Someday we'll tell each other everything - Daniela Krien

Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch - German title 'Irgendwann werden wir uns alles erzählen.'

‘I think about my own secret and realise that there are things which can be said straightaway, others need time, and some cannot be told at all.’

I was keen to read this book as I love stories set in Germany, in particular those set in the recent past. It’s the story of a sixteen-year-old girl, Maria, becoming awakened to adult life and experiences. It is set in summer 1990 and the period just after, in the GDR, which will soon be the former East Germany; the Berlin Wall having fallen, and reunification of the country fast approaching. Maria has moved in with her boyfriend Johannes, and the rest of the Brendel family, living quietly in the countryside. Maria has dropped out of school and escapes into books; her thoughts return several times to the book she is reading as the story unfolds – The Brothers Karamazov – and she draws parallels from this tale and events in her own life. One day she meets Henner, an older, damaged man, and the two embark on a passionate, unpredictable love affair.

It is a time of exploration and desire in Maria’s life, and the author captures this first passionate, at times violent, love, the need she feels for Henner, the impression he has made on her. ‘I can feel Henner’s hands – coarse, gentle, brutal, expectant – and I long for them…’ Maria is insightful enough to realise that this affair will impact deeply on her. ‘A life can be changed by a single moment.’ She is discovering her own identity day by day. ‘I’m not the same girl I once was. But who am I?’ She feels the strength of Henner’s desire for her, and it is a contrast to her relationship to Johannes now; though she thinks he loves her, his real passion has become his photography, and she things he ‘doesn’t see me any more, all he sees is pictures.’ She has a conscience; she acknowledges to herself that the lies she is telling and her actions in deceiving the Brendels are bad. She suspects that old Alfred knows everything and will expose her eventually. I felt a tension building in the story as the affair gathered momentum and I was compelled to find out what would happen. I was shocked that she had this affair and was still living all the while with her boyfriend and his family, yet I could believe it.

Just as events are tumultuous for Maria, so the country around her is unsettled and changing. The fascinating times and momentous changes in Germany then are not just a backdrop; Daniela Krien incorporates this nicely into her tale and into the characters’ lives, and it is all the more authentic bearing in mind that the author grew up in the East herself. Initially we learn via Maria that the fall of the Wall and the events surrounding it ‘went practically unnoticed here on the farm. They stared at the television pictures from Berlin as if they were from another country.’

As time moves on, there’s a moving reunion as a relative unseen for many years visits the Brendels from the West, and a couple of characters take a trip into the West too. Perhaps unsurprisingly, for the elder lady of the family, Frieda, the trip to the West is difficult and unsettling. For Maria and Johannes it is an adventure to head to Munich; only Maria’s second trip to the West. Her observations come thick and fast, impressing her, then leaving her feeling unsure about it all; ‘The sounds and smells of the West are different….I stare at people. It’s so different here, so self-confident, so assured, so hard to describe… I’m holding a tiny notebook. I’d planned to write down the things I saw that were new to me, things I’d sometimes longed for. And now I realise that everything is new to me, I’d have to write it all down: the smell of the shops, the cleanliness of the streets, the bright facades of the houses, women’s fashion, the excellent coffee, the beauty of of the women here…I don’t write down anything and suddenly my heart feels heavy.’ For Siegfried, Johannes’ hard working father, it is an enlightening, eye-opening experience to discover the different farming methods and structures in the West, and he returns to the East with his mind overflowing with ideas for improvement on his own farm.

The author has written an intimate first person narrative that drew me in to the story and held my interest. The style of writing, the spare prose, suits the tale, and the translation captures it all so well, and reads very smoothly indeed. I hope it will reach many more readers thanks to being available in English. I was intrigued to find out what Maria would do, and how things would develop. She can fall back on her unhappy mother only so much, and her absent father has caused much pain in her life. It seems unusual that she has moved to live away from her mother, but the way of life with the Brendels is happier and more structured and she grows fond of Johannes’ family, helping them and becoming more and more involved in the duties on the farm and in the shop, and also learning some of their secrets. Daniela Krien nicely portrays the happy domesticity and hard work on the farm, and there is a strong sense of place in the book..

Though not a long book, this was a very satisfying, thoughtful read, which made me pause and think from time to time. It didn’t need to be any longer, for me. I felt I got a sense of all the supporting characters, but all were just that; a well drawn supporting cast for a dramatic period in Maria’s life. I thought this was a super story and a remarkably promising debut novel, so much encapsulated into under two hundred pages that really captured the passion, excitement and discovery of love and desire in a girl on the cusp of womanhood, when emotions are heightened. Maria felt real; a dreamer, a helpful hard working girl, conflicted and flawed, lying and feeling guilty and torn, and all the more convincing for being so rounded. I would say this is definitely an author to watch. 

Published by MacLehose

Find out more here.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly sending me a copy of this novel to read and give an honest review.

This is another read for my 2013 Translation Challenge hosted by Curiosity Killed The Bookworm.

Book Beginnings (10) - Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything by Daniela Krien

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays

The idea, as stated on the host's blog, is 'to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.' There's a hash tag #BookBeginnings for twitter etc too, and a master linky list on the host's blog. I've got a couple of books on the go at the moment so I've just picked one out to mention here.

My Book Beginning

Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything by Daniela Krien 

(translated from German by Jamie Bulloch)

Published by MacLehose Press

'It is summer, a wonderfully hot summer. At the farm the buildings are ranged around three sides of a yard. In the middle is the long, detached house, which has two floors and a large attic; the barn, on the left-hand side, has large wooden doors at the front and back. A few metres behind it is a wide, low wooden building - the sawmill. Meadows and pastureland stretch down to the river; a short way upstream, just before a weir, is a dilapidated shed.'

I've been really looking forward to reading this one, and I'm intrigued by what I've read so far. The setting and the period both appeal to me. I think the opening places a lot of importance on the sense of place. Looking forward to reading on!

Synopsis from goodreads:

It is summer 1990, only months after the border dividing Germany has dissolved. Maria, nearly seventeen, moves in with her boyfriend on his family farm.

A chance encounter with enigmatic loner Henner, a neighbouring farmer, quickly develops into a passionate relationship. But Maria soon finds that Henner can be as brutal as he is tender – his love reveals itself through both animal violence and unexpected sensitivity. Maria builds a fantasy of their future life together, but her expectations differ dramatically from those of Henner himself, until it seems their story can only end in tragedy.

Someday We’ll Tell Each Other Everything is a bold and impressive debut in which love and violence, conflict and longing, are inextricably entwined.

Alex - Pierre Lemaitre

Alex is a crime thriller by French author Pierre Lemaitre, translated from the French into English by Frank Wynne, and published by Maclehose Press, an imprint of Quercus.

I had heard some exciting buzz about this novel before I read it, and I had also heard it is dark read with some disturbing episodes. Having now read it, I think the buzz is fully justified. It’s a novel that is difficult to review in terms of plot, because so much of the plot comes as a surprise or a shock, an unexpected twist here, an event that makes you reassess everything there. Nothing of this should be revealed to the prospective reader, if they are to fully enjoy this thrilling read. I will merely say that Alex is kidnapped and it seems like she can’t possible escape, but as we are told in the synopsis for the novel, this is actually just the start of things…

I liked the depiction of Camille Verhoeven, the detective leading the investigation, initially into the kidnapping but then further into the situation that develops; he had his own personal reasons for not wanting to pursue a kidnapping case, and yet wanting there to be justice and never giving up in his pursuit of the answers. I felt we got to know him, and the supporting cast working with him, including the contrasting pair Louis and Armand, but for me they never detracted from the main intrigue of the novel, namely Alex and her movements and actions.

I was a little apprehensive about reading this book as I was worried how scary it would be. Yes, there are some gruesome aspects but I’m glad in retrospect that I didn’t let this put me off. This is a clever thriller with a gripping narrative that kept me completely hooked throughout, and a lead character, in Alex, who held my attention and had me intrigued. This novel shocked, surprised and enthralled me; I found myself reassessing what I had read before in light of what I had just learnt. I would love to read more by this writer.

If you like a crime novel with an addictive narrative that keeps you guessing, that makes you question what you know and expect in terms of the crime genre, making you wonder about the limits of right and wrong, and of revenge, and if you can stomach dark themes, violence, abuse and some admittedly very upsetting episodes, then you should definitely give this a try because it has such a strong plot, great suspense, and a clever and surprising outcome. The conclusion made me stop and think and look back at the whole story again. The translation is very well done. Gripping stuff.

Published by Maclehose Press

reviewed as part of the amazon vine program


This novel counts towards my participation in the 2013 Translation Challenge hosted by Curiosity Killed the Bookworm

The Library of Unrequited Love - Sophie Divry

Translated from the French by Sian Reynolds

'To know your way round a library is to master the whole of culture, i.e. the whole world.'

I think this is a beautiful book inside and out. A lovely little hardback with a very attractively designed dust jacket, and inside a wonderful novella filled with remarkable, striking observations about books, libraries, love and life.

Sophie Divry's debut is written in the form of a monologue delivered by a librarian in the provinces who one morning discovers a reader in the library who has been locked in there all night. This reader is on the receiving end of the librarian's thoughts; subjected to hearing all about the things she loves, the things that anger and irritate her, and the person who has caught her eye. 

I read this book in just a couple of sittings, and many readers would probably finish it in just one. It's a charming and insightful little story featuring a passionate but anxious, troubled and lonely lady. The librarian feels invisible and is unhappy with the Geography section that she has been allocated, longing for her preferred section, History; indeed she divulges some of her views about this topic too. She shares her disapproval of the hierarchy of staff within the library, and her disgruntlement at readers who come to the library and simply make a mess. Whilst she complains about many things to her captive listener, she nevertheless has a strong affection for libraries and books and this shines through.

She has been hurt in love and tells us she avoids it now, with her job helping her cope with all that bothers her: 'the library works like an anaesthetic for my hang-ups.' She reveals that she has noticed a man, Martin, who has been coming to the library, and he is evidently in her thoughts a good deal - she movingly discloses how beautiful she finds him, but her past hurt holds her back, and she seeks safety and solace in books:

'So men, no, that's all over. Love, for me, is something I find in books. I read a lot, it's comforting. You're never alone if you live surrounded by books. They lift my spirit. The main thing is to be uplifted.'

The author has captured the magic and joy of books and reading and the pleasure found in a library and conveyed this so well through the librarian. Her voice held my attention throughout. I think most bookworms will find elements here that they agree with, or that make them smile or chuckle, or ponder - I certainly did. All in all this is a lovely little book with much that will resonate with keen readers.

I marked and noted so many little passages as I read this book that I must share a couple more of my favourites here at the end of this review - there are so many perceptive gems to be discovered in Sophie Divry's writing.

'You know, in my job, there's nothing more exciting, to make you feel more wanted, than to be able to size up the person in front of you, guess what they're after, find the book they need on the shelves and bring the two together. Book and reader, if they meet up at the right moment in a person's life, it can make sparks fly, set you alight, change your life.'

'I prefer the company of books. When I'm reading, I'm never alone, I have a conversation with the book. It can be very intimate. Perhaps you know this feeling yourself? The sense that you're having an intellectual exchange with the author, following his or her train of thought and you can accompany each other for weeks on end.'

Published by Maclehose Press

Thanks very much to the publisher for kindly sending me a copy of this book to read and review. 

This book is another read for me in the 2013 Translation Challenge

Every Seventh Wave - Daniel Glattauer

Translated from the German by Katharina Bielenberg and Jamie Bulloch

‘A wave that broke free, changing everything, recreating the landscape, leaving nothing the same as before.’

Every Seventh Wave is the sequel to the novel Love Virtually. (You can read my review of Love Virtually here.) Readers of that first installment will know that we were left wondering what would happen with Emmi and Leo, our two protagonists, at the end of that book. Now is our chance to discover what happens next...

It’s quite difficult to say a lot about this follow-up without including any spoilers, so I will try and be very careful in my review, but if it seems quite short, it may be because I needed to avoid mentioning much of the story. 

