Es ist ja so: Ich liebe den guten Stucki, ich besitze all seine Bücher - bis auf dieses hier, denn es sah schon in der Verlagsankündigung wie ein schrEs ist ja so: Ich liebe den guten Stucki, ich besitze all seine Bücher - bis auf dieses hier, denn es sah schon in der Verlagsankündigung wie ein schrecklicher, schrecklicher Fehler aus. Doch meine Neugier und die Hoffnung, dass ich krachend falsch liege, haben mich dazu veranlasst, mir das Oeuvre auf Spotify reinzuziehen, und was soll ich sagen: *seeeeuuuufz*. Ich verstehe schon, dass Stuckrad-Barre und Suter hier den lockeren Plausch in harten Zeiten zelebrieren wollen, aber es bleibt die Frage: Wen interessiert, was hier gesagt wird? Es ist weder überragend geistreich, noch literarisch wertvoll. Tristesse Royale. Das popkulturelle Quintett war wenigstens noch provokant und hatte was zu den literarischen Programmen der Teilnehmer zu sagen, aber hier: Nix nix nix.
Das braucht kein Mensch. Ich will einen neuen Roman von Stuckrad-Barre!...more
English: Confessions This is certainly a fun, thrilling pageturner, but subtle it is not. The novel tells the story of a teacher, a single mother, whoEnglish: Confessions This is certainly a fun, thrilling pageturner, but subtle it is not. The novel tells the story of a teacher, a single mother, whose young daughter is killed by two underage students - and her intricate revenge. What makes this text fun to read is its construction: Its six parts offer the viewpoints of five characters, thus slowly revealing their motivations and rationalizations while at the same time pushing the story further, only to reveal the real extent of the teacher's revenge at the very end, adding a surprising and shocking twist.
The teacher, Moriguchi, is also very well drawn, as she is not a clichéd pedagogue, but a woman driven to extremes by rage and sadness. And sure, some of the twists aren't particularly believable, but that's not a standard for thrillers anyway as long as it doesn't get all too outrageous (at least that's my outlook on it). The one thing that needs to be mentioned though is the kind of motivations Minato offers to explain the behavior of the perpetrators: Many aspects of their backstories are easily recognizable as taken from the psychological profile of your average teenage offender / school shooter (so it's not that they are way off per se), but it's just too on-the-nose, it seems too much like the author has taken pathological traits of teenage delinquents and arranged them to create characters.
So there is some pseudo-depth going on, and that might be the link to Gone Girl many people seem to perceive, but the comparison is still very unfair: "Gone Girl" is posing as smart but is unbelievably shallow and ultimately predictable, while "Confessions" might not be the most subtle book ever written, but hell, this is captivating and the story arc is well-constructed. (The German translation is lacking though: "verjuxen"? "gnädige Frau"? What is this, a 19th century period piece?)
If you'd like to learn more about the novel, you can listen to the the podcast episode (in German)....more
English original: The Baby is Mine Ta-dah: The first pandemic chamber play is here, and it's a novella by the literary shooting star who wrote My SisteEnglish original: The Baby is Mine Ta-dah: The first pandemic chamber play is here, and it's a novella by the literary shooting star who wrote My Sister, the Serial Killer. We hear the story from the perspective of Bambi, a Nigerian casanova who gets kicked out by his girlfriend and seeks shelter in his aunt's house. The widow has just lost her husband to COVID, but Bambi is surprised to find his late uncle's young lover living in the house as well, with both women claiming that they're the mother of his nephew, a newborn baby - who is telling the truth? And why does Bambi know his uncle's secret mistress?
Four people confined to closed quarters during a lockdown and playing psychological games that refer to gender roles and stereotypes - that's basically the set-up of the novel. Bambi is a great character because he is so flawed and believable; frequently, he frames the women in a way that shows that he has internalized societal beliefs about the roles and intentions of females. The women, on the other hand, often try to play into his male assumptions, aiming to play prejudice in their favor and to discredit their counterpart.
This is no major work or literary masterpiece, but it is a fun, smart novella from a young Nigerian talent, and I hope that Braithwaite will soon offer us another novel.
