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En tyst minut
Ein warmer Sommer an der Ostsee vor vielen Jahren. Benny Goodmann und Ray Charles sind noch en vogue, in den Gassen spielt der Drehorgelmann, man bezahlt in "Mark", und wenn die Englischlehrerin vor die Oberprima tritt, stehen alle auf: "Good morning, Mrs. Petersen."
Wie es zu der Liebe zwischen Stella und Christian kam, wie die Leidenschaft sich an der Realität messen muss und wie dann mit einem Mal alles zu Ende ist - und doch auch nicht. Wie die Liebe gerade durch den Tod unsterblich wird: das erzählt Siegfried Lenz mit meisterhafter Einfühlungskraft, mit Distanz und Humor. Im Thema des Vergänglichen, der Zeitverfallenheit irdischer Liebe, der Unmöglichkeit vollendeten Glücks, schwingt die Melancholie eines Theodor Storm. In der Lakonie des Erzählens spürt man die existenzielle Härte eines Ernest Hemingway. Und doch spricht hier die Sympathie und Integrität des Erzählers Siegfried Lenz, der im knappen Raum der Novelle eine Menschheitsfrage entfaltet, die immerzu gültig ist.
Wie es zu der Liebe zwischen Stella und Christian kam, wie die Leidenschaft sich an der Realität messen muss und wie dann mit einem Mal alles zu Ende ist - und doch auch nicht. Wie die Liebe gerade durch den Tod unsterblich wird: das erzählt Siegfried Lenz mit meisterhafter Einfühlungskraft, mit Distanz und Humor. Im Thema des Vergänglichen, der Zeitverfallenheit irdischer Liebe, der Unmöglichkeit vollendeten Glücks, schwingt die Melancholie eines Theodor Storm. In der Lakonie des Erzählens spürt man die existenzielle Härte eines Ernest Hemingway. Und doch spricht hier die Sympathie und Integrität des Erzählers Siegfried Lenz, der im knappen Raum der Novelle eine Menschheitsfrage entfaltet, die immerzu gültig ist.
109 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
34 people are currently reading
964 people want to read
About the author
Siegfried Lenz
278 books146 followersSiegfried Lenz (1926 - 2014) was a German author who wrote twelve novels and produced several collections of short stories, essays, and plays for radio and the theatre. He was awarded the Goethe Prize in Frankfurt-am-Main on the 250th Anniversary of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's birth. Lenz and his wife, Liselotte, also exchanged over 100 letters with Paul Celan and his wife, Gisèle Lestrange between 1952 and 1961.
Lenz was the son of a customs officer in Lyck (Elk), East Prussia. After his graduation exam in 1943, he was drafted into the navy. According to documents released in June 2007, he may have joined the Nazi party on the 12th of July 1943. Shortly before the end of World War II, he defected to Denmark, but became a prisoner of war in Schleswig-Holstein.
After his release, he attended the University of Hamburg, where he studied philosophy, English, and Literary history. His studies were cut off early, however, as he became an intern for the daily paper Die Welt, and served as its editor from 1950 to 1951. It was there he met his future wife, Liselotte (d. February 5, 2006). They were married in 1949.
Since 1951, Lenz worked as a freelance writer in Hamburg and was a member of the literature forum "Group 47." Together with Günter Grass, he became engaged with the Social Democratic Party and aided the Ostpolitik of Willy Brandt. A champion of the movement, he was invited in 1970 to the signing of the German-Polish Treaty.
Since 2003, Lenz was a visiting professor at the Düsseldorf Heinrich Heine University and a member of the organization for German orthography and proper speech.
Lenz was the son of a customs officer in Lyck (Elk), East Prussia. After his graduation exam in 1943, he was drafted into the navy. According to documents released in June 2007, he may have joined the Nazi party on the 12th of July 1943. Shortly before the end of World War II, he defected to Denmark, but became a prisoner of war in Schleswig-Holstein.
After his release, he attended the University of Hamburg, where he studied philosophy, English, and Literary history. His studies were cut off early, however, as he became an intern for the daily paper Die Welt, and served as its editor from 1950 to 1951. It was there he met his future wife, Liselotte (d. February 5, 2006). They were married in 1949.
Since 1951, Lenz worked as a freelance writer in Hamburg and was a member of the literature forum "Group 47." Together with Günter Grass, he became engaged with the Social Democratic Party and aided the Ostpolitik of Willy Brandt. A champion of the movement, he was invited in 1970 to the signing of the German-Polish Treaty.
Since 2003, Lenz was a visiting professor at the Düsseldorf Heinrich Heine University and a member of the organization for German orthography and proper speech.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
April 29, 2023
[Revised, pictures and shelves added 4/28/23]
Translated from German, this small-format 125-page novella is an easy, misty read. Its soft, understated tone reminds me of Emily L by Marguerite Duras.
We know from the beginning that a German youth has lost his lover, a young woman, a bit older than he, who was his English teacher. The book alternates between the present (the memorial service for her, held at the school – the “Minute’s Silence”) -- and the boy’s memories of his summer fling with her.
His loss is all the more poignant because he can’t share it - he can’t announce to his parents, teachers or fellow students that they had this affair.
There is a lot of local color of the sea. All the events happen in a German seaside resort. The boy and his family are stone harvesters: they dredge up giant undersea rocks to use to make dikes and piers and the young woman dies in a boating accident. Worth a read.
The author (1926-2014) wrote about 20 novels and novellas but only about 5 are available in English.
Top image, a German modernist watercolor by Gunter Schulz-Ihlefeldt - 'The Harbor at Low Tide.' From 1stdibs.com
The author from nytimes.com
Translated from German, this small-format 125-page novella is an easy, misty read. Its soft, understated tone reminds me of Emily L by Marguerite Duras.
We know from the beginning that a German youth has lost his lover, a young woman, a bit older than he, who was his English teacher. The book alternates between the present (the memorial service for her, held at the school – the “Minute’s Silence”) -- and the boy’s memories of his summer fling with her.
His loss is all the more poignant because he can’t share it - he can’t announce to his parents, teachers or fellow students that they had this affair.
There is a lot of local color of the sea. All the events happen in a German seaside resort. The boy and his family are stone harvesters: they dredge up giant undersea rocks to use to make dikes and piers and the young woman dies in a boating accident. Worth a read.
The author (1926-2014) wrote about 20 novels and novellas but only about 5 are available in English.
Top image, a German modernist watercolor by Gunter Schulz-Ihlefeldt - 'The Harbor at Low Tide.' From 1stdibs.com
The author from nytimes.com
October 23, 2022
Повесть о влюбленности 18-летнего школьника в свою учительницу, окончившейся трагически. В результате несчастного случая Стелла Петерсон, преподаватель английского языка и возлюбленная своего ученика Кристиана, погибает, разбившись на скалах во время шторма. Кристиан отказывается выступать с речью на траурной церемонии, не желая показывать свои чувства на людях, и, возможно, не находя слов. В целом, почти все и так знают об их отношениях, но никто не осуждает и почти не обсуждает. Эта повесть о такой несвоевременной и трагической утрате любви написана искренне и просто. Понравилась атмосфера Балтийского побережья. Книга буквально пронизана солеными брызгами и свежим ветром, натягивающим паруса парусников, хотя большая часть действия происходит на суше.