Once again Emmi and Leo are corresponding with each other via email. (Although readers were left uncertain at the end of the first book as to whether they would be in contact again, I think it’s fair to say that if you’ve gotten as far as thinking about reading the second book, it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that they do start to communicate again – otherwise there wouldn’t really be a second book!) What is for the reader to discover though, and not for me to reveal here, is how this romantic correspondence develops, and whether anything else will happen between the pair - will their love ever transcend the boundaries of email and become the real thing? After all, as Leo tells Emmi; ‘I’m sorry to say that happiness is not made of emails.’

The format of the novel, written totally in emails just like the first book, is a very effective idea and it is very well executed by the author. The exchanges are very often short and fast, the conversation zipping back and forth; this makes for quick and dramatic reading.

Without seeing each other’s faces, there is always room for misinterpretation and doubt; there’s a risk that one turn of phrase or sentence that is perhaps not quite clear in meaning could be misconstrued and thereby damage the bond that they share. The words in the emails that Emmi and Leo exchange enable a strong impression of each of the two characters to form in the reader’s mind.

The storyline builds with tension and uncertainty, and kept me turning the pages. At times I was frustrated by the behaviour of Emmi in particular, and I think I warmed more to Leo and empathised with him. They are both flawed in their own ways and this makes them all the more believable. This sequel sees Emmi and Leo discussing aspects of their separate lives, including each other’s current partner, and wondering if there will ever be a real life, away from the relative safety of hiding behind the computer screen, that will involve the two of them being together.

I loved revisiting these two characters, and reading their exchanges once again; they are at times very witty and funny, at other times full of anxiety and uncertainty, and sometimes so beautiful and passionate, but always with that very strong emotional connection between them. I felt by turns sad, delighted, anxious, frustrated and more by the two of them as I read.

The author has created two characters with a strong dynamic between them that makes for compelling reading. The way the idea of what happens with 'every seventh wave' is incorporated into the storyline is lyrical and apt. A word on the translation; it is beautifully done, I couldn’t fault it.

If you read and enjoyed Love Virtually, I would definitely recommend reading Every Seventh Wave and continuing the journey alongside Emmi and Leo.

Published by Maclehose

The story is being read on BBC Radio 4 on February 14^th 2013 by David Tennant and Emilia Fox - click here to find out more.

Thanks very much to the publisher for kindly sending a copy of this novel for review. 

You can follow the twitter account for Love Virtually @LoveVirtually

Read as part of the 2013 Translation Challenge

Love Virtually - Daniel Glattauer

Translated by Katharina Bielenberg and Jamie Bulloch 

'I've fallen in love with your words.'

I love how this novel starts. It’s a lovely, amusing bit of confusion and genuine error that leads to a pair of strangers being in contact via email. Once they are in contact, they exchange a few messages, and then they begin to enjoy the correspondence with each other, and start to reveal more about themselves and to share aspects of their lives, their hopes and their pain.

The email format of the narrative and the way this allows us to peek directly at the personal and intimate thoughts being exchanged between these two people alone means this is a very pacy read and one that makes the reader very inquisitive.

There is an excitement and urgency to the correspondence when it is in full flow:

‘Isn’t it exciting that you can get involved with someone you don’t know, someone you’ve never set eyes on and probably never will, someone you expect nothing from, of whom you can’t be sure that you’ll ever get anything halfway adequate in return?’

The tension is strong and builds as the book progresses and the relationship grows. Things start to become more serious, perhaps they do start to expect something from each other, and where will this lead? In particular there is the major question of whether Emmi and Leo will indeed every meet each other face to face.

I felt that the author has gotten to the heart of both his characters, written both of them with warmth, and created humour, romance and also sadness between them. They are complex characters, believable and flawed. Emmi is married after all. Why is she even seeking this closeness with another man?

It’s a fun, modern and intelligent romantic read. It makes you think about how much you can really get to know someone through written correspondence. Before it would have been letters, here it is emails. But the sentiment is the same, and therefore it gives the story a timeless edge too. Can a man and woman fall in love and feel a strong bond without having met? Will they every meet?

You’ll have to read to find out! Recommended.

Published by Maclehose Press, an imprint of Quercus

Thanks very much to the publisher for kindly sending a copy of this novel to read and review.

Reviewed by Lindsay Healy

There is a sequel to this novel, entitled Every Seventh Wave.

You can follow the twitter account for the book @lovevirtually