You can listen to the podcast gang dissect the text here (in German). ...more
In this short novella, narrator Lilja tells the story of how she ended up in an abusive relationship - and what makes the text so effective is that thIn this short novella, narrator Lilja tells the story of how she ended up in an abusive relationship - and what makes the text so effective is that the guy she submits to is basically made of red flags, but as Lilja employs very common female rationalizations to explain to herself why it's all not his fault, the text still rings very true, making the reader ponder how such outright insane behavior can still feel plausible - what does that say about our society, about all of us? Yes, the story gives us a key event that is one source of Lilja's self-betrayal, but what's at play here are more general manipulative techniques like gaslighting and emotional blackmail as well as female tendencies to please others, to show understanding, to compete against other women, to make it short: this is partly about toxic femininity.
Lilja grows emotionally dependent, she starts to believe that her sexual and social boundaries are somehow wrong - and she gives them up, with harrowing consequences. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about the book-loving vegetarian she first deems to be prince charming, and from very early on, it becomes clear that he is a cruel manipulator who avoids accountability - and Lilja knows it too, but she can't find the strength to act upon it, as she is successfully shaken in her belief that her opinions and emotions are valid.
Hjörleifsdóttir's debut is a shocking pageturner that shouldn't ring true, but does - and that's the sad core of a story that is well worth telling. The book can be discussed in the context of First Love and In the Dream House, and I can't wait to read what this exciting new voice comes up with next....more
Aaaahh, I just admire Chris Offutt's ability to capture a specific place - this guy manages to turn his home state of Kentucky into a main character wAaaahh, I just admire Chris Offutt's ability to capture a specific place - this guy manages to turn his home state of Kentucky into a main character without glorifying it or reducing it to its stereotypes. This suspense novel might not be as phenomenal as Offutt's masterpiece of social realism, Country Dark, but I was so entertained that I couldn't put it down and read the whole thing in one sitting.
Our protagonist Mick Harding, a war veteran and Army CID agent, is currently AWOL and home in Kentucky where his wife is about to give birth and his sister who has recently risen to sheriff is in trouble. A woman has been pushed to her death, and the sister investigates the murder in which the FBI takes a perplexing interest. But it takes people who know the hills and the families who populate them to find out what happened, to uncover a betrayal and to stop the chain of revenge that has been set in motion. Meanwhile, Mick and his wife are struggling because of another kind of betrayal that threatens to tear them apart...
There are parts of this novel that aren't particularly believable, especially the authority that Mick, a visiting soldier, gains in the investigation. But Offutt knows genre, and he plays with that knowledge: Mick is the Appalachian version of a noir investigator, and as he roams the hollers and questions his suspects, he is just fun to behold in all his hardboiled glory. The dialogue, the scene-setting, the depiction of values and worldviews are rendered in an almost musical way, it sucks the reader right in.
Offutt has all my respect for writing about a region that is so often overlooked or depicted in a stereotypical way. He is an engaging, intelligent author, and I can't wait to read his next effort....more
This mock memoir is a pulpy romp, a noir tale about a female serial killer and cannibal - and in all its gory glory, it's just a lot of fun. Our narraThis mock memoir is a pulpy romp, a noir tale about a female serial killer and cannibal - and in all its gory glory, it's just a lot of fun. Our narrator and protagonist Dorothy Daniels writes her story from jail, where she is serving life. Now in her fifties, the self-proclaimed sociopath comes from a well-to-do family and has spent her career as a food crtic and book author - and she has killed a fair amount of her lovers, eating some of them. Dorothy draws unsettling parallels between food and sex, and she liberally indulges in both. If the self-centered, independent writer feels like a man becomes all too central to her identity though, he is as good as dead.
Of course Chelsea G. Summers refers to some real-life female serial killers and incorporates knowledge about cannibalism (especially the wish to ingest the spirit of another person), and you can partly read the book as a feminist rendition of American Psycho or as a critique of the industrial meat complex (meat and butchering play a major, graphic role in the novel), but mainly, this book is just smart, mean pulp.