February 12, 2015
Açıkçası pek bir beklentim olmadan, sadece Alman edebiyatından uzun süredir kitap okumamış olduğumu farkettiğim için almıştım bu kitabı. Fakat benden 5 yıldızı koparmayı başardı.
Benim için kimi kitaplar kurguları ve barındırdıkları düşüncelerle, kimisi dili, kimisi unutulmaz karakterleri ile önplana çıkar. 'Saygı Duruşu'nda ise hiçbiri yok. Fakat iyisine rastlamanın zor olduğu yoğun bir duygusallık ve şiirsellik hakim. Bu iki kavramı bir arada düşününce akla tumturaklı sözler, yapış yapış bir duygu seli gelse de; tersine, yazar çok sade bir dille, yapmacıklıktan uzak bir anlatım ile sağlıyor duygusallık ve şiirselliği. Lenz, basit, gündelik kelime ve ifadelerle hüzünlü bir atmosfer yaratıyor, basit ayrıntılarla atmosferi oluşturuyor. Burada Lenz kadar çevirmen Ayşe Sarısayın'ın da rolü var kuşkusuz.
İlk başta Stella'nın motivasyonunun ve duygularının açıkça dile getirilmemesi hoşuma gitmemişti, fakat sonrada bunun da Christian ile bütünleşmemizde, onun yaşadıklarına daha doğru biçimde tanıklık etmemize sağladığını farkettim.
Kısacası, 'Saygı Duruşu' sadeliğin güzelliğine ulaşmayı başaran, özenle çevrilmiş ve tavsiye edebileceğim bir kitap.
Benim için kimi kitaplar kurguları ve barındırdıkları düşüncelerle, kimisi dili, kimisi unutulmaz karakterleri ile önplana çıkar. 'Saygı Duruşu'nda ise hiçbiri yok. Fakat iyisine rastlamanın zor olduğu yoğun bir duygusallık ve şiirsellik hakim. Bu iki kavramı bir arada düşününce akla tumturaklı sözler, yapış yapış bir duygu seli gelse de; tersine, yazar çok sade bir dille, yapmacıklıktan uzak bir anlatım ile sağlıyor duygusallık ve şiirselliği. Lenz, basit, gündelik kelime ve ifadelerle hüzünlü bir atmosfer yaratıyor, basit ayrıntılarla atmosferi oluşturuyor. Burada Lenz kadar çevirmen Ayşe Sarısayın'ın da rolü var kuşkusuz.
İlk başta Stella'nın motivasyonunun ve duygularının açıkça dile getirilmemesi hoşuma gitmemişti, fakat sonrada bunun da Christian ile bütünleşmemizde, onun yaşadıklarına daha doğru biçimde tanıklık etmemize sağladığını farkettim.
Kısacası, 'Saygı Duruşu' sadeliğin güzelliğine ulaşmayı başaran, özenle çevrilmiş ve tavsiye edebileceğim bir kitap.
August 4, 2019
Kısacık, sade, vurucu. Son 20 sayfasında iyice yükselen, içimde dalga dalga unutulmuş ve belki de daha evvel hiç tanışılmamış bir yas duygusunu harekete geçiren bir novella Saygı Duruşu. Tanışılmamış bir yas duygusu dedim, çünkü bir eserde mühim olan en güçlü yan sanırım bu, daha önce hiç bilmediğin bir duyguyu bile sana bu denli güçlü yaşatabilmesi.
Sahnelerin berraklığı beni çok etkiledi. Lenz'in Saygı Duruşu'ndaki anlatımı durgun bir su gibi düşünürsek, okuru tam on ikiden vurması gereken bir sahnede, ufak bir taşı o çarşaf gibi denize atıp, duygunun o düzlükte dalga dalga yayılıp içimize işlemesini kolayca sağlamış. Kolayca sağlamış derken o berrak suyu yaratmak ustalık meselesi tabi, taşı atmak değil. Bu nedenle ben de Lenz'e saygı duruşundaydım kitabı okurken :)
Kesinlikle tavsiye ediyorum.
"Nefesini hissediyordum, hızlanan nefesini, göğsünün temasını, tekrar öpüştük, kollarımdan kurtuldu ve tek kelime olsun söylemeden yatağa yöneldi. Başını yastığın ortasına koymak istemedi, iki kişiye yetecek büyüklükte, çiçekli bir yastıktı, Stella kendinden emin, uzandı, yastığın yarısını boş bıraktı ya da bana ayırdı, ne bir işaret, ne bir sözcük, buna rağmen yastık görmezden gelinmeyecek bir beklentinin kanıtıydı benim açımdan."
"Gözlerimi Stella'nın yüzünden ayıramıyordum, o ana dek asla böylesine şiddetli bir kayıp duygusu hissetmemiştim, tuhaf bir duyguydu, çünkü kaybolan bir şeye sahip olunabileceğini bilmiyordum daha önce."
"Bakışlarından ihtiyaç duyduğum ya da ihtiyacım olduğuna inandığım bir şeyi geri almıştım, bir temasın ani mutluluğu, tekrarlanmak isteyen bir sevinç."
"Bir ara yüzünde bir beklenti ifadesi belirdiğinde, aklından neler geçtiğini tahmin etmeye çalıştım. Beni düşünüyor da olabilirdi, elini göğsüme koyarak önsezimi doğruladı. İnsan yanında olan birini de düşünebilir."
"Vazodan saçılan küller Stella, incecik bir bayrak gibi hafifçe dalgalanıp denize indi. Deniz külleri hızla içine çekti, geride hiçbir iz kalmadı, hiçbir kanıt; sadece sessiz bir yok oluş duygusu, vedanın grameri."
Sahnelerin berraklığı beni çok etkiledi. Lenz'in Saygı Duruşu'ndaki anlatımı durgun bir su gibi düşünürsek, okuru tam on ikiden vurması gereken bir sahnede, ufak bir taşı o çarşaf gibi denize atıp, duygunun o düzlükte dalga dalga yayılıp içimize işlemesini kolayca sağlamış. Kolayca sağlamış derken o berrak suyu yaratmak ustalık meselesi tabi, taşı atmak değil. Bu nedenle ben de Lenz'e saygı duruşundaydım kitabı okurken :)
Kesinlikle tavsiye ediyorum.
"Nefesini hissediyordum, hızlanan nefesini, göğsünün temasını, tekrar öpüştük, kollarımdan kurtuldu ve tek kelime olsun söylemeden yatağa yöneldi. Başını yastığın ortasına koymak istemedi, iki kişiye yetecek büyüklükte, çiçekli bir yastıktı, Stella kendinden emin, uzandı, yastığın yarısını boş bıraktı ya da bana ayırdı, ne bir işaret, ne bir sözcük, buna rağmen yastık görmezden gelinmeyecek bir beklentinin kanıtıydı benim açımdan."
"Gözlerimi Stella'nın yüzünden ayıramıyordum, o ana dek asla böylesine şiddetli bir kayıp duygusu hissetmemiştim, tuhaf bir duyguydu, çünkü kaybolan bir şeye sahip olunabileceğini bilmiyordum daha önce."
