Norman Manea’s ‘The Trenchcoat’ is definitely a confusing read. I felt there was a lot of what one of my high school literature teachers referred to as ‘invisible reading’ to be done. By this they meant that there is a story being told in between the lines and I have to agree that this was most prominently show in this week’s novel. The author focuses a lot on historical and political points throughout the novel and I admit that I am biased when I say this narrative was my least favourite read we have done in this class thus far as I usually avoid any material containing non-fiction or political elements like the plague.
That said, I can appreciate the historical context the novel draws on at several instances as (and yes, I see how this is ironic since I am not fond of politics) as I find history extremely intriguing and often like to read up more on people, events and instances I find mentioned in books and media. I believe the most significant question in this novel is regarding the true meaning behind the trench coat for which the book is titled. Unlike most authors, Manea tends to be more open-ended in his writing which results in the reader not being given as definite an ending or closure as we might like. Just like history which we will never known truly know, the novel leaves us with questions and reading into more aspects, looking for hidden meanings, anything that might dispel the ambiguity Manea leaves the narrative and therefore the reader, surrounded by.
Another interesting fact about this novel is the lack of names. It is accepted by many that names provide one with a foundation for one’s identity and that Manea refuses to name his characters leaves us wondering whether he means to strip them of what many agree to be a basic right. But there is also the notion that history rarely remembers names and even when it does, it is mostly either the wrong names or for the wrong or unjust reasons.
My question for this weak is what is the level of ambiguity present in this novel meant to achieve, from the author’s point of view?