It's not like Summers gives us some deep message, and some characters and decisions aren't particularly believable (it's satire, after all), but Dorothy's sarcastic voice, her sharp, dark wit, and the way the story plays with gender stereotypes makes this an involving, funny, and sometimes shocking read. Dorothy stands for female emancipation - in the world of horrendous crime. Read her tale, but only if you have a strong stomach....more
It's of course slightly silly that the author claims to speak for all Koreans, but still, this little book is a fun, informative and beautifully desigIt's of course slightly silly that the author claims to speak for all Koreans, but still, this little book is a fun, informative and beautifully designed introduction to (mainly South) Korea. Illustrated with some paintings and many photographs, the text gives an overview of Korean history, geography, politics, popular travel destinations, famous Koreans, culinary delights, society, social norms and customs as well as phenomena like K-Pop and K-Beauty. The outcome is entertaining and informative, although, due to the text's brevity, people who aim to really learn about the country in all its diversity and nuance need to pick up non-fiction books devoted to singular aspects Soo Kim only has the time and space to hint at.
Full disclosure: I can't possibly judge whether the viewpoints presented in the book are correct, but the text certainly motivated me even more to visit South Korea. For people who want to spend two hours immersing themselves in short texts and images of Korea, this light read is just right. ...more
Now Winner of the Pulitzer Prize 2021 Winner of the National Book Award for Non-Fiction 2020 Les Payne worked on this book for almost 30 years, and it sNow Winner of the Pulitzer Prize 2021 Winner of the National Book Award for Non-Fiction 2020 Les Payne worked on this book for almost 30 years, and it shows: This account of Malcolm X's life, completed after Payne's death by his daughter and primary researcher Tamara, finds an organic and often poetic way to piece together the events and decisions that made the human rights activist and Muslim minister who he was. Filled to the brim with detail and background information (for instance about the Nation of Islam and its goals) and rendered vivid through elements of an oral history, this biography paints a nuanced picture that allows readers to ponder and judge instead of telling them what to think - and that's always a sign of great research journalism.
The book starts out before Malcolm X's birth, when his mother was terrorized and threatened by the KKK while pregnant with him. His father, minister Earl Little, faced a lot of hate because he was an activist for the Black cause, including having the family home burnt down...I don't know about you, but I was unaware of those details, although it's apparent how relevant they are for Malcolm X's later life, and the book manages to excellently balance re-telling and interpretation, the latter not without questioning its protagonist's point of view (for instance regarding Earl Little's death, which was probably not due to an act of racical violence, but just an accident).
Frequently, the book compares the depiction in The Autobiography of Malcolm X (written by the man himself) with research findings and discusses or adds informations, especially regarding X's criminal offenses (which happened after his widowed mother was institutionalized for mental illness). And then there are of course the more well-known episodes portraying X's activism, views, and assassination, all of them rendered in a lively, yet sober way.
A great book for everybody who wants to learn more about Malcolm X and is willing to really dive into the intricacies and backstory of his life, times, and legacy....more
This huge, beautifully designed coffee table book depicts a history in objects of the SaarLorLux region (Saarland, Lorraine, Luxembourg) - and these oThis huge, beautifully designed coffee table book depicts a history in objects of the SaarLorLux region (Saarland, Lorraine, Luxembourg) - and these objects are currently assembled in a major exhibition at the World Heritage Site Völklingen Ironworks. Tragically, no one has seen the exhibition yet due to Covid and the lockdown. I'm already looking forward to visiting "Mon Trésor" and looking at these treasures IRL....more
A new essay collection by Houellebecq? Yes, please. This book is all the rage in the media, placed prominently on the shelves of bookstores and hey, nA new essay collection by Houellebecq? Yes, please. This book is all the rage in the media, placed prominently on the shelves of bookstores and hey, nothing says "peaceful holiday season" like the newest output by the French agent provocateur extraordinaire. The collection contains ten text, written between 2003 and 2020, and the title "A Little Worse" does indeed refer to an essay that ponders the pandemic we all currently live through. Overall, the topics Houellebecq addresses are varied while still frequently connecting to this author's classic concerns: Religion, tourism, conservatism, sex, (assisted) suicide, AI, spiritual emptiness,...well, you read his novels (if not: you should! Start with The Map and the Territory!).