"Bakışlarından ihtiyaç duyduğum ya da ihtiyacım olduğuna inandığım bir şeyi geri almıştım, bir temasın ani mutluluğu, tekrarlanmak isteyen bir sevinç."
"Bir ara yüzünde bir beklenti ifadesi belirdiğinde, aklından neler geçtiğini tahmin etmeye çalıştım. Beni düşünüyor da olabilirdi, elini göğsüme koyarak önsezimi doğruladı. İnsan yanında olan birini de düşünebilir."
"Vazodan saçılan küller Stella, incecik bir bayrak gibi hafifçe dalgalanıp denize indi. Deniz külleri hızla içine çekti, geride hiçbir iz kalmadı, hiçbir kanıt; sadece sessiz bir yok oluş duygusu, vedanın grameri."
December 26, 2023
Die Novelle "Schweigeminute" von Siegfried Lenz beschreibt die kurze Liebe zwischen der Englischlehrerin Stella Petersen und ihrem Schüler Christian. Es beginnt mit der Gedenkveranstaltung für Stella in der Schulaula. Ihr Tod ist also von Beginn an klar und deutet sich bereits im Titel an, wobei das Schweigen mehrdeutig gelesen werden kann.
Schnell ist die maritime Welt durch den Ich-Erzähler Christian, der die verstorbene Stella direkt anspricht, beschrieben. Man taucht in die Atmosphäre der Ostseestadt ein, spürt die Meerluft und die sommerlichen Sonnenstrahlen, hört die Wellen und die Musik und hat die Menschen vor Augen.
Es ist nicht nur der Fluss der Sprache insgesamt, es sind auch einzelne, unverbrauchte Worte wie Blinkfeuer, Takelbluse oder Kippwellen, die dafür sorgten, dass ich beim Lesen gepackt wurde. Mit großer Liebe zu den Figuren führt Lenz durch die Ereignisse. So konnte ich die Geschichte im eigentlichen Sinne des Wortes erLEBEN. Ein kleines Meisterwerk.
Schnell ist die maritime Welt durch den Ich-Erzähler Christian, der die verstorbene Stella direkt anspricht, beschrieben. Man taucht in die Atmosphäre der Ostseestadt ein, spürt die Meerluft und die sommerlichen Sonnenstrahlen, hört die Wellen und die Musik und hat die Menschen vor Augen.
Es ist nicht nur der Fluss der Sprache insgesamt, es sind auch einzelne, unverbrauchte Worte wie Blinkfeuer, Takelbluse oder Kippwellen, die dafür sorgten, dass ich beim Lesen gepackt wurde. Mit großer Liebe zu den Figuren führt Lenz durch die Ereignisse. So konnte ich die Geschichte im eigentlichen Sinne des Wortes erLEBEN. Ein kleines Meisterwerk.
September 9, 2023
Delaying my return to Salman Rushdie yet again I picked up this book. A leaving present on returning to the UK after a few years living and working in Cologne. I had delayed reading for some years but glad now to have read and enjoyed it.
A tragic love story between an 18 year old boy and his 30 year old teacher. It starts with the school choir singing ‘Here sit we down in tears and grief…’ for the remembrance of the teacher Frau Petersen killed in a sailing accident.
The story telling is almost stream of consciousness, certainly no chapter breaks. But it is only a 125 page novella. It’s a very brief affair between Christian and Stella but wonderfully told. Yes I did have more dust smotes in my eyes at the end.
I see there is a film version released with Jonas Nay from the Deutschland 83/86/89 series that I will dig out.
Sadly Mr Rushdie is still in waiting as I have picked up two Stephen Leather books in the local Charity shop.
A tragic love story between an 18 year old boy and his 30 year old teacher. It starts with the school choir singing ‘Here sit we down in tears and grief…’ for the remembrance of the teacher Frau Petersen killed in a sailing accident.
The story telling is almost stream of consciousness, certainly no chapter breaks. But it is only a 125 page novella. It’s a very brief affair between Christian and Stella but wonderfully told. Yes I did have more dust smotes in my eyes at the end.
I see there is a film version released with Jonas Nay from the Deutschland 83/86/89 series that I will dig out.
Sadly Mr Rushdie is still in waiting as I have picked up two Stephen Leather books in the local Charity shop.
December 13, 2022
Книга с особен послевкус, който превъзхожда усещанията по време на самото четене
December 16, 2018
Un roman al iubirii si al pierderii. Un roman ca o pluta pe mare, clatinata de valuri nesfarsite, in drum spre un tarm al linistii aflat, deocamdata, mult prea departe. "Caci tot trecutul s-a intamplat totusi si va dainui, si insotit de durere si de frica voi incerca sa gasesc ceea ce nu mai e de gasit."
September 21, 2018
Ağırlıklarımız var ve onları hafifletme eğilimindeyiz. Gerçeğin bize salladığı bıçağı iradenin değil, mizah duygusunun gücüyle savuşturabiliriz ancak. Çizgi filmlerin ardında da bu eğilim hissedilir: Budalaca sakarlıklardan doğan eğlenceliklere kaza denir, yara bereler hokus pokus kapanır, bir eşek şakasıdır ölüm, bir anlık şaşkınlığın geçici cezasıdır. Her şeyi tatlıya bağlayan, sevecen, komik bir deniz düşlesek mi? Dibine yayılmış dev taş bloklar da birörnek kesmeşeker küpleriymiş mesela; aralarına güle oynaya dalabileceğimiz, parmaklarımızla kolayca aşındırabileceğimiz, tatlı tatlı eriyen turistik oluşumlarmış.
Âşık bir delikanlının yastığına ufaladığı ruhunu andırıyormuş, yokluğa alışmayı bağışladıkça içinde.
Âşık bir delikanlının yastığına ufaladığı ruhunu andırıyormuş, yokluğa alışmayı bağışladıkça içinde.
June 11, 2013
Forget Prince Albert, Stella is littered with English traces. There are whiffs of The End of the Affair and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I'd like to conclude that Herr Lenz made this as an homage to his friend W.G. Sebald, another German steeped in English traditions. The plot is rather linear and self-evident. A teacher of English at a coastal German school has died. One of her students grieves and recalls their relationship, one more intimate than one would guess. The paragraphs are dynamic, switching from 1st person to second or third seamlessly.
The student, Christian, lacks the wisdom to engage this chain of events. It is his innocence which gives the reader traction. Most of the narrative occurs at sea. Lenz shines in these sequences. Whereas his youthful character slips along with platitudes, the elements murmur eternally.
The student, Christian, lacks the wisdom to engage this chain of events. It is his innocence which gives the reader traction. Most of the narrative occurs at sea. Lenz shines in these sequences. Whereas his youthful character slips along with platitudes, the elements murmur eternally.
March 24, 2020
Μια πολύ τρυφερή ιστορία αγάπης. Αξίζει να διαβαστεί!
February 2, 2016
Λοιπόν... όταν διάβασα την υπόθεση στο οπισθόφυλλο πίστευα ότι δεν θα μου αρέσει....
