Reviews - Die Wand | The StoryGraph

2.25k reviews for:

Die Wand

Marlen Haushofer

4.05 AVERAGE

patti_pinguin's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lorettalucia's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This is a melancholic and eerie novel that, despite the oppressively lonesome atmosphere, still manages to present moments of affection and beauty.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the unnamed narrator is vacationing in the Alps when something catastrophic happens, creating an invisible wall between herself and the rest of the world. Upon investigation, she discovers that all living creatures on the other side