Maybe I read too much Houellebcq by now (I'm a completist when it comes to his fictional writing) and thus spent too much time contemplating his positions, public persona and the way he plays with public outrage, but it gets harder and harder for me to understand the upset this writer manages to cause. Houellebecq, the trained agricultural engineer, loves animals and craves spirituality, he is a disappointed romanticist - when he writes "I believe in love", he is dead serious. Are some of his positions founded on a surprising degree of intellectual laziness, e.g. his anti-EU stance, his argument that Trump promotes the interests of the working class (does that mean that the working class dreams of dying of Covid and ending up in a cold-storage truck?), his pro-Brexit position? Oh yes, that's all less than smart. But then again, even these texts have a degree of nuance, and when it comes to his ponderings on loneliness and spiritual emptiness, this guy is on to something.
What does it mean to exist, as opposed to simply being alive? This question of agency, of being able to have an impact on the world, is central to Houellebecq's work, and it's what makes reading him so exciting. In a time of cancel culture and activism carried out in 240 characters, a complex, elusive, contradictory, challenging writer like Houellebecq seems to be a provocation to quite some people on both sides of the political spectrum (apparently, he never really recovered from his role in the Charlie Hebdo terror attack).
So while this is not the book to start your Houellebecq journey with, it's an interesting publication for everyone who already has a decent knowledge of his major topics. Houellebecq is already a monolith in French literaure, and he will remain an integral part of the literary canon.
You can learn more about the book on the podcast (in German).
Essays contained in the book: - Der Konservatismus, Quelle des Fortschritts, in: Le Figaro, 8. November 2003 - Der verlorene Text, Vorwort zu: Rachid Amirou, L’imaginaire touristique, Paris: CNRS Éditions, 2012. - Gespräch mit Frédéric Beigbeder, in: Lui Nr. 7, Paris, April 2014. - Ein Heilmittel gegen die Daseinserschöpfung, Vorwort zu: Marc Lathuillière, Musée national, Paris: Éditions de La Martinière, 2014. - Interview mit Marin de Viry und Valérie Toranian, in: Revue des deux mondes, Paris, Juli 2015. Gespräch mit Agathe Novak-Lechevalier, April 2017. - Emmanuel Carrère und das Problem des Guten, in: Laurent Demanze und Dominique Rabaté (Hg.), Emmanuel Carrère. Faire effraction dans le réel, Paris: Éditions P.O.L, 2018. - Donald Trump ist ein guter Präsident, in: Harper’s Magazine, New York, Januar 2019. - Gespräch mit Geoffroy Lejeune, erstmals veröffentlicht in: First Things, Mai 2019; erneut veröffentlicht in: Revue des deux mondes, Paris, Oktober 2019. - Ein bisschen schlechter. Erwiderung an einige Freunde, Brief, verlesen auf France Inter, Mai 2020. - Den Fall Vincent Lambert hätte es nicht geben dürfen, Vorwort zu: Emmanuel Hirsch, Vincent Lambert, une mort exemplaire?, Paris: Éditions du Cerf, Juni 2020....more
Now Nominated for the John Leonard Prize 2021 Pham's memoir in essays tells the story of a love affair, how the author's alter ego arrived at the pointNow Nominated for the John Leonard Prize 2021 Pham's memoir in essays tells the story of a love affair, how the author's alter ego arrived at the point of meeting the person, what happened during their relationship and how it ultimately ended. Throughout the text, this lover is directly addressed as "you", and as the title suggest, Pham - a writer and visual artist who holds a degree in painting and art history from Yale - intersperses her reflections on sex and human relations with various vignettes on different female artists, their works and goals: For example, Nan Goldin's "Heart-Shaped Bruise" serves as a starting point to discuss physical experiences and BDSM, trauma and personal history are connected to Louise Bourgeois' "Spider", and proximity vs. distance as well as the abstract vs. the concrete are pondered over the work of Agnes Martin.
While it seems a little labored how the characters always conveniently visit exhibitions of the artists whose works fit the core topic of the respective essays, Pham's insights are neatly intertwined with the art she outlines. There is also a raw and honest quality about her writing on personal experiences which contrasts nicely with her more sober explanations of art history. Pham questions herself about her attitude towards sex and how she uses it to avoid or establish intimacy. She also tries to come to terms with questions of emotional intimacy, and it's mostly very captivating to read.
