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Now I have no need to say any more really.
Henner responds as this affair grows it starts to cause Maria problems at home what will she do? How does Henner really feel for Maria? As a goodbye he takes my head in his hands and plants a kiss on my forehead. Then he puts his index finger to his lips. I nod,perhaps not distinctly enough ; i sense that his eyes on my back lack their usual certainty. So I turn and repeat the gesture he was looking for.
But I was sure there would be something in it I would like as Jamie whose previous translation choices I have always enjoyed. I am so pleased I looked past the cover on this one. The book is a reverse of what on the surface you imagine a year-old girl and forty-year man would be and that is the Man seducing the younger girl.
Yes this is a tale of passion ,passion for the wrong man but she sees more in him than maybe Henner sees in himself. Have you a favourite book about romance desire or passion?
Katharina Bielenberg Sep 03, Johannes, a budding photographer, wants go to art college in the city. This is his road, and mine — this much I know — is currently heading in a different direction. Johannes and the future are unknowns. Maria is inexplicably drawn towards Henner and yet she feels guilty for deceiving Johannes and his family, all the more so as they begin to accept her as one of their own.
Krien also weaves the theme of transition into the narrative drawing parallels between different threads in the story. As Maria tries to come to terms with her emotions and decide on a course of action regarding Henner, the world around her is changing too. German reunification is imminent offering the Brendels new opportunities to modernise and expand the farm. But any change can also bring challenges with a real risk that local businesses may fall by the wayside if they struggle to conform to new regulations.
The author does a good job in conveying this state of flux and sense of uncertainty amongst the family.
I liked the measured pace of this novel and the quiet way the story unfolds. This sounds excellent, Jacqui. I needed a different type of book, a change of mood after Transit and My First Wife, and the Krien fitted the bill. Johannes definitely wants to move away to art college the couple take a day trip to West at one point , so he could represent the opportunities opening up in the West.
What a beautiful story!
The narrative style is quite personal, intimate in a way, and the focus on relationships might appeal to you. Hope you manage to get hold of a copy. I am coming to appreciate these character and relationship studies more and more. I think that such slow burn type books are a good thing. It sounds like there may be parallels between the personal and the political in this book.
To be honest, it was just what I needed to read after My First Wife, which was absolutely fascinating but very intense. Caroline and Stu have both reviewed it so you may have seen it there?
I liked the quietly compelling nature of this story, and it was a welcome change of tone for me after the Wassermann. One of the things I like about events like German Lit Month is the flexibility to choose a variety of different books as long as they fit the overall theme. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Dispatched from the UK in 2 business days When will my order arrive?
Home Contact Us Help Free delivery worldwide. Description It is summer , 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.