A book written with sensitivity and humour on ageing white men, heavy metal, and the attempt to get back into the saddle once more.

Literary fiction

There is an unusual protagonist at the centre of this novel by the popular writer Iva Hadj Moussa. Johan is going on fifty and has had to resign as a driving instructor due to a sex scandal. He now makes a living by cleaning flats and houses. Although it seems he has missed the boat once and for all – in addition to a career in tatters, there is an insurmountable generation gap between him and his adolescent daughter – when he comes across an electric guitar at work he decides to return to his youth, revive his old heavy-metal band, and make it big as a musician. On the road to this goal, which is destined to fail from the outset, Johan has to face a number of comical situations and scenarios which will test his character. Gradually it dawns on him, however, that this midlife crisis and dark past might be useful for something other than music. Iva Hadj Moussa describes all of this with humour and insight, but also with a sensitivity and effort to understand the plight of someone many others would ridicule.

Iva Hadj Moussa (1979) studied psychology at Masaryk University in Brno. She is the author of four novels. Apart from writing, she also provides psychotherapy for children and adolescents, and occasionally writes advertising copy and creates humorous illustrations.