The title The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick is so descriptive—tangible, even—in stark contrast to the plot and characters. The blurb on the back cover suggests that the plot centers on a former goalie who kills a female movie theatre cashier and then wanders aimlessly in an Austrian border town, a "searing portrait of a troubled man in an equally troubled society." I found it very difficult to independently arrive at that conclusion. Without distinctly delineated chapters, it feels like a continuous running description of Bloch, the goalie in question, and his chaotic behavior. The murder does not figure much into the plot. I did not really understand what he was thinking or feeling. As a member of the European avant-garde, Hadke seems to be making a point about the connection between language and experience, but I am not sure what exactly is his position. However, I think the great strength is his description of altered sensory input and perception (Bloch seems very attuned to background noises), almost in a early psychotic break. Thankfully, this was relatively short read from the list of 1001 books you must read before you die.

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