For the German literature and culture lover, this is a great time to go to the movies. Recent international films A Dangerous Method (2011) and Young Goethe in Love (2011) offer those interested in all things German.
Read more about German Literature and Culture at the Movies
Peter Handke is the kind of novelist, screen writer and playwright who probably wouldn’t exist in the United States. His radical political views and writing style make him part of a uniquely Austrian avant-garde writers working today. Read more about Peter Handke
Rudolf Steiner created a religion that encompassed all religions and valued the contributions of all living things. You haven’t heard of him? That’s fine, most people haven’t. Read more about Rudolf Steiner and his writings on anthroposophy
Amazon is offering Dirty German: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!" by Daniel Chaffey for only $8.00 with FREE shipping if you spend over $25 or have Amazon Prime.
"Dirty German provides enough insults and swear words to offend every person in Germany — without even mentioning that the Japanese make better cars — as well as explicit sex terminology graphic enough to embarrass the women of Hamburg's infamous red light district. Also included is a section on native banter that can help readers make friends over a pitcher of beer and convince the local bratwurst vendor that they actually like sauerkraut." Read more about Dirty German: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!"
As reported in the UK Daily Mail (Online), 'Devious, tight-fisted and dirty': A Polish cleaning lady reveals the filthy little secrets of her German clientele, a new German book, Under German Beds; A Cleaning Lady Reveals All by Justyna Polanska is taking the country by storm. This book is sort of a tell all about the state of both homes and lives of the elite (and not so elite) members of society the author worked for - with many little hidden tales about certain items she has found and the things she has seen. Read more about Under German Beds; A Cleaning Lady Reveals All
First Iskender, now this. My list of German books seem to consist of controversial titles. The book in question is Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach. And it will be a touchy topic for some as the same-sex relationship is one of the major themes of this meant-for-young-adult book. Okay, I can see why this book is so hard to find.
Here's the gist of the story. The main protagonist is a 15 year old girl called Miriam who is fed up with her small home town. Life appears to be a routine and nothing exciting ever seems to happen. She goes through the usual doings of other girls her age – partying, socializing, drinking. However, she's not happy and wonders if there is more to life than all this. Along comes a new classmate called Laura. She is completely different from the type of stuck-in-the-mud people Miriam is used to. Read more about Girl From Mars
Whoa, this story must have touched a nerve for a lot of European readers. Alright, so not that many but enough folks who complain about immigration. The book in question is Iskender, a story about the love affair of a mixed race couple in Europe. It was written by Hermann Schulz, a writer who comes across as wise (in a Gandalf sort of way) and who has spent a considerable amount of time talking about human rights.
This story is about the romance between a Turkish migrant worker and German waitress. The love affair is actually not the main focus. Rather, the story follows the aftermath when, Asaf Karpat, the young man in question discovers that he has a son. Unfortunately, he is back in his hometown and the child's mother has passed away. Read more about Iskender
In the book publishing industry, there are always stories of fake memoirs and unauthorized biographies full of bullshit, but it’s rarer to hear about a work of fiction being called “plagiarism”. According to German magazine, der Speigel, the latest controversy to hit German publishing involves a 17-year-old writer who many now believe plagiarized her novel from a blogger’s posts about sex and drugs.
The blogger, who writes by the moniker Airen, once wrote about his crazy nightlife situation of taking drugs, and having random sex with prostitutes and transvestites. Later, he published a short volume about his exploits. Read more about German Novelist Caught Plagiarizing From Blogger
I've said it before but let me mention it again. A lot of German novels revolve around serious topics. Or at least that's the idea I get from the various novels that are translated into English. This is not a judgment about the quality of these novels etc. Rather, it is more about associating German literature with specific themes. Thus, a lot of books I have come across cover the world war, the Cold War or Nazi regime. But what about the other genres?
Well, I found one more novel that plays around with a different topic. Liegen Lernen (Learning to Lie) by Frank Goosen is the book in question. It is a coming-of-age novel about a fictional character called Helmut. Read more about Liegen Lernen
This is one book I can't wait for them to finish translating. Actually, last time I checked, no one has picked it up for an English adaptation (why?!!!) and thus I might have to wait a bit. The story in question is called Der Mond und das Mädchen (The Moon and the Maiden) and it is written by a well-known contemporary German author called Martin Mosebach.
The Moon and the Maiden is supposed to be a quirky little tale about a married couple. They tied the knot recently and now have moved to the big bad city. Both of them have different outlooks on life; actually, I think it is their respective backgrounds that bring about such different takes on various matters. Ina, the Mrs. who had a sheltered upbringing, seems pretty unhappy with their new home and neighborhood. Read more about The Moon and the Maiden