Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Little Man, What Now? (German title: Kleiner Mann – was nun?) is a novel by Hans Fallada, which although first published in June 1932, is set between 1930 and November 1932. The book was an immediate success in Germany, given its intense descriptions of the harsh life in the years after the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the first years of the Great Depression. The book was also the breakthrough for Fallada as a writer of fiction.

After Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933, Fallada had to make a few changes to the novel that removed anything that showed the Nazis in a bad light: a Sturmabteilung (SA) thug had to be turned into a soccer thug, for example, and the book stayed in print through 1941 after which paper shortages curtailed the printing of novels.

The bookkeeper Johannes Pinneberg and his girlfriend, the sales girl Emma "Lämmchen" Mörschel, marry when they find out that she is two months pregnant. Hardly any time passes until Pinneberg is fired and must find a new job in the middle of the economic crisis. (384 pages)

I remember reading this one a long time ago, recommended to me by a German cousin. It is a moving book about an ordinary little man.

Going to see if I can get this from the library next week.

I will read this sometime this month. I have the Penguin paperback which is the Michael Hoffman translation, a newer translation published in January of 2019.
The other edition, offered on Amazon, is the Susan Bennett translation by Melville House publishers. Little Man, What Now?.

Both appear to be both good translations, so I bought the cheaper edition.

I have started the novel and it is good so far. There are no numbered chapters, but the breaks are indicated by a descriptive note that states what the following section will be about that is reminiscent of chapter headings in 18th and early 19 Century novels.

FINISHED THE BOOK - SPOILERS
As Rosemarie actually describes it, this was "a moving book about an ordinary little man." I very much enjoyed it. Some comments:

1) I went in expecting more political commentary on Nazi Germany, but the Nazis are only briefly involved as a cloud looming over things, and right next to the Communist cloud. The brevity of the political aspects probably enhanced my enjoyment of the book;
2) I was a bit surprised at, and very interested in reading about, the extent of the health care and unemployment benefits available in 1932 Germany; the portrait of Berlin at the time was both well-done and interesting to me;
3) While I at first thought the nudist culture that Heilbutt participates in was an odd inclusion, I got over it by thinking of the Berlin society portrayed in Goodbye to Berlin/I Am a Camera/Cabaret. (just learned the new tidbit that Isherwood named Sally Bowles after the author/composer Paul Bowles);
4) As with Zola's The Ladies' Paradise, I was quite interested in the descriptions of the life of sales clerks in the department stores of the depicted era, especially the clerks interactions with customers and other employees.
5) This is a novel well worth reading.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Brian.

To add a bit more historical info, a lot of the social reforms were brought in by Otto von Bismarck, known as The Iron Chancellor.

Rosemarie wrote: "To add a bit more historical info, a lot of the social reforms were brought in by Otto von Bismarck, known as The Iron Chancellor."

I had no idea that Bismark was progressive enough to bring about in such reforms. I've now read that Bismark brought forth the social programs to preempt the Social Democrats and that the social programs had the added effect of making German life more attractive and resulting in a major decline of emigration to America.

It's embarrassing to say, but albeit being German I read nearly none of our classics (with the exception of the stuff in school). So I'm jumping in here to correct this faux pas a little bit.

I finished it and I'm positively surprised! The style of the "Neue Sachlichkeit" ( sorry, no idea how this is called in English) was so perfect for this kind of narration. It didn't need any embellishment, the clear, blunt prose was very effective.

It was such a bittersweet story about the struggle for dignity and hope. I was especially impressed by "Lämmchen". Her integrity kept everything together for me.

Thank you to this group for bringing this classic to my attention. I already bought the next Fallada book for my TBR list.

I've got this book as well as Every Man Dies Alone, and if i can finish the other 7 Tintin books before the end of the month I can start this one, but still not too sure if that will be possible x

Jazzy wrote: "I've got this book as well as Every Man Dies Alone,..."

That's the one I've bought and intend to read when there is a break in my schedule.

I don't have time to read this one but, like Jazzy and Gabi commented, I have Every Man Dies Alone. Maybe we can add it for next year or do a buddy read? As much as I would like to, I can't keep up with all of these group reads!

Pam, I pick and choose the group reads too. Our threads do stay open for those of us who can't read all the monthly reads.