselves in the early human settlements of Southwest Asia and the ancient Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia. The stories then move on to Rome, Damascus, Lubeck, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Auschwitz, and finally Athens during the Cold War. Each story explores the society of its time, offering a sneak peek into the beliefs, laws, and ways used to control people. We encounter people from all walks of life – an ancient potter, a Hollywood actress, and even Sigmund Freud, to name a few. They are portrayed in fictitious events based on historical facts. The Appendix at the end of the book provides solid context for the stories, grounding each of them in its historical setting. So what will we learn from these stories?
Echoes by Matthias Meinhardt impressed me greatly with the riveting sketches of life portrayed in each story. Each one held me in awe, both at the face value of the storytelling and the underlying depth of the social issues portrayed, such as the absurdity of laws, antisemitism, and methods of control used by states at different times in human history. But two stories stood out particularly. First, The Mind Reader impressed me with Sigmund Freud’s observations and the surprise identities of the characters revealed in the Appendix. Second, The Movie Star was the most hilarious and made me marvel at the challenge of fusing Hollywood filmmaking with German Expressionist cinematography. I highly recommend this admirable collection of short stories to historical fiction fans who appreciate writing with deep philosophical meaning.
