Now that it is November; that means it is German Literature Month as well as Nonfiction November. While this is a little last minute, I think I’m going to participate in both. I have some books that fit already planned and I’m going to get involved by reading two or three books for each.
Nonfiction November is a chance to get people reading more non-fiction and is hosted by Sophisticated Dorkiness, Regular Rumination, Doing Dewey and I’m Lost in Books. I’ve already planned on reading some non-fiction this month; which include Excavation: A Memoir by Wendy C. Ortiz, Not Drowning, Reading by Andrew Relph and Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser.
I’ve been focusing on reading more books in translation lately, so what better way to push myself than join in German Literature Month; hosted by Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy’s Literary Life. I’ve got Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes (translator: Jamie Bulloch) planned and I also want to re-read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (translator: John E. Woods). If I find more time, I wouldn’t mind dipping into some Kafka again and finally read The Castle (translator: Anthea Bell).
Perfume was a great book. I’ve also been wanting to read more translated fiction, I seam to enjoy it quite a bit
I’m becoming a bigger fan of translations
I’ve read some really good ones from Japan and Europe in particular.
You should do it more often
I’m so glad you’re reading Excavation. After hearing about it on Literary Disco, I’ve been hoping someone else would read it and give me another perspective, either good or bad.
It is pretty disturbing so far but I’m ok with that.
I’m so glad you’re reading Excavation. After hearing about it on Literary Disco, I’ve been hoping someone else would read it and give me another perspective, either good or bad.
It is pretty disturbing so far but I’m ok with that.
Hehe, I didn’t know there was such a thing as German Lit month! If you need some more recs, I’m here 🙂
The Vermes book has caused some frantic discussion, looking forward to your impressions. I read Perfume ten years ago and really enjoyed it. But Kafka’s Castle is quite annoying: You never know where it’s going and when things start to move, it just stops. Usually I don’t mind fragments ind literature, but this one was an exeption. Good luck 😉
Always looking for more German Lit recs. I think German and Russian lit is my default choices when it comes to translations (well for you it wouldn’t be a translation). I like the sound of Vermes book because it sounds like it is pushing the boundaries. I’ve read Perfume along time ago but I think it is time for another read and I love Kafka, so I need to work through all his books.
I hope you’ll enjoy your choices! I also recommend my favourite German novel, Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann. It recounts the lives of Carl Friedrich Gauß and Alexander von Humboldt. It’s insanely clever and funny, too, which is a rare thing among German authors 🙁
It’s an excellent exploration of genius and madness and Germany from Weimar Classicism to the European Restauration.
Measuring the World is at my library, I might pick it up later and read it. I like clever and funny but I’m also a big fan of transgressive fiction and I’m hoping Vermes is dark and funny.
I haven’t read Vermes. We Germans are overly critical when I gets to combining Hitler and humour. It still is a big issue for us. I’d like to able to regard this from a more objective point of view, but that is inherently impossible. Looking forward to your review, though.
It would be a touchy subject, it is terrible when one person creates a bad name for a whole country. However it seems to be a popular satire, maybe people like controversy more than I expect.
Hehe, I didn’t know there was such a thing as German Lit month! If you need some more recs, I’m here 🙂
The Vermes book has caused some frantic discussion, looking forward to your impressions. I read Perfume ten years ago and really enjoyed it. But Kafka’s Castle is quite annoying: You never know where it’s going and when things start to move, it just stops. Usually I don’t mind fragments ind literature, but this one was an exeption. Good luck 😉
Always looking for more German Lit recs. I think German and Russian lit is my default choices when it comes to translations (well for you it wouldn’t be a translation). I like the sound of Vermes book because it sounds like it is pushing the boundaries. I’ve read Perfume along time ago but I think it is time for another read and I love Kafka, so I need to work through all his books.
I hope you’ll enjoy your choices! I also recommend my favourite German novel, Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann. It recounts the lives of Carl Friedrich Gauß and Alexander von Humboldt. It’s insanely clever and funny, too, which is a rare thing among German authors 🙁
It’s an excellent exploration of genius and madness and Germany from Weimar Classicism to the European Restauration.
Measuring the World is at my library, I might pick it up later and read it. I like clever and funny but I’m also a big fan of transgressive fiction and I’m hoping Vermes is dark and funny.
I haven’t read Vermes. We Germans are overly critical when I gets to combining Hitler and humour. It still is a big issue for us. I’d like to able to regard this from a more objective point of view, but that is inherently impossible. Looking forward to your review, though.
It would be a touchy subject, it is terrible when one person creates a bad name for a whole country. However it seems to be a popular satire, maybe people like controversy more than I expect.