Πίστευα κιόλας ότι το βιβλίο μιλάει για παιδεραστία, καθώς ο αφηγητής μας είναι ο Κριστιάν, ένα μαθητής Λυκείου ο οποίος αναπτύζει μία ερωτική σχέση με την καθηγήτρια των Αγγλικών του.
Τώρα που το έχω τελειώσει πιστεύω ότι ήταν μια βαθιά, συγκινητική εξομολόγηση/αφήγηση για έναν έρωτα μονόπλευρο? που τελείωσε τόσο νωρίς και τόσο άδικα.
Ένα ακόμα που μου άρεσε ήταν ότι η αφήγηση γινόταν από το κύριο πρόσωπο της ιστορίας (τον Κριστιάν), προς την Στέλλα (την καθηγήτρια) και για την Στέλλα.
Αν αξίζει να διαβαστεί....??? Ναι αξίζει.... !!!
Πίστευα κιόλας ότι το βιβλίο μιλάει για παιδεραστία, καθώς ο αφηγητής μας είναι ο Κριστιάν, ένα μαθητής Λυκείου ο οποίος αναπτύζει μία ερωτική σχέση με την καθηγήτρια των Αγγλικών του.
Τώρα που το έχω τελειώσει πιστεύω ότι ήταν μια βαθιά, συγκινητική εξομολόγηση/αφήγηση για έναν έρωτα μονόπλευρο? που τελείωσε τόσο νωρίς και τόσο άδικα.
Ένα ακόμα που μου άρεσε ήταν ότι η αφήγηση γινόταν από το κύριο πρόσωπο της ιστορίας (τον Κριστιάν), προς την Στέλλα (την καθηγήτρια) και για την Στέλλα.
Αν αξίζει να διαβαστεί....??? Ναι αξίζει.... !!!
April 30, 2020
About a week ago my computer crashed; blue screen, sad-face emoji and everything (apparently Microsoft added a sad-face emoji to soften the blow or whatever).
Once my little laptop regained consciousness, I had the great idea to start a new bookmark folder containing links to German TV channels.
Recently I have been on a German TV and book trip again, after I realized that I have neglected those language skills long enough and a friend asked me to practice her German with me.
It would only be fair to brush up to make sure that what I told her was correct and lately I have been feeling less than confident in my skill.
So, one thing led to another and I stumbled upon an older article that one of the German TV channels posted. It was a list of 100 books, 100 Good Reads in German Literature that were translated into English.
Alright, I was intrigued. I could do with a little German literature and this list was chronological, starting in 1901 and ending in 2016. A perfect tour through German history seen through the eyes of its literature.
Long story short, I picked the books that interested me the most and began my literary journey, starting with Schweigeminute.
I have to confess I’m always a bit hesitant reading any German book. I’m not sure where this stems from, but it takes me a good minute to get over it.
Despite my unrealistic reservations I got sucked into the story straight away.
It was an interesting read, since the reader only gets to know the unfolding of events through the protagonist’s reflections.
The protagonist, an 18-year-old senior high school student, brought a sense of wonderment to the story.
He was naïve, self-centred and has no idea what he got himself into.
The plot was straight forward: boy meets his senior English teacher. Boy falls head over heels for said teacher.
It was the narration and the structure of the story that gave it a unique take on the otherwise rather simple narration.
For one, there were no chapters. The narration began and ended as one long stream of consciousness. I’ve read a few other books like that before and they would always irk me in ways that threw me out of the story. It bothers me to no end, but not with this one. It wasn’t until I was a good 30% into the book when I realized that I have not seen any break in the story telling.
Secondly, the narration jumps very quickly between three different time periods; during the time the narrator reflects, his time with his teacher, and the time leading up to the present.
The setting lent the entire narration an atmosphere and a mood that reflected the uncertainty of life. It was poetic and beautiful and sad all at the same time. It worked wonderfully.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It kept me spellbound until the last page. The only thing that was difficult were the time jumps that came unannounced and very suddenly, which interrupted the flow of the story.
I would still recommend it to anyone, who enjoys German literature, stories similar to Der Vorleser/The Reader, Baltic Sea settings and atmospheric narrations.
ElliotScribbles
Once my little laptop regained consciousness, I had the great idea to start a new bookmark folder containing links to German TV channels.
Recently I have been on a German TV and book trip again, after I realized that I have neglected those language skills long enough and a friend asked me to practice her German with me.
It would only be fair to brush up to make sure that what I told her was correct and lately I have been feeling less than confident in my skill.
So, one thing led to another and I stumbled upon an older article that one of the German TV channels posted. It was a list of 100 books, 100 Good Reads in German Literature that were translated into English.
Alright, I was intrigued. I could do with a little German literature and this list was chronological, starting in 1901 and ending in 2016. A perfect tour through German history seen through the eyes of its literature.
Long story short, I picked the books that interested me the most and began my literary journey, starting with Schweigeminute.
I have to confess I’m always a bit hesitant reading any German book. I’m not sure where this stems from, but it takes me a good minute to get over it.
Despite my unrealistic reservations I got sucked into the story straight away.
It was an interesting read, since the reader only gets to know the unfolding of events through the protagonist’s reflections.
The protagonist, an 18-year-old senior high school student, brought a sense of wonderment to the story.
He was naïve, self-centred and has no idea what he got himself into.
The plot was straight forward: boy meets his senior English teacher. Boy falls head over heels for said teacher.
It was the narration and the structure of the story that gave it a unique take on the otherwise rather simple narration.
For one, there were no chapters. The narration began and ended as one long stream of consciousness. I’ve read a few other books like that before and they would always irk me in ways that threw me out of the story. It bothers me to no end, but not with this one. It wasn’t until I was a good 30% into the book when I realized that I have not seen any break in the story telling.
Secondly, the narration jumps very quickly between three different time periods; during the time the narrator reflects, his time with his teacher, and the time leading up to the present.
The setting lent the entire narration an atmosphere and a mood that reflected the uncertainty of life. It was poetic and beautiful and sad all at the same time. It worked wonderfully.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It kept me spellbound until the last page. The only thing that was difficult were the time jumps that came unannounced and very suddenly, which interrupted the flow of the story.
I would still recommend it to anyone, who enjoys German literature, stories similar to Der Vorleser/The Reader, Baltic Sea settings and atmospheric narrations.
ElliotScribbles
February 27, 2013
Sometimes silence can be gold.
As a huge Lenz fan, this was a book I read despite the fact, that I usually do not read love stories. Gladly I did it. The book tells us a story of love between a young teacher and her student. A careful love, a fragile love. Lenz as usually takes care of narrating the story careful, he also treats his main characters with love and respect, which makes the reading very easy and enjoyable. Only Lenz can take you to the beach while reading, his love for details is the one thing which makes him so special to me. He puts the focus of the reader on things we wouldnt have thought of in the first place.
With this novel, Lenz created a masterpiece of German contemporary literature, which should find a place in every bookshelf. I can just agree with his good friend and most important literature critic in Germany (M. Reich- Ranicki)
"Was immer sie im Sinne haben – sie sind zart zueinander, so zart, wie der Autor dieser Liebesgeschichte zu seinen Geschöpfen ist. Wir haben meinem Freund Siegfried Lenz für ein poetisches Buch zu danken. Vielleicht ist es sein schönstes."
