Kulolu daba lwamahhotela njengeziphephelo zangempela ezivela ekuhlukaneni okujulile kokunethezeka okungenzeki ikhaya, ngihlala ngikhumbula umhlahlandlela wamahhotela owasungulwayo. U-Oscar Sipan. Amagumbi asehhotela lapho kudlula khona abalingisi abangenaso nhlobo isikhathi sokuhlala kuleso sikhala futhi abanezipoki ezisala lapho, baphethe ozofika olandelayo.
Umbhali kufanele ngaso sonke isikhathi aphephele ehhotela ukuze athole ugqozi. Ngoba kulapho abakhazimulayo futhi kungekho muntu abaphumuza khona amaphupho abo enguqukweni kuze kube yilapho kuphuma khona lokho okubaphoqa ukuthi baqhubeke nempilo yabo "yangempela". Abantu abahlukahlukene abashiya lapho imibono ye-spectral engacacile yokuthi bangathanda ukuba yini phakathi kokuvakasha kwebhizinisi, izindaba zothando ezidlulayo, ama-symposium noma amakhonsathi e-rock.
Kuyithuba lombhali wephrozi kagesi njengoLeonard Pfeijffer kule ncwadi. Izigaba ezinezingoma ezingokoqobo, ze-vitalism ziphenduke ama-visceral noma ama-sonnets angokomoya. Ngoba yonke into ilingana egunjini lehhotela kusukela ku-hangover enkulu kakhulu kuye ebugebengwini noma ukugebenga kwenza amanothi asheshayo esihambi esiphenduke imbongi ngezikhathi ezithile...
Ngenkathi enza ucwaningo lwencwadi ekhuluma ngokuvakasha kwabantu abaningi, umlobi ogama lakhe lingu-Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer uzwa ukuhlukana okubuhlungu futhi unquma ukulahla yonke into ukuze alungise izinkumbulo zakhe. Indawo ayikhethela ukuthatha umhlalaphansi iGrand Hotel Europa, isikhungo esinesikhathi esidlule esiqhakazile nekusasa elingaqinisekile elihlalwa abalingisi abayinqaba.
Umbhali uzibekela umsebenzi wokwakha kabusha ngokubhala ubudlelwano bakhe obuqhumayo noClio, isazi-mlando sezobuciko sase-Italy esinombono onesibindi ngomdwebo wokugcina kaCaravaggio, futhi njengoba eqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe, ukuthakasela kwakhe izimfihlakalo zehhotela kuyanda. Izingxoxo nezinye izihambeli, ngakolunye uhlangothi, zimholela ekucabangeni ngokuncipha kweZwekazi Elidala.
I-"Grand Hotel Europa" iyinoveli enkulukazi exoxisana "ne-sotto voce" nongqondongqondo nababhali baseYurophu abakhulu, kusukela kuVirgil, uHorace noma uSeneca, ngoDante, kuya kuThomas Mann noGeorge Steiner.
Manje usungathenga inoveli ethi Grand Hotel Europa ka-Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, lapha:
