The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

It is time to start thinking about what we wnat to read in July. For July we will do something a little different. For July we will be focusing on a German work of literature. I think there is a lot of good interesting literature from Germany within our time period which hasn't been much explored.

So please nominate the work by a German author that you would like to read.


Deadline June 8th

I would like to nominate Effi Briest

Don't forget the time period ends in 1910.

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann.

Or Effi Briest or Faust

I am going to with Beneath the Wheel

oh noooes. flashbacks to tortured prepubescence with that one :D

Thomas Mann is the author of my favorite pre-WWII 20th century European novel (an era which has some stern competition for top spot). Really my favorite European novel, for all intents & purposes. 'Magic Mountain'. It takes a lot to be #1 in my ranks, but he did it.

Feliks wrote: "oh noooes. flashbacks to tortured prepubescence with that one :D"

I love Hesse

I second Buddenbrooks

that's a mighty long book as I recall..?

Around seven hundred pages, depending on edition.

Well, I will admire you all greatly should you choose it.

I'd like to nominate ETA Hoffman's The Devil's Elixirs.

Now that's a cool choice.
I've been interested in reading more from Hoffman, as I realize more of his influence.

I myself have settled on my selection:
'Before the Storm' (1878) by Theodor Fontane.

I will delete my earlier posts in this thread to avoid confusion.

The sorrows Of young Werther by Goethe for me.

What about Die Judenbuche, a murder mystery by an 19thC female German author, Annette von Droste?

From Wikipedia: 'Die Judenbuche (The Jew's Beech) is a novella written by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and first published in 1842. It has been considered as potentially one of the first murder mysteries and is indeed often viewed as a crime thriller or Gothic fiction.....The story is based on a real-life 18th-century report provided by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's uncle, the agronomist and writer August von Haxthausen. The events take place in the village of B. (Dorf B.) in the Westphalian mountains, which represents Bellersen in the former Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn, today part of the town of Brakel. The plot reflects the conditions of anarchy, bigotry, and antisemitism in a microstate's society of the disintegrating Holy Roman Empire.'

MadgeUK wrote: "What about Die Judenbuche, a murder mystery by an 19thC female German author, Annette von Droste?

From Wikipedia: 'It has been considered as potentially one of the first murder mysteries ..."

That's really interesting, as Hoffman, whose The Devil's Elixirs I nominated, is also often said to have written one of the first mystery stories, back in 1819. From Wikipedia's "Mystery Fiction" entry: "An early work of modern mystery fiction, Das Fräulein von Scuderi by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1819), was an influence on The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe (1841)...."

The novel I nominated, though, is a trippy, almost psychedelic romp with an unreliable, probably insane narrator.

Hippystick wrote: "The sorrows Of young Werther by Goethe for me."

If it's chosen, will it result in mass suicides by the members of RR? [g]

Johanna wrote: "I second Buddenbrooks"

It's been on my TBR shelf for a long time, but if it's chosen, it'll stay on the shelf unless we are allowed longer than a month to read it.

Is there a protocol for extending the period allowed for a book? It is a big book...

Everyman wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I second Buddenbrooks"

It's been on my TBR shelf for a long time, but if it's chosen, it'll stay on the shelf unless we are allowed longer than a month to read it."

Johanna wrote: "Is there a protocol for extending the period allowed for a book? It is a big book...

Everyman wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I second Buddenbrooks"

It's been on my TBR shelf for a long time, but if it'..."

Yes, we have done it before. Most books are a month read but size of a particular is taken into consideration.

Buddenbrooks for a long one
Death in Venice for a quick but disturbing one
The Sorrows of Young Werther
Is All Quiet on the Western Front too recent?
What about some Kafka?

Wonderful! Let's give it a shot then and see what happens...
Silver wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Is there a protocol for extending the period allowed for a book? It is a big book...

Everyman wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I second Buddenbrooks"

It's been on my TBR shelf for a long ..."

Sharon wrote: "Buddenbrooks for a long one
Death in Venice for a quick but disturbing one
The Sorrows of Young Werther
Is All Quiet on the Western Front too recent?
What about some Kafka?"

Our timeline only goes to 1910.

The poll is now open for July's book. Plese only vote if you intend to read the book of your choice.

Where are all the voters? There were 52 voters for the June book. Only 16 for the July book, and the winner had only 4 votes. That doesn't auger well for a robust discussion. Why the huge dropoff?

Another suggestion -- this forum is way down the discussions list, unfindable by anybody who is perusing the threads since it comes below the archives, and one wouldn't normally expect an active forum to come below the archives. Can one of the moderators move this forum higher up so it's more easily findable by browsers?

Not sure whether that made any difference for the low numbers in the July poll, or whether there just isn't much interest in German books, but it couldn't hurt to have it more visible.

Everyman wrote: "Another suggestion -- this forum is way down the discussions list, unfindable by anybody who is perusing the threads since it comes below the archives, and one wouldn't normally expect an active fo..."

When the nomination/poll was open it was at the top, I only dropped it back down once the poll was closed and book chosen.

The "Classics" group is reading the same book as their quarterly read... Maybe this is another reason?

I'm sure more people will join in down the road once discussions begin ;)

Looking forward to starting this. Read it many moons ago in German when I was a student. I still have the copy I used but also ordered it from my local library. Wish I could dig out my notes from the attic! I found it fascinating. Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did.

Ami wrote: "The "Classics" group is reading the same book as their quarterly read... Maybe this is another reason?)"

Which classics group? There are several. Classics and the Western Canon isn't reading it -- it's reading T.S. Eliot at the moment, to be followed by Faust. No Buddenbrooks in sight! (Though we did do the Magic Mountain a year or two ago.)

Everyman wrote: "Ami wrote: "The "Classics" group is reading the same book as their quarterly read... Maybe this is another reason?)"

Which classics group? There are several. Classics and the Western Canon isn't r..."

Everyman, I am mistaken. The group I was referring to (Catching up with Classics) is actually reading "Don Quixote" as their quarterly read, "Buddenbrooks" was a nomination there too...I was under the impression it won the poll. I'm sorry.

Marie wrote: " Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann. "

I am reading "Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family" now -- I love it. Sooo good. Characters, pacing, vivid descriptions, bits of sly humor, realistic plots, all bringing the 1800s ~To Life.~

Thank you for nominating it! I got "Death in Venice" today, I will read that when I'm done. May also re-read "The Magnificent Ambersons" to compare the literary decline of another (American) family.

I don't know why there was a drop off in the numbers in the summer -- I can see from the discussion that not many people read the selection. I want to encourage everyone* to read Buddenbrooks. It is excellent!

*everyone as in Readers Review 1800-1910 members, not everyone on the planet. ;->
We all are here because we enjoy classics and history? So I do not hesitate in recommending it to you all.