Sometimes though, the text is strictly written in the terms of critical theory and the language of wokeness, and the effect is weirdly strange - it's not that you wouldn't believe the author's feelings, but the way they are expressed reads peak millennial: "this crossroads of my own displacement intersecting with the violent history of the country I'd been birthed in, my own complicity in its structures not always clear to me" - you get my point. But then again, Pham is keenly aware of the marketplace she operates in, that she as a female PoC was "selling out some minor trauma for a byline", because that was marketable. Of course, a talented writer like her wants and deserves to be more than that, but it's hard to find a place if you have to create it yourself.
An interesting read by a gifted new voice - while the text sometimes get caught in the loops of current discourse, it becomes clear that Pham's work also offers a distinctly original quality....more
Gwendoline Riley is just fantastic when it comes to challenging the reader to ponder complex human relationships (see First Love, nominated for the WoGwendoline Riley is just fantastic when it comes to challenging the reader to ponder complex human relationships (see First Love, nominated for the Women's Prize, the Gordon Burn Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize, etc. pp.). In "My Phantoms", she tells the story of Bridget and her mother Helen a.k.a. Hen, and by framing their relationship wholly from Bridget's perspective, one starts to wonder in how far the mother's personal traits and the events portrayed are tainted by the daughter's limited perspective, personal resentments and own flawed personality. We witness these two wrestling each other and it becomes impossible to take sides - and it's this oscillation, the thin ice on which we have to draw our conclusions that gives the text suspense and renders it so intriguing.
While Bridget lives with her boyfriend John (who hardly features), her twice-divorced mother lives alone, always trying to immerse herself in the life around her, trying to fit in and do everything right without really opening up, only to become bitter when her perceived conformism doesn't lead to success - at least that's Bridget's perspective, and it's not necessarily correct, especially as Bridget could be interpreted as cold and condescending. But then again, we do not know everything that happened in these women's past, so we don't know what pain the mother inflicted on her daughter. As Hen ages, Bridget and her sister are forced to come to terms with the new situation and its demands.
In large parts, this book is very sad and depressing (not necessarily a bad thing, literature is not here to cheer us up), but the aspect of the text being an emotional riddle - as ultimately are many human relationships - made it unputdownable for me and I read it in one sitting. I hope Riley's challenging and innovative work will once again make some prize lists....more
Dieses Buch zeigt auf, wie schnell Menschen bereit sind, ohne nachzudenken reflexhaft auf Trigger-Wörter zu reagieren: Luise, die Hauptfigur, ist die Dieses Buch zeigt auf, wie schnell Menschen bereit sind, ohne nachzudenken reflexhaft auf Trigger-Wörter zu reagieren: Luise, die Hauptfigur, ist die Tochter einer rechtskonservativen österreichischen Bundespräsidentin - und deswegen will sie, die Gute, natürlich rebellieren? Luise studiert Jura, trägt Polo Ralph Lauren Hemdblusen, schläft mit Männern aus der Oberschicht und datet schließlich eine Frau mit Gucci-Monogramm-Strumpfhose und Dior Saddlebag. In kompletter Passivität gibt sie sich der Pose hin und tut - nichts, außer mit fremdem Geld zu feiern, pseudo-intellektuelle Sprüche zu klopfen und sich in einem waghalisgen Akt kognitiver Dissonanz auf der Seite der Armen und Unterdrückten zu wähnen.
Das ist es, was Spannagel hier macht: Sie präsentiert uns eine Schießbuden-Hauptfigur, die vom Kommunismus und Baudrillard schwadroniert, in keinster Weise nach ihren proklamierten Idealen handelt und außerdem komplett hohl ist. Es ist wirklich schwer auszumachen, welcher der Charaktere in diesem Buch am bescheuertsten ist, sie alle bestehen ausschließlich aus Klischees, die in der Pop-Literatur der 90er noch entscheidend unterhaltsamer waren. Nehmen wir aber mal an, dass genau das das literarische Verfahren von Spannagel ist, dass es ihr um die Posen der Jeunesse Dorée geht - was ist das Ziel des Buches?
