"A gentle dystopia that doesn't leave you despairing." ―Die Presse, Erwin Uhrmann
"Sweet Pain - very ironic and witty, and very poetically written" ―Analog Bookstore, Baruch Pomper
"It's brimming with sentences you want to underline. The fact that some of these are quirky thoughts is what makes the book so funny. It's brimming with useless knowledge you want to remember. The fact that the narrator's thoughts reflect his lonely nature is what makes the book so sad." ―Markus Köhle / DUM
"Martin Peichl's novel 'It's Only Us' is an obsessive observation of a world without true solace and tells the story of a man who is doomed in a doomed world." ―Standard, Alexander Kluy
"Martin Peichl is among the most interesting Austrian authors. His prose strikes a balance between sensitivity and objectivity, and his keen observations find a clear, unembellished voice." ―Ö1, Edith-Ulla Gasser
"I like the idea that the world won't end in fire or ice, but rather like this book, which is equally sad and funny, precocious and childlike, meticulous and all-encompassing along the way. Highly recommended for aliens who want to get to know us on a deeper level." ―Ana Marwan
"In 'It's Only Us,' Martin Peichl, with great talent and a remarkable, consistently compelling language, poetically and succinctly, strips the incidental of all its casualness. Whether he's writing about ice cubes in a glass, the non- relationships of his characters, nocturnal vertical climbers, or the impossibility of preparing for the impossible." ―Karin Peschka
"Martin Peichl presents a richly educated narrative of crisis from the perspective of a troubled first-person narrator. The book explores how climate change, political threats, and personal loss plunge an average life into a state of emergency." ―Literaturhaus Wien, Karin Wozonig
"With 'It's Only Us,' Martin Peichl has created a poetic masterpiece, brimming with (worldly) wisdom and deeply moving sentences that transform into written objects 'that store memories.' " ―Bezirksblätter, Sabine Schletterer
"Martin Peichl tells the story of everyday life in a state of emergency, on a planet in poor condition, the constant crises there, and how humans and animals manage to cope in this environment." ―Book Culture, Katia Schwingshandl
Reminiscent of Jenny Offill’s Weather and A.L. Kennedy’s Everything You Need: a protagonist we shouldn’t like takes us on a bleak journey we can’t help but want to go on
He is a former computer science teacher, works on the development of computer games, and writes; he writes his dictionary of losses, in which he records what can be lost over time; he writes about hair, voice, and mind. He staggers through a world that is always on the brink of the next catastrophe, repressing what he doesn’t want to confront.
But then he meets Mascha, a biologist and survivalist. They meet on a bird-watching trip, and she takes him back to her flat and shows him her bunker, where she is preparing for the end of the world. Together, they withdraw more and more into Mascha’s house in the countryside, with enough provisions to survive. A place that is safe, seems safe, and is meant to serve as a hiding place. But hiding from what, and what end are they exactly waiting for?
Martin Peichl, in poetic, dense language, manages to tell of an everyday life that seems both distant and incredibly close, of the state of our planet, of constant crises, and of how humans and animals find their way in this environment.
He writes powerfully about grief and solace, love and friendship – and about an existence that wants to be lived, that must be lived, despite all obstacles.