Professor Martens' Departure

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Professor Martens' Departure
Historical novel
PublisherEesti Raamat
Publication date
1984
Published in English
1994
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages247 pp
Preceded byThe Czar's Madman (Estonian: Keisri hull, 1978) 
Followed bySailing Against the Wind (Estonian: Vastutuulelaev, 1987) 

Professor Martens' Departure is a 1984 historical novel set in

czarist Russia by Estonian writer Jaan Kross
.

Plot summary

Hague Peace Conference in 1899. He was a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1902 and was mistakenly reported by some as the winner.

During a train journey from his home town of Pärnu to

Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov, to discuss the publication of his compendium (the compendium itself being heavily influenced by Georg's works) of treaties between Russia and other nations. He formulates his theory of "comparativist psychology". With some embarrassment, he relates the story of his candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize and the mistaken reports that he was the winner. He outlines his "doctrine of respect for human rights". He describes his affair with an art student, Yvette Arlon, a woman that later bore his child, married and fled to the Congo
.

Friedrich discusses politics with a fellow train passenger, an Estonian lady and

Frankfurt am Main
, and reassured himself that since his life has so closely paralleled Georg's, he cannot die for a couple of years yet. In the greatest deviation from the life of his double, however, Martens does end up dying at the train station in Valga.

Thought the novel, Martens returns time and time again to the idea of "candour" and "total candour". At the beginning, Martens is concerned with leaving the reader a positive impression of his life and achievements, but as he reveals more about himself throughout the novel, more unfavourable details come to light, and it becomes apparent that Martens had been touching up many of the earlier anecdotes. As he races toward death, Martens also runs toward a final confession. Although his confessions are addressed to his wife Kati, they are really for himself - he is finally admitting to himself that he is not quite the man he always made himself up to be.

Characters

Setting

The action of the book takes place exclusively in Estonia, between the towns of

St. Petersburg, Russia (of Freidrich Fromhold's time in the University); Brussels, Belgium (of Freidrich Fromhold's affair with Yvette Arlon); and Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, USA (of Freidrich Fromhold's experiences at the Treaty Portsmouth negotiations), as well as various other locations in Europe and Russia.

Historical events referenced

Critical reception

Critical reviews in English of this work and others by the same author has been limited due to the small size of the Estonian language, although every work of his has been reviewed in Estonian.[1]

When this work has been reviewed, it has generally been to praise, such as in Richard B. Bilder and W. E. Butler's review in

The American Journal of International Law
: “To say, as a reviewer, that this is a recommended read would be a considerable understatement. It is more than simply a first-class novel, superbly translated; for the cognoscenti, the novel makes its own contribution to the history of international law. Jaan Kross graduated from the Law Faculty of Tartu University, and his historical fiction is noted for careful research and fidelity to actual events and personages."[2]

The novel has also been reviewed in World Literature Today.[3]

References

  1. JSTOR 43212380
    .
  2. JSTOR 2204161
    .
  3. JSTOR 40142097
    .
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