Dies ist ein komplett apolitischer Roman, denn er hat kein nennenswertes Reflexionsniveau und Widerstand erschöpft sich darin, die eigene Mutter "die Bundespräsidentin" zu nennen, während man in ihrem Palais auf Biedermeier-Mobiliar Champagner säuft. Der Wahnsinn. Und das bringt uns zum Hauptproblem dieses Textes: Er ist selbst eine einzige substanzlose Pose. Auch Oberflächen können interessant sein, diese ist es leider nicht - oder zumindest nicht in ausreichendem Maße. Denn man kann das Buch schon lesen, ohne es gegen die Wand werfen zu wollen, viel mehr kann es aber leider nicht.
Biologist and forensics expert Dr. Mark Benecke is not only shockingly knowledgeable, he is also way too entertaining when talking about vampirism, caBiologist and forensics expert Dr. Mark Benecke is not only shockingly knowledgeable, he is also way too entertaining when talking about vampirism, cannibalism and serial killers....more
Has this working class kid with an M.A. in PoliSci read the thoughts of Karl'n'Fritz? Hell yeah! Has this working class kid with an M.A. in PoliSci read the thoughts of Karl'n'Fritz? Hell yeah! ...more
English: Limestone and Other Stories This novella has all the typical Biedermeier ingredients: It's slow, full of appreciation for natural events and dEnglish: Limestone and Other Stories This novella has all the typical Biedermeier ingredients: It's slow, full of appreciation for natural events and detailed descriptions of average people in a rural setting, and it it's preachy as hell. Stifter - rather unknown in the English speaking world, but an influential classic in German-language literature - tells the story of a land surveyor (hello, Kafka's The Castle) who comes to an Austrian village in an area dominated by limestone formations (hence the title; the story is also part of Stifter's "Colourful Stones" cycle). There, he gets to know a priest who lives in poverty, which leads to some people calling the man of God stingy - until he passes away and people find out why he saved the little money he earned.
The story is of course very simple and drenched in pedagogical impetus, but Stifter shines in his quiet descriptions that are more or less the star of his literary output: There are multiple digressions, there is descriptiveness galore and we witness a relentless pursuit of beauty in the choice of words that might make some readers long for a little unruly disturbance.
So while this isn't typically my kind of literature, I can appreciate what Stifter does here and I can see why people like Rainer Maria Rilke are deeply indebted to his achievements. ...more
Melissa Broder has a sharp, weird sense of humor and a keen eye for the movements of the human soul, but much like in the case of The Pisces (merman sMelissa Broder has a sharp, weird sense of humor and a keen eye for the movements of the human soul, but much like in the case of The Pisces (merman sex, remember?), she tends to shoot herself in the foot by relying on some rather stale motifs that juxtapose the fresh language. This new novel tells the story of Rachel, a 24-year-old lapsed Jew with an eating disorder who works at a talent agency in L.A and does stand-up in her free time. All her life, her mother has been suffocating her with her expectations regarding physical appearance and the need to secure a suitable husband, and Rachel now seeks a mother in other female figures (cliche alarm).
Then, her therapist puts her on a 90-day-detox from her actual mother. Enter Miriam, overweight, heiress to a small frozen yogurt empire and deeply religious. Rachel falls for her, but is stilted by her own problems: Her own and Miriam's Jewish family, her former and new eating habits (one word: feast), her own and Miriam's sexuality and attachment issues, etc. In short: Rachel is lost and seeks herself by mirroring herself and her own needs in those around her, and while she has no bad intentions, her quest is of course doomed. Oh, and there is some fun recurring storyline connected to The Golem that plays with this exact theme (as an aside: the best golem-related book is still CoDex 1962: A Trilogy).
"Milk Fed" shines when Broder finds expressive, sometimes quirky descriptions for dark feelings and psychological tribulations, especially her portrayal of eating disorders is, in all its (apt) repetitiveness, intense and harrowing. Sometimes though, she underestimates her readers: When Miriam tells Rachel a story that very obviously is a thinly veiled description of her own situation, Rachel, who is smart, doesn't seem to get it, and some of Rachel's obsessions with her mother seem a little overblown and textbook Freudian.
But all in all, this is a smart, entertaining book, and Broder remains an unusual, fresh voice that deserves to be read. I'm already curious what she will come up with next. Until then, you can learn more about the book - or rather the translation, Muttermilch - in our latest podcast episode (in German)....more
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