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Searching for Alice
Sehnsucht : the yearning for faraway people or places. When Jonathan graduates from university with a degree in literature his father hands him two an alarm clock and the chance to work in the family business. But Jonathan has different plans. Leaving behind his eccentric family and stifling German hometown, he embarks on a hitchhiking adventure through Australia in search of Alice, an exchange student he knew back in school who left mysteriously one night without explanation. This stunning and rich debut novel is a story about coming of age and coming to terms with the past. Searching for Alice explores the lure of the open road and the joys of traversing geographic borders, language barriers, and cultural boundaries.
166 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 13, 2019
This is a great book for travel lovers. The main character, Johnathan, meets so many different people on his journey and Arnds gives the reader a real sense of the places Johnathan visits. The ending was really moving as well. I'd highly recommend this book.
June 3, 2021
Peter Arnds has created wonderful scenic images in a novel of great linguistic beauty and versatility. In my opinion the short excerpts describing the text here on Amazon do not render it full justice.
Inspired since his early youth by Friedrich Gerstäcker's book "Narrative of a Journey Round the World," Jonathan is a young German who embarks on a great journey across Australia shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. But he also wants to find a former friend who disappeared from their school and whose fate he is determined to uncover. Accompanied by great faith in divine benevolence to the point that at times he puts himself at great risk, the introverted Jonathan persistently pushes forward despite all challenges of the road and his ever shrinking shoestring budget.
This book offers us a great palette of stimuli: the journey strings together Germany with Australia, China, Russia by way of the Trans-Siberian Railway; it is a young man's quest of freedom, self-realization, and relief from the perceived constraints of his home, which on the other hand has also given him much support so that he can never quite detach himself from it, as Jonathan is torn between his rejection of Germany and his firm cultural rootedness. He explores cultural differences, encountering a host of quirky but also dangerous characters. The novel teems with humorous episodes and subtle irony, while also delving into various layers of the historical past, building bridges between German and Australian history.
Above all, however, the author has succeeded in creating a wonderful novel about a young man realizing his dreams and pursuing his belief in great love.
Perhaps as a note to the reader who may not be so well versed in the literary landscape: in some places references to other writers and their works appear. But in the age of Google this should not pose a problem; you will learn a great deal from this text which in line with Horace's ideals for the work of art entertains while also being instructive.
Inspired since his early youth by Friedrich Gerstäcker's book "Narrative of a Journey Round the World," Jonathan is a young German who embarks on a great journey across Australia shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. But he also wants to find a former friend who disappeared from their school and whose fate he is determined to uncover. Accompanied by great faith in divine benevolence to the point that at times he puts himself at great risk, the introverted Jonathan persistently pushes forward despite all challenges of the road and his ever shrinking shoestring budget.
This book offers us a great palette of stimuli: the journey strings together Germany with Australia, China, Russia by way of the Trans-Siberian Railway; it is a young man's quest of freedom, self-realization, and relief from the perceived constraints of his home, which on the other hand has also given him much support so that he can never quite detach himself from it, as Jonathan is torn between his rejection of Germany and his firm cultural rootedness. He explores cultural differences, encountering a host of quirky but also dangerous characters. The novel teems with humorous episodes and subtle irony, while also delving into various layers of the historical past, building bridges between German and Australian history.
Above all, however, the author has succeeded in creating a wonderful novel about a young man realizing his dreams and pursuing his belief in great love.
Perhaps as a note to the reader who may not be so well versed in the literary landscape: in some places references to other writers and their works appear. But in the age of Google this should not pose a problem; you will learn a great deal from this text which in line with Horace's ideals for the work of art entertains while also being instructive.
May 17, 2019
Exciting, emotional and great book
I love Peter Arnds' book. The story is exciting and emotional. The protagonist Jonathan is searching for his love Alice and has a lot of very special adventures in Australia, China, Russia and Germany. I felt very moved about the end of the book. I highly recommend this book. Thank you very much Peter for a beautiful book. It was extremely enjoyable reading it. And I love the writing style. Manolo Link, Author.
I love Peter Arnds' book. The story is exciting and emotional. The protagonist Jonathan is searching for his love Alice and has a lot of very special adventures in Australia, China, Russia and Germany. I felt very moved about the end of the book. I highly recommend this book. Thank you very much Peter for a beautiful book. It was extremely enjoyable reading it. And I love the writing style. Manolo Link, Author.
November 25, 2020
I especially enjoyed this book, as I was traveling when I read it. The author's knowledge of travel and sense of place give great depth and breadth to this story. The characters are fun; it is a lovely romp through great distances and cultures. Highly recommend.
March 14, 2019
Liked it! A surprising hiking, backpacking journey through outback Australia and then on through China, Russia and other hard places. The basic plot was gentle and interesting.
August 8, 2019
I have just read Searching for Alice. Great novel! Travelling through the meanders of Jonathan's mind from Australia up to Yangshuo then back to Hanover made me wish I could see all these places. Yet, paradoxically, the book took me there so vividly that it also spared me the need to do the actual trip. This novel is both untertaining and thoughtful. Aber warum ist Manfred rothaarig?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews