This post has two parts. First is the wrap-up of Week I of our German Literature Month – focussing on literature from Germany. Please do not just skip it. It’s a tribute to all our participants. We have already seen some really amazing contributions and I would like to thank all of you for this.
There have been a lot of interesting lists and contributions made during October. They are HERE. This is the wrap-up of Week I.
Here are all of this weeks’ links with my impressions:
Week I
Lizzy has made a post on how to find German books in translation and a review of a very unique sounding book by Alina Bronsky.
The Magic Mountain of German Literature
The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky
Caroline – I have compiled a post with 14 women writers that shouldn’t be missed and reviewed Sebald’s book on the absence of the description of the destruction of German cities during WWII from German post-war literature. The book leads us to the Böll readalong on November 26.
14 Women Writers You Shouldn’t Miss
On the Natural History of Destruction – Luftkrieg und Literatur by W. G. Sebald
The Participants
Neer (A Hot Cup of Pleasure) shares her German Literature Month inspired Wishlist. That’s always a risk with events like this. You may end up with far more books than before.
Christina from Ardent Reader hopes to be able to keep up with her Reading plans.
Danielle (AWork in Progress) introduces her choices. A list with descriptions. Plans for German Literature Month
Emma (Book Around the Corner) wrote an enthusiastic review of Fame by Daniel Kehlmann that she calls a “strange exhilarating book”.
sakura (chasing bawa) is thrilled by her discovery of Dark Matter by Juli Zeh and adds (after having been tracked down by the German Literature Month Police , i.e. me) an Introduction.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books) wrote a very appealing review of the WWII novel Death of the Adversary by Hans Keilson. Not an easy read, highly literary but rewarding.
Guy Savage (His Futile Preoccupations) dethrones Goethe in his musings on On Goethe’s Elective Affinities and reestablishes him again – at least in parts – in On Goethe’s Elective Affinities Part II. The review is to follow.
Rise (in lieu of a field guide) reviewed Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck and compares it to the passage of time chapter in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.
Harvey (Leben, Kochen, Bier u. Fussball) offers a list with interesting choices Introduction with choices.
Eibhlin (Mar gheall ar a léim) shares he reading plans in Eibhlin’s reading plans.
Fay (Read, Ramble) reviews Herta Müller – Land of Green Plums describing how she wanted to give up after a little while but was rewarded by her persistence.
Rikki (Rikki’s Teleidoscope) enjoyed The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky as much as Lizzy. She captures the unusual voice of the narrator very well.
Susanna P (Susie Bookworm) has added her reading plans German Lit Month Kick off. She already read Lotte in Weimar and is about to pick something else soon.
Priya (Tabula Rasa) shares her reading plans Plans.
Alex The Children’s War wrote an in-depth review of The Oppermann’s by Lion Feuchtwanger. He writes “What makes The Oppermanns so interesting is that it has the distinction of being the first story of its kind to tell about life under the Nazis and how it affected people opposed to Hitler.”
Parrish (The Parrish Lantern) wrote a thoughtful review On The Joys of Morphinism by Fallada. Introducing first the life of the author and then writing about the book.
Mel u (The Reading Lives) announces German Literature Month and reviews a very interesting short story by Gerstacker, a lesser known author. His review is proof that it is worth looking for the lesser known. Announcing German Literature Month and Short Story by Gerstacker
Tony (Tony’s Reading List) has really liked Alois Hotschnig’s – Maybe This Time and already read it twice but he doubts that he will re-read All the Lights by Clemens Meyer. Although he didn’t mind reading it at all, he doesn’t seem to be convinced it’s all that literary.
Liz (Tortoisebook) shares he reading plans. German Literature Month Plans
Vishy (Vishy’s Blog) has reviewed a wide range of short stories and novellas. A really wide range. Both Lizzy and myself were stunned. This is pretty much an introduction to the most important German writers. A Wide Range of German Short Stories
Stu (Winstonsdad’s Blog) I was equally amazed about the wide range of books reviewed by Stu. There are some wonderful books to discover here. An early novel by the Nobel Prize winner Nadirs by Herta Müller , a novella by the author of Perfume The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind, a poetical novella Jarmila by Ernst Weiss and a novel of a Swiss writer A Perfect Waiter by Alain Claude Sulzer.
Amateur Reader (Tom) Wuthering Expectations wrote one post on the melancholic story Flagman Thiel by Gehart Hauptmann (also reveiwed by Vishy) and two posts on Hauptmann’s play Gerhart Hauptmann-Before Daybreak – Gerhart Hauptmann’s characters.
Effi Briest Readalong
Week I
The following people have posted so far, some freestyle, some answering our questions.
This and That
Yes, we were also featured on the web.
Melville House Press on What to drink when reading Heinrich Böll
The Millions announce German Literature Month
kulturplease announces German Literature Month
love german books – Kid – On German Literature Month
The Victory Stitch – Peggy If I were reading
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And here, finally, the winners of the Heinrich Böll giveaway courtesy of Melville House Press.
The winner of The Train Was on Time and The Clown is
Priya from Tabula Rasa
The winner of Group Portrait with Lady and Billards at Half-Past Nine is
Guy from His Futile Preoccupations
And the winner of The Irish Journal and The Safety Net is
Stu from Winstonsdad’s Blog
Happy reading Priya, Guy and Stu!
Please send me your address via beautyisasleepingcat at gmail dot com.
The giveaway is part of German Literature Month.
The next giveaway will take place on Wednesday 9 November 2011. Remember… It’s crime week…. there are some great books to be won. And, yes, those who won already can still participate.
