Literary debut

A diplomat’s life full of (lazy) compromises

Author Florian Dietmaier

(Bild: Helmut Lunghammer)

Graz-based author Florian Dietmaier traces the life of a diplomat in his debut novel "The Compromises". However, this life is not glamorous or even action-packed - but it is still more than worth reading.

When diplomats appear in novels, you can usually be sure that you are holding an agent thriller in your hands that takes you breathlessly from one international scene of world-historical scandal to the next. But Graz-based author Florian Dietmaier takes a completely different path with his debut novel. In "The Compromises", he highlights the life of a diplomat whose everyday life could hardly be more gray and bureaucratic.

Decades on the ropes
Peter is the name of this man, born in 1929, who travels the world in various functions from the 1960s onwards and becomes a witness to major and minor historical events - from apartheid in South Africa to the South Tyrolean language dispute and the Waldheim Affair. However, Peter is not in the middle of the action, but sits on the sidelines, discreetly pulling the strings in the background and negotiating - often lazy - compromises.

Florian Dietmaier, "Die Kompromisse" (Droschl, 152 pages, 22 euros)

(Bild: Droschl Verlag)

Dietmaier's hero (who, of course, could never be described as such) also has to make these compromises in his private life. For just as in the diplomatic arena, Peter cannot fulfill all his needs at home - with his wife and family.

World events and inner life
In an exciting way, Dietmaier creates a character in his debut that allows him to perform a balancing act between world events and inner life, between political analysis and self-reflection. Although Peter is not a likeable hero, Dietmaier not only reveals his diplomatic obligations, but also his self-doubt, making him a comprehensible character despite his mysteriousness. 

The author follows this Peter through his life like a spotlight, opening up new perspectives on world events of the past decades. With "Die Kompromisse", Dietmair delivers a first-class debut that can also be read as a great promise for the future of this author.