This is just a brief welcome post to let you know about some of my own plans for German Literature Month.
The first week is Schiller week, over at Lizzy’s blog. I won’t participate actively. I hope to review a crime novel and maybe a novella or two.
For Christa Wolf week I’m reading The Quest for Christa T., which is a bit of a challenge. I’m not as keen on it as I was on the her other books.
I’ve scheduled two things for week three. I’ll be posting a guest post by a writing buddy who recently revealed an interest in Irmgard Keun. I will also participate in Lizzy’s readalong of the YA novel Erebos. I’m almost finished with it and must say it’s a captivating book.
My own readlong is forthcoming in week four. Since Erich Maria Remarque’s novel A Time to Live and A Time to Die is rather chunky too, I suppose I’ll be busy reading that.
What other plans do I have?
Finally reading Christian Kracht’s recently translated Imperium.
Maybe read Jan Costin Wagner’s Light in a Dark House.
What else? Maybe some short stories.
Have you already started reading? What are your plans?
If you participate, please add your reviews to the German Literature Month Page.
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
Looking forward to taking part in this, Caroline. I *have* already started – I’ve read Siddhartha by Hesse and I’m well into The Magic Mountain (which I was lucky enough to win via Lizzy’s giveaway!) I’ll try to read some Wolf – dependent on time really. I *have* read The Quest for Christa T and I liked it very much. As for others – we shall see. I’ve stumbled upon an obscurity in my local Oxfam and I think that will fit in too!
Great plans! I’m not sure why I strggle with Christa T. It might be the wrong book but I won’t give up. I’m not very advanced yet. Very curious to hear about that curiosity.
It’s a slim collection of short stories which I think I will get through soon….. 😉
Possibly I’ve got that as well. I might alternate between the novel and the stories.
Oh, it’s not Wolf (sorry if I was being unclear!) – it’s a writer I’d never heard of before and he sounds intriguing – Wolfgang Borchert.
He was mandatory in school. He’s not written much more. Very impressive writer. You won’t be disappointed if the translation is good.
That’s good to know! I suspect this may be the only one of his books available in English as I haven’t turned up anything else. The stories I’ve read so far are pretty impressive.
He died very young. He hasn’t written much. I hope The Man Outside is in your collection.
Alas no – this is all short stories (most only a handful of pages long).
They are good as well. In the collection I have it’s together with the stories.
Caroline: I got a jump on GLM this year. I’ve read one short story, a crime novel, a modern novel and am working on 1 19Th c novellas….
That’s impressive. I’m looking forward to your reviews. I’m lagging behind.
I may not be able to participate this year, but I am looking forward to reading everyones commentary.
That’s too bad,Brian but you’re welcome as a guest. Some years it’s just not possible.
I’m glad you’re enjoying Erebos. I finished it this morning and my thoughts are easily summarised: WOW!
I’m glad you chose it. I hadn’t heard of it and might not have picked it but I enjoy it a lot. I’m looking forward to the discussion.
I’m currently reading Hotel Savoy and a have a few lined up, maybe a few re-reads. I did think about just reading Roth & Zweig as I had hoped to read a lot more of their work this year. But I think I’ll probably go for some variety. All my choices so far are by male authors though.
I loved Hotel Savoy. I wanted to read more Austrian authors this year but I’m not sure I’ll have enough time. I wouldn’t know of a female Austrian author of that era.
I do want to read ‘Malina’ by Bachmann but it’s difficult to get.
That’s a fantastic book. I hope you find a copy.
I finally got around to reading Kafka – “The Metamorphoses” was amazing, I absolutely loved this story and the others that were in the same collection. I’ve also read “A Time to Love and a Time to Die” and this was equally great. Still have to write the reviews, though.
Glad to finally be a part of this event!
I’m so glad you liked both books. The read along of the Remarque is in the last week. I’m glad you’re in it. The Metamorphosis is impressive. Did you also read The Penal Colony or In the Penal Colonoy? It made me sick. I can’t say it’s not good but very hard to read.
Oh I loved that one, too, most of all because it shocked me. I did not see that coming and it was wonderful. I understand your reaction, I was quite shaken when I realized what that guy meant to do. But then it was the perfect ending. So much to read into it.
Yes, true but so hard to stomach.
I’ll join you with Crimes by von Schirach. Not sure I’ll have time to read The Radezky March.
I’ll follow your reviews, of course.
That’s great, Emma. I’m glad you join us. I’m looking forward to your review.
Thanks for co-hosting this great event again with Lizzy, Caroline!
I will try to stick to my original reading plans: Veza Canetti, The Tortoises (review already posted), Alina Bronsky, The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine, and Just Call Me Superhero, Christoph Hein, Settlement, Friedrich August Klingemann, Bonaventura’s Nightwatches, and Friedo Lampe, Septembergewitter (Thunderstorm in September). There will be also a number of shorter posts about poetry (Walther von der Vogelweide, Thomas Kling), and miscellaneous topics.
A wonderful list. I’m looking forward to your review. I’m sure I’ll put the one or the other book on my wish list after that. Thanks for joining us again.
I thought I knew what I was going to read, and now I have changed my mind and am thinking about it again! I will pick one or two books–likely shorter novels and think I had better not plan on reading along with everyone on the set novels–I know it doesn’t matter in the long run. As my reading is (still) all over the place, I am going to try and make my ‘goal’ very very simple! 🙂 But I do look forward to hearing about everyone else’s books and will start adding titles to my wishlist! Sorry I have been mostly absent of late–hope that life calms down now and I can get back into my regular reading routine!
I’m just like you. I wasn’t even going to read Erebos but then I saw it in a book shop and it sounded so good. I can’t stick to plans these days.
I’ve not been visiting much either. I was just too busy in October.
I’m very curious to see what you’ll pick in the end.
I’ve been trying to plan ahead this year, so I’ll be posting on three GLM books during the course of November: Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s Inspector Barlach Mysteries, Jenny Erpenbeck’s The End of Days, and a short story anthology of Vienna Tales. It should be a good mix. I’m looking forward to hearing more about the books you’ve chosen.
Yes, that does sound like a great mix. I’m looking forward to hear more. I’ve read the Barlach Mysteries. I hope you’ll like them as well. I’m very interested in your thoughts on Erpenbeck.
Off to good start here two books reviewed already another tomorrow look forward to seeing what else folks are reading
Glad to hear that, Stu. I’ll be visiting shortly.
I look forward to this event every year !
Planning to read :
`On the Aesthetic Education of Man` by Schiller for Schiller week.
`The Road Back` by Erich Maria Remarque, (the sequel to `All Quite on the Western Front`) – follows a group of German soldiers returning to a defeated Germany post WW 1.
`The Sleep of the Righteous` – by Wofgang Hilbig. Descriptions of life inside both the GDR and West Germany in the years between 1945 – 1989.
Also have a few bottles of Riesling and Gewurztraminer to keep me company while reading.
I’m so glad to hear this. And you’ve got some great books lined up. And the wine. Very tasty. I’ve downloaded that Schiller. Hopefully I got time. I’m very keen to hear how you like the Remarque aNd Hilbig’s novel.
You’re such an inspiration, Caroline. I’m not reading right now, but look forward to more reviews.
🙂 Thanks, Carole.
I have so far read for the event a great novel by Hans Fallada Everyman dies alone about life in Nazi Germany and a cultural history of Austria Hungarian writers taking refuge in Belgium. In terms of big name novels I hope to read Two by Thomas Mann, Dr. Faustus and Buddenbrook, and The Death of Virgil by Hermann Broch. Thanks for stopping by The Reading Life
I liked Dr. Faustus very much. Complex, fascinating. I’m very interested in reading your thoughts on Hermann Broch. I’ll be visiting soon.
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Thanks for hosting GLM with Lizzy, Caroline! I am always excited about my favourite reading event of the year! Looks like everyone has had a jump start this year – finishing one or more books already 🙂 I have read two already – which is a lot for me. I have started Sasa Stanisic’s ‘Before the Feast’ today and I am loving it so far. Have also made a list of Schiller’s plays and thinking of which one to get started. Happy reading! Looking forward to reading your German lit reading adventures!
I wanted to say one more thing. I love the fact that you have referred to Remarque’s book as ‘A Time to Live and a Time to Die’, which is the the original German title 🙂 (Rather than the translated English title, which starts as ‘A Time to Love…’ – I don’t know why they changed the title!)
I didn’t even notice I wrote the wrong title. 🙂 Now that you mention it I remember thinking it was odd they changed it.
I’m glad to hear this, Vishy. I’ve read a few things but I’m not sure what to review yet. Now you’re giving me an idea. I should look at my Schiller plays. I’m looking forward to your reviews.
I look forward to this, Caroline! I can’t participate – I have a lot going on at the moment and barely blog these days – but I’ll enjoy reading your posts and others’, and discovering some good books 🙂
I’m glad to hear it, Andrew. I hope the things that are going on in your life are all good things.