As a huge Lenz fan, this was a book I read despite the fact, that I usually do not read love stories. Gladly I did it. The book tells us a story of love between a young teacher and her student. A careful love, a fragile love. Lenz as usually takes care of narrating the story careful, he also treats his main characters with love and respect, which makes the reading very easy and enjoyable. Only Lenz can take you to the beach while reading, his love for details is the one thing which makes him so special to me. He puts the focus of the reader on things we wouldnt have thought of in the first place.
With this novel, Lenz created a masterpiece of German contemporary literature, which should find a place in every bookshelf. I can just agree with his good friend and most important literature critic in Germany (M. Reich- Ranicki)
"Was immer sie im Sinne haben – sie sind zart zueinander, so zart, wie der Autor dieser Liebesgeschichte zu seinen Geschöpfen ist. Wir haben meinem Freund Siegfried Lenz für ein poetisches Buch zu danken. Vielleicht ist es sein schönstes."
September 8, 2021
18 yaşındaki bir liselinin öğretmeni ile yaşadığı aşk ve öğretmenin ardından tutulan yas (spoiler değil. hem ilk cümlede hem de kitabın arkasında belirtilmiş bu durum).
İnanılmaz duru ve dingin bir anlatım, akıp giden 100 sayfalık bir novella…
Yazarın 82 yaşında yazdığı ilk aşk kitabı olması beni şaşırttı.
Kitabın güzelliği bu yasak aşkın yaşanış şekli ile ilgili vurucu,meraklandırıcı, heyecanlandırıcı şeylerin ağırlıkta olmaması ve bunun aksine yas sürecindeki Christian’ın, öğretmen Stella’nın anıldığı törende aklından geçen naif duygularına yer verilmiş olması sanırım…
İnanılmaz duru ve dingin bir anlatım, akıp giden 100 sayfalık bir novella…
Yazarın 82 yaşında yazdığı ilk aşk kitabı olması beni şaşırttı.
Kitabın güzelliği bu yasak aşkın yaşanış şekli ile ilgili vurucu,meraklandırıcı, heyecanlandırıcı şeylerin ağırlıkta olmaması ve bunun aksine yas sürecindeki Christian’ın, öğretmen Stella’nın anıldığı törende aklından geçen naif duygularına yer verilmiş olması sanırım…
February 13, 2019
Stella Petersen war zweifellos eine der beliebtesten Lehrerinnen am Lessing-Gymnasium. Ihre Lebensfreude, ihre Intelligenz und Belesenheit verschafften ihr die Anerkennung und den natürlichen Respekt des Kollegiums wie den ihrer Schüler. Und gewiss führte die Liebe zu ihrem Schüler Christian, die über das ungleiche Paar am Ende der Sommerferien hereinbrach, zu jener Verwirrung der Gefühle deren Intensität und Kraft beide überwältigt. Siegfried Lenz hat eine großartige Novelle geschrieben über die Liebe eines Gymnasiasten zu seiner Englischlehrerin, eine Geschichte über das Erwachsenwerden und das Erwachsensein, eine Geschichte, in der unbeschreibliches Glück neben tief empfundener Trauer steht.
Dieses Buch ist für mich mal wieder der klassische Beweis dafür, dass man Bücher selbst lesen muss, um sich eine objektive Meinung bilden zu können.
Zunächst kannte ich das Buch nur vom Hörn-Sagen. Es reizte mich auch bis dahin noch nicht einen Lenz zu lesen (was ich nun gar nicht mehr verstehen kann…). Eine gute Freundin, die die Bücher von Lenz kennt und auch schon gelesen hat, las das Buch und es gefiel ihr aus verschiedenen Gründen gar nicht. Sie ging sogar so weit zu sagen: „Er hätte dieses Buch besser nie geschrieben.“ Unter anderem kam dabei die Diskussion der Altherren-Liebe, die auch hier in diesem Strang anklang, wieder auf. Damit schwand meine Leselust noch mehr.
Schade, sehr schade, da mir so ein großer Lesegenuss entging, denn ich finde dieses Buch klasse!
Lenz hat mit dieser Geschichte wirklich eine sehr schöne, poetische, warmherzige und sehr gefühlvolle Novelle geschrieben. Auch die Art der Aufbereitung finde ich sehr gelungen: Der typische Erzähler nimmt eine Gedenkfeier zum Anlass, um über die Beziehung zur Toten Revue passieren zu lassen. Dabei wechselt der Erzähler zunächst zwischen Gegenwart und Vergangenheit immer hin und her. Normalerweise empfinde ich solche Wechsel als störend für den Lesefluss. Doch hier passen sie sehr gut. Man kann sich als Leser sehr gut damit identifizieren: Jeder, der schon mal auf einer Gedenkfeier oder einer Beerdigung war, kennt diese Situation: Vorne werden Trauerreden gehalten und innerlich beginnt man zunehmend eine Art „privaten Gedenkrede“ zu schreiben. Man erinnert sich, was einen mit dem Toten verbindet und was man mit ihm erlebt hat und vor allem, wer er für einen selbst war.
Und mithilfe dieser „privaten Gedenkrede“ erfahren wir vom Erzähler, wie er zur Toten steht.
Dabei offenbart uns Lenz eine Beziehung, die man platt, ins Genre „Alt liebt Jung“ ziehen könnte, aber dann würde man diesem Buch nicht gerecht werden. Ich würde sie von diesem Genre trennen. Mehr noch, ich wäre gar nicht auf den Gedanken gekommen, sie damit in Verbindung zu bringen: Nicht nur aus der Tatsache heraus, dass hier eine ältere Frau einen jungen Mann liebt und in dieser Novelle aus der Sicht des Jüngeren berichtet wird und nicht aus der Sicht des älteren Parts.
Die anderen Bücher, die ich aus diesem Bereich kenne: Walser, Marcquèz, Nabokov … erzählen immer aus der Sicht des Älteren. Dabei stehen eher die „fleischigen Begierden, deren Erfüllung, sowie der Wunsch sich dadurch wieder jung zu fühlen bzw. das eigene Altern für kurze Momente zu vergessen oder gar anzuhalten, im Vordergrund.
Lenz lässt hauptsächlich im Kopf und vor allem im Herzen lieben. Auch in den Momenten, in denen es zur tatsächlichen körperlichen Liebe kommt, steht diese nicht im Focus des Lesers. Mit einer sehr zarten, poetischen fast schon keuschen Sprache lässt Lenz seinen Protagonisten all das durchleben, was viele Heranwachsenden „durchmachen“, wenn sie zum ersten Mal lieben. All die Zweifel, Hoffnungen, Erwartungen, die man an das Gegenüber knüpft, von dem man nie richtig weiß, wie es zu einem steht, werden hier gewahr. Ich empfinde die Art, wie Lenz dies schreibt als äußerst authentisch. Was mich in diesem Zusammenhang besonders berührt und beeindruckt hat, war die Fähigkeit dieses Autors, der ja nun schon viele Jahre von solchen Erfahrungen entfernt lebt, diese Gefühle, Gedanken und diesen emotionalen Zwiespalt, in dem man sich als Liebender befindet, sprachlich so einzufangen und so wiederzugeben. Keine abgeklärten oder durch Erfahrungen behinderten Beschreibungen oder Seitenhiebe. Nein, er schreibt wirklich so, als würde er zum ersten Mal lieben. Und auch dies stellt für mich einen großen Unterschied zu den anderen „Altherren-Lieben“ dar.
Seit langer Zeit kann ich bei einem Buch mal wieder ALLE Zitate von berühmten Lesern, die sich auf dem Buchrücken befinden, unterschreiben.
Diesem Buch gebe ich 5 Sterne und rate jedem, der so wie ich noch keinen Zugang zu Lenz gefunden hat, mit diesem Buch zu beginnen.
Dieses Buch ist für mich mal wieder der klassische Beweis dafür, dass man Bücher selbst lesen muss, um sich eine objektive Meinung bilden zu können.
Zunächst kannte ich das Buch nur vom Hörn-Sagen. Es reizte mich auch bis dahin noch nicht einen Lenz zu lesen (was ich nun gar nicht mehr verstehen kann…). Eine gute Freundin, die die Bücher von Lenz kennt und auch schon gelesen hat, las das Buch und es gefiel ihr aus verschiedenen Gründen gar nicht. Sie ging sogar so weit zu sagen: „Er hätte dieses Buch besser nie geschrieben.“ Unter anderem kam dabei die Diskussion der Altherren-Liebe, die auch hier in diesem Strang anklang, wieder auf. Damit schwand meine Leselust noch mehr.
Schade, sehr schade, da mir so ein großer Lesegenuss entging, denn ich finde dieses Buch klasse!
Lenz hat mit dieser Geschichte wirklich eine sehr schöne, poetische, warmherzige und sehr gefühlvolle Novelle geschrieben. Auch die Art der Aufbereitung finde ich sehr gelungen: Der typische Erzähler nimmt eine Gedenkfeier zum Anlass, um über die Beziehung zur Toten Revue passieren zu lassen. Dabei wechselt der Erzähler zunächst zwischen Gegenwart und Vergangenheit immer hin und her. Normalerweise empfinde ich solche Wechsel als störend für den Lesefluss. Doch hier passen sie sehr gut. Man kann sich als Leser sehr gut damit identifizieren: Jeder, der schon mal auf einer Gedenkfeier oder einer Beerdigung war, kennt diese Situation: Vorne werden Trauerreden gehalten und innerlich beginnt man zunehmend eine Art „privaten Gedenkrede“ zu schreiben. Man erinnert sich, was einen mit dem Toten verbindet und was man mit ihm erlebt hat und vor allem, wer er für einen selbst war.
Und mithilfe dieser „privaten Gedenkrede“ erfahren wir vom Erzähler, wie er zur Toten steht.
Dabei offenbart uns Lenz eine Beziehung, die man platt, ins Genre „Alt liebt Jung“ ziehen könnte, aber dann würde man diesem Buch nicht gerecht werden. Ich würde sie von diesem Genre trennen. Mehr noch, ich wäre gar nicht auf den Gedanken gekommen, sie damit in Verbindung zu bringen: Nicht nur aus der Tatsache heraus, dass hier eine ältere Frau einen jungen Mann liebt und in dieser Novelle aus der Sicht des Jüngeren berichtet wird und nicht aus der Sicht des älteren Parts.
Die anderen Bücher, die ich aus diesem Bereich kenne: Walser, Marcquèz, Nabokov … erzählen immer aus der Sicht des Älteren. Dabei stehen eher die „fleischigen Begierden, deren Erfüllung, sowie der Wunsch sich dadurch wieder jung zu fühlen bzw. das eigene Altern für kurze Momente zu vergessen oder gar anzuhalten, im Vordergrund.
Lenz lässt hauptsächlich im Kopf und vor allem im Herzen lieben. Auch in den Momenten, in denen es zur tatsächlichen körperlichen Liebe kommt, steht diese nicht im Focus des Lesers. Mit einer sehr zarten, poetischen fast schon keuschen Sprache lässt Lenz seinen Protagonisten all das durchleben, was viele Heranwachsenden „durchmachen“, wenn sie zum ersten Mal lieben. All die Zweifel, Hoffnungen, Erwartungen, die man an das Gegenüber knüpft, von dem man nie richtig weiß, wie es zu einem steht, werden hier gewahr. Ich empfinde die Art, wie Lenz dies schreibt als äußerst authentisch. Was mich in diesem Zusammenhang besonders berührt und beeindruckt hat, war die Fähigkeit dieses Autors, der ja nun schon viele Jahre von solchen Erfahrungen entfernt lebt, diese Gefühle, Gedanken und diesen emotionalen Zwiespalt, in dem man sich als Liebender befindet, sprachlich so einzufangen und so wiederzugeben. Keine abgeklärten oder durch Erfahrungen behinderten Beschreibungen oder Seitenhiebe. Nein, er schreibt wirklich so, als würde er zum ersten Mal lieben. Und auch dies stellt für mich einen großen Unterschied zu den anderen „Altherren-Lieben“ dar.
Seit langer Zeit kann ich bei einem Buch mal wieder ALLE Zitate von berühmten Lesern, die sich auf dem Buchrücken befinden, unterschreiben.
Diesem Buch gebe ich 5 Sterne und rate jedem, der so wie ich noch keinen Zugang zu Lenz gefunden hat, mit diesem Buch zu beginnen.
July 28, 2023
Breve racconto che affronta con delicatezza ed empatia un tema "scabroso" e tabú anche per il 2023.
January 9, 2024
Kitap için herkes kısacık, akıcı ve tek solukta okunan dolu dizgin bir aşk hikayesi demiş. Ben yalnızca kısacık kısmına onay verebiliyorum çünkü bir kitap bu kadar sürünebilir yahu elimde.
Belli bir sebebi olmaksızın bir süre kafamı veremedim kitaba bu nedenle harcamamak için odaklanmaya hazır olduğumda bitirmeyi tercih ettim belki bu ara nedeniyle etkisini biraz daha yitirmiş oldu.
Yanlış zaman doğru kitap diyemem yine de. Doğru zamanda okusam dahi okuduğum en şahane şeylerden biri demezdim, biliyorum kendimi. Aman efendim bunca zamandır neden raf beklettim, kısacık kitaptı niçin elimde süründü diye ağlıyor olurdum şu an. Şimdi ise, eh bitti işte falan.
Bazen olmaz.
Ya da bazen bu kadar olur.
Belli bir sebebi olmaksızın bir süre kafamı veremedim kitaba bu nedenle harcamamak için odaklanmaya hazır olduğumda bitirmeyi tercih ettim belki bu ara nedeniyle etkisini biraz daha yitirmiş oldu.
Yanlış zaman doğru kitap diyemem yine de. Doğru zamanda okusam dahi okuduğum en şahane şeylerden biri demezdim, biliyorum kendimi. Aman efendim bunca zamandır neden raf beklettim, kısacık kitaptı niçin elimde süründü diye ağlıyor olurdum şu an. Şimdi ise, eh bitti işte falan.
Bazen olmaz.
Ya da bazen bu kadar olur.
October 16, 2023
İngilizce öğretmeni Stella ile yaşadığı gizli aşkın hisleriyle baş etmeye çalışan lise öğrencisi Christian’ın daha ne olduğunu anlamadan yiten aşkının ardından yaktığı bir ağıt gibi Saygı Duruşu. Cenaze töreninde başlayan kitap bu ilişkinin başlangıcından sonrasında olanlara uzanan ve tekrar başladığı yerde biten yarım kalmış bir aşk hikayesini anlatıyor. Bu kadar az cümle ile duyguyu, yası, hüznü bu kadar güçlü verebilmesi, denizin dalgasını, taşını, iyot kokusunu okura hissettirebilmesi beni çok etkiledi. Kısa, yalın ve vurucu bir metin.👌🏻
#neokudum #saygidurusu #siegfriedlenz #canyayinlari #renklikalemkitap #yaz2023🌊
#neokudum #saygidurusu #siegfriedlenz #canyayinlari #renklikalemkitap #yaz2023🌊
August 13, 2016
Saygı Duruşu, çok uzun zaman aklımdan çıkmayacak bir hikaye olarak aklıma kazındı!
Size birçok duyguyu aynı anda yaşatan huzursuz ama aşk dolu, mutsuz ama umutlu bir hikayesi var. Sonuna doğru okurken gözlerim doldu.
Konusuyla ilgiki detaya girmek istemiyorum. Kesinlikle okumalısınız.
Size birçok duyguyu aynı anda yaşatan huzursuz ama aşk dolu, mutsuz ama umutlu bir hikayesi var. Sonuna doğru okurken gözlerim doldu.
Konusuyla ilgiki detaya girmek istemiyorum. Kesinlikle okumalısınız.
October 3, 2014
"Love,Christian,is a warm bearing wave"
August 24, 2018
Dacă iubirea nepotrivită (ar crede unii, ca mine) te duce spre Idilă pe un turn, de Thomas Hardy, relația dintre ei, modul lui Christian de a iubi, atitudinea femeii față de băiat aduc foarte mult cu Cititorul, de Bernhard Schlink, toate cele trei titluri remarcându-se prin sensibilitate și pierdere a persoanei iubite. Un moment de reculegere este o elegie despre iubirea care poate lua naștere când te aștepți mai puțin și despre cât de fragilă este atât aceasta, cât și viața. Iar dacă nu sunteți convinși deocamdată, vă puteți arunca ochii pe ecranizarea cărții, care îi și poartă titlul original, Schweigeminute, cu Jonas Nay și Julia Koschitz. Recenzia aici: https://sandradeaconu.blogspot.com/20....
,,Continuam să-i privesc neîncetat chipul, niciodată nu mai avusesem un sentiment atât de puternic al pierderii; lucru destul de ciudat, căci până atunci nu-mi trecuse prin cap să posed ceea ce se pierduse.''
,,Continuam să-i privesc neîncetat chipul, niciodată nu mai avusesem un sentiment atât de puternic al pierderii; lucru destul de ciudat, căci până atunci nu-mi trecuse prin cap să posed ceea ce se pierduse.''
August 10, 2016
Kah matem seramonisindeyiz,kah yakın geçmişteki tatlı aşk başlangıcının anılarında; devamı ne yazık ki gelmeyecek olan.
Yeni tanıştım Siegfried Lenz'le.İyi ki de tanışmışım.
Dingin,hüzünlü,buram buram deniz kokan,ama bir o kadar da durağan olmayan bir anlatım,baştan sona dek...
Yeni tanıştım Siegfried Lenz'le.İyi ki de tanışmışım.
Dingin,hüzünlü,buram buram deniz kokan,ama bir o kadar da durağan olmayan bir anlatım,baştan sona dek...
July 15, 2021
Ich las das schmale Buch bereits 2010. Die Novelle erschien 2008, ihr sind bis zum Tode des Schriftstellers im Jahre 2014 weitere Texte gefolgt.
Ein Schüler blickt angesichts der Trauerfeier für seine Englischlehrerin, mit der ihn eine Liebesbeziehung verband, auf die gemeinsame Zeit zurück. Ein schöner Text voller Zärtlichkeit.
Ein Schüler blickt angesichts der Trauerfeier für seine Englischlehrerin, mit der ihn eine Liebesbeziehung verband, auf die gemeinsame Zeit zurück. Ein schöner Text voller Zärtlichkeit.
January 16, 2013
Sometimes it is the silences within a story that make the story and as paradoxical as that might sound, reading Lenz only reinforces that notion. The German edition of this book translates to A Minute of Silence, the opening scene is of a school assembly paying homage to a departed teacher. It is an almost indifferent story, not a sad one at all, the gradually building melancholic tone notwithstanding. An eighteen year old boy falls in love with his English teacher, a twenty five year old English lady in a postwar Baltic fishing town. But that is not it, you get the feeling all the way that this is the reminiscence of an old man harking back to a first love, the confusion, the pangs of jealousy. This translation is so prosaic yet beautiful, stripped of any ornamentation, that there is almost no feeling to be gleaned there in. I'd gladly recommend this. It turns out Lenz wrote it in the aftermath of his wife's death, that does indeed explains a few things.
August 18, 2015
Siegfried Lenz'in bu kitabı bize okuma süresi boyunca yoğun bir duygusallık vaat ediyor. Çok ilginç bir kurgusu, akla kazınacak karakter derinlikleri olmasa da, son sayfayı çevirdikten sonra bu anlatının sizde iz bıraktığını hissedeceksiniz. İlk bakışta sade dille yazılmış bir aşk romanı havasında olsa da, yazar bunun yanında bize hüznün farklı tonlarını, farklı kaynaklarını sunuyor.
Çok alakasız bir bilgi olarak, kitabı elime her aldığımda Tarkan'ın "Sevdanın Son Vuruşu" şarkısı zihnimde çalmaya başlıyordu :) Komik olmakla birlikte, şu sözlerden dolayı kitabın konusuyla uyumu da şaşırtıcı geldi bana:
Sen hiç böyle sevdin mi
Sen hiç böyle oldun mu
Baş eğdim yine aşka
Ama bu son saygı duruşu
Çok alakasız bir bilgi olarak, kitabı elime her aldığımda Tarkan'ın "Sevdanın Son Vuruşu" şarkısı zihnimde çalmaya başlıyordu :) Komik olmakla birlikte, şu sözlerden dolayı kitabın konusuyla uyumu da şaşırtıcı geldi bana:
Sen hiç böyle sevdin mi
Sen hiç böyle oldun mu
Baş eğdim yine aşka
Ama bu son saygı duruşu
June 10, 2021
Mooie, atmosferische roman over de ontluikende liefde tussen de jonge Christian en zijn oudere lerares Engels, Stella Petersen. De dood loert om de hoek: we bevinden ons meteen op de afscheidsplechtigheid van deze lerares, waar Christian een foto van haar steelt.
Deze gebeurtenissen worden afgewisseld met herinneringen aan warme, windstille dagen. De zee speelt een cruciale rol: Christian en zijn vader zijn stenenvissers (en net door een ongeluk met die stenen verliest Stella het leven), zij is een knappe zwemkampioene die alle hoofden doet omdraaien.
