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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 3, 2023
A collection of short stories set in former East Germany, so they reflect an era when 'anything you write may be used against you.' It was a particularly terrifying time for those who dared to publish. These are a mix of stories, mostly from the 1970s, and I’ll focus on ones that have to do with the censorship and the political tyranny of that time.
In one story a 'great leader' presides at the reviewing stand as a military parade goes by in perfect order and decorum. When the parade is over and the crowd starts to break up and mill around, the leader is seized by panic at the relaxation of that politically-imposed frozen discipline.
A young woman is disillusioned by the mandated order of the society she lives in. She has her permission to change her residence in her pocketbook; her travel permit; her permit for her new job and her mandated new address.
The voice of an anonymous citizen is heard saying an improper thing during a TV interview. The political machinery gets in motion to track him down by having linguists study his accent and the police review travel permits.
An old man is naïve enough to actually initiate the official process of requesting a visa to leave the country permanently. Another man can’t get a travel permit to visit his dying father. He is repeatedly turned down with no reason given and no recourse to appeal.
In another story, a poet dies and his good friend – a political leader who lets his hair down with the poet over drinks --learns that the poet kept meticulous notes. Now the politician is desperate to find those notes.
A poet dies in prison for his writings. Poets are featured in several of these stories and they were obviously an endangered species under the East German regime.
An invalid writer, confined to his fifth-floor walk-up room, has a view of the Wall from his apartment. He starts describing the wall and its barriers in a story and then realizes that if it gets published he will bring suspicion on himself for planning to escape!
Frightening stories.
The author (b. 1935) started writing in East Germany but could not publish his works there due to censorship. He worked as a translator until he was able to emigrate to West Germany and start publishing. While he has written about 30 books, including novels and academic books (he was a linguist) only a few appear to be available in English and a few more are in French.
The Berlin Wall from cbsnews.com
The author from Wikipedia
[Revised, pictures and shelves added 6/3/23]
In one story a 'great leader' presides at the reviewing stand as a military parade goes by in perfect order and decorum. When the parade is over and the crowd starts to break up and mill around, the leader is seized by panic at the relaxation of that politically-imposed frozen discipline.
A young woman is disillusioned by the mandated order of the society she lives in. She has her permission to change her residence in her pocketbook; her travel permit; her permit for her new job and her mandated new address.
The voice of an anonymous citizen is heard saying an improper thing during a TV interview. The political machinery gets in motion to track him down by having linguists study his accent and the police review travel permits.
An old man is naïve enough to actually initiate the official process of requesting a visa to leave the country permanently. Another man can’t get a travel permit to visit his dying father. He is repeatedly turned down with no reason given and no recourse to appeal.
In another story, a poet dies and his good friend – a political leader who lets his hair down with the poet over drinks --learns that the poet kept meticulous notes. Now the politician is desperate to find those notes.
A poet dies in prison for his writings. Poets are featured in several of these stories and they were obviously an endangered species under the East German regime.
An invalid writer, confined to his fifth-floor walk-up room, has a view of the Wall from his apartment. He starts describing the wall and its barriers in a story and then realizes that if it gets published he will bring suspicion on himself for planning to escape!
Frightening stories.
The author (b. 1935) started writing in East Germany but could not publish his works there due to censorship. He worked as a translator until he was able to emigrate to West Germany and start publishing. While he has written about 30 books, including novels and academic books (he was a linguist) only a few appear to be available in English and a few more are in French.
The Berlin Wall from cbsnews.com
The author from Wikipedia
[Revised, pictures and shelves added 6/3/23]
Want to read
January 26, 2021#5
Wegen Kuchen, hauptsächlich Blechkuchen, manchmal Torte, hilft H. beim Bäcker. In den Laden kommt er nicht. Leute sagen, Der mischt Gips unters Mehl.
#8
Weil ich anderer Ansicht bin über Gründe. Weil, wenn nicht gelten soll, was meine Sache ist, ich an falschem Ort wohne.
#24
Der Verhörer, noch hoffend auf Belehrbarkeit, sagte, Eure Worte lassen mich keine Demut an Euch wahrnehmen.
#25
An dieser Stelle ist es Scarron plötzlich müde, weiterem Zubehör, das zwischen den Wänden dem Einhalt dient, Worte beizulegen. Daß ihn die Idee, die seinen Blick ausschickte, noch immer stärkstens belebe, behauptet er nicht.
Wegen Kuchen, hauptsächlich Blechkuchen, manchmal Torte, hilft H. beim Bäcker. In den Laden kommt er nicht. Leute sagen, Der mischt Gips unters Mehl.
#8
Weil ich anderer Ansicht bin über Gründe. Weil, wenn nicht gelten soll, was meine Sache ist, ich an falschem Ort wohne.
#24
Der Verhörer, noch hoffend auf Belehrbarkeit, sagte, Eure Worte lassen mich keine Demut an Euch wahrnehmen.
#25
An dieser Stelle ist es Scarron plötzlich müde, weiterem Zubehör, das zwischen den Wänden dem Einhalt dient, Worte beizulegen. Daß ihn die Idee, die seinen Blick ausschickte, noch immer stärkstens belebe, behauptet er nicht.
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