Folding

A man leaves his wife after twenty years of marriage. His pretext is: “I`m unhappy.” From then on, he becomes a character named “Imen Happy” and the plot follows the various stages of separation, from the day he leaves till the day the heroine removes her wedding ring. Gelbetz scrutinizes each moment in the deserted heroine`s life. But it is not the detailed account of thoughts and activities that make the novel unique. Rather, it is the way it confronts conventional stories of break-up with its rambunctious language and self-directed humor, making it into a parody of the familiar genre. In contrast to the sentimentality that often invades stories of this kind, Gelbetz prescribes a lucidity and detachment that give this emotional drama a distinctive touch, turning it into a droll nightmare that one cannot put down.

Imen Happy, also referred to as “the husband,” is but one of many characters in the book that are almost nameless. Yet the often bitter-scornful tone of the novel, its perceptive insights and the flow of events and activities that are all-from the marginal to the most heartbreaking-written as if in a single breath, make this into a vibrant, colorful carnival.

Fleshed out by linguistic inventions, the perspective of the female narrator and the story`s vigorous pace make this into a stimulating and often humorous story.