Lenz creëert een sfeer van weemoed, verlangen en onmogelijkheid. Fijn zijn de motieven: het kussen waarop zij hem uitnodigt, de verlaten hut op het Vogeleiland waar de bloemen aanspoelen na haar begrafenis. Knap dat Lenz met weinig woorden - maar wel de juiste woorden - deze droefheid én blijdschap weet op te wekken.
Deze gebeurtenissen worden afgewisseld met herinneringen aan warme, windstille dagen. De zee speelt een cruciale rol: Christian en zijn vader zijn stenenvissers (en net door een ongeluk met die stenen verliest Stella het leven), zij is een knappe zwemkampioene die alle hoofden doet omdraaien.
Lenz creëert een sfeer van weemoed, verlangen en onmogelijkheid. Fijn zijn de motieven: het kussen waarop zij hem uitnodigt, de verlaten hut op het Vogeleiland waar de bloemen aanspoelen na haar begrafenis. Knap dat Lenz met weinig woorden - maar wel de juiste woorden - deze droefheid én blijdschap weet op te wekken.
February 10, 2018
Ein wundervolles Buch, traurig aber voller Poesie.
December 29, 2020
Lenz drops so many clues in A Minute's Silence/Schweigeminute that the book is not THE story he's after.
There are multiple connections to Orwell, to Animal Farm, and to stories that lie just beneath the surface. So while this book describes the thoughts of a boy during a moment of silence to honor his dead teacher (who also happens to be his illicit lover), I find myself wondering more about Lenz's life--about deeper allusions that might lie there.
In my mind, when I read this story, Lenz speaks through the old radio operator: a World War 2 POW and Anglophile who plays a minor role in his daughter's dalliance with Christian and who oversees her moving burial at sea. This is a novel of loss, written just a few years after the death of Lenz's wife, Liselotte.
Personally, I didn't buy the love story. The teenaged Christian enters eagerly into a sexual affair with his English teacher, Stella, but he learns very little about her. His most profound connection with her fits into one sentence in a foreign tongue on the back of a postcard.
I do understand the loss portrayed in the book, though. It is an elegy for a lost love, for days gone by as well. The north German coast is wonderfully illustrated in the book, as are the livelihoods of many who live there.
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After watching ZDF's truly amazing film, starring Jonas Ney and Julia Koeschitz, I just had to return to the book. which I had given a very-good-but-not-great review in 2014.
The book is a closed look at the tale. It includes all the empathy of a 17-year-old boy (and that's not much) to describe Stella. The grand drama of the book is not in the narrator, who is a relatively shallow boy, but in the grand symbolism and oceanic/tidal depths coursing around him.
But Stella's character is brought to life in the film, thanks to the amazing acting of Julia Koeschitz, who lets us into her confusion, her desire, her shame. I think the viewer falls in love with Stella almost as much as Christian does. And the ending of the movie is far more clever, more ambiguous than the book, too--I had returned to the book primarily to see if the endings were the same. There were, uh, some significant differences.
All in all, this is a tighly-packed, heavy book of a mere 120 pages.
There are multiple connections to Orwell, to Animal Farm, and to stories that lie just beneath the surface. So while this book describes the thoughts of a boy during a moment of silence to honor his dead teacher (who also happens to be his illicit lover), I find myself wondering more about Lenz's life--about deeper allusions that might lie there.
In my mind, when I read this story, Lenz speaks through the old radio operator: a World War 2 POW and Anglophile who plays a minor role in his daughter's dalliance with Christian and who oversees her moving burial at sea. This is a novel of loss, written just a few years after the death of Lenz's wife, Liselotte.
Personally, I didn't buy the love story. The teenaged Christian enters eagerly into a sexual affair with his English teacher, Stella, but he learns very little about her. His most profound connection with her fits into one sentence in a foreign tongue on the back of a postcard.
I do understand the loss portrayed in the book, though. It is an elegy for a lost love, for days gone by as well. The north German coast is wonderfully illustrated in the book, as are the livelihoods of many who live there.
----------------------
After watching ZDF's truly amazing film, starring Jonas Ney and Julia Koeschitz, I just had to return to the book. which I had given a very-good-but-not-great review in 2014.
The book is a closed look at the tale. It includes all the empathy of a 17-year-old boy (and that's not much) to describe Stella. The grand drama of the book is not in the narrator, who is a relatively shallow boy, but in the grand symbolism and oceanic/tidal depths coursing around him.
But Stella's character is brought to life in the film, thanks to the amazing acting of Julia Koeschitz, who lets us into her confusion, her desire, her shame. I think the viewer falls in love with Stella almost as much as Christian does. And the ending of the movie is far more clever, more ambiguous than the book, too--I had returned to the book primarily to see if the endings were the same. There were, uh, some significant differences.
All in all, this is a tighly-packed, heavy book of a mere 120 pages.
February 16, 2021
Nüchtern, aber nicht trocken - sondern einfach schön
"Schweigeminute" von Siegfried Lenz habe ich ohne Kapitelunterteilungen und auch ohne besonders viele Absätze fast in einem Rutsch durchgelesen. Ich bin in die maritim-nordfriesische Stimmung voll und ganz eingetaucht und verfolgte die Liebesgeschichte von Christian und Stella aus Christians Perspektive. Lenz' Stil ist nüchtern, beinahe emotionslos und wortkarg, als würde der Protagonist nur das Geschehene schildern und wiedergeben, nicht wirklich erleben.
Dennoch ist die Sprache bildlich und so werden die Figuren und ihre Umgebung immer lebendiger. Alles in allem hat mir das Buch sehr gut gefallen und glich (wegen der kurzen Lesedauer) einem kurzen Ausflug ans Meer. Ohne viel 'Schnickschack' gibt Christian wieder, was er mit Stella erlebt hat und was er so an ihr liebt - in der Schweigeminute bei ihrer Trauerfeier. Von Anfang an berührend, wie aus Zeit und Raum gerissen und einfach schön zu lesen!
"Schweigeminute" von Siegfried Lenz habe ich ohne Kapitelunterteilungen und auch ohne besonders viele Absätze fast in einem Rutsch durchgelesen. Ich bin in die maritim-nordfriesische Stimmung voll und ganz eingetaucht und verfolgte die Liebesgeschichte von Christian und Stella aus Christians Perspektive. Lenz' Stil ist nüchtern, beinahe emotionslos und wortkarg, als würde der Protagonist nur das Geschehene schildern und wiedergeben, nicht wirklich erleben.
Dennoch ist die Sprache bildlich und so werden die Figuren und ihre Umgebung immer lebendiger. Alles in allem hat mir das Buch sehr gut gefallen und glich (wegen der kurzen Lesedauer) einem kurzen Ausflug ans Meer. Ohne viel 'Schnickschack' gibt Christian wieder, was er mit Stella erlebt hat und was er so an ihr liebt - in der Schweigeminute bei ihrer Trauerfeier. Von Anfang an berührend, wie aus Zeit und Raum gerissen und einfach schön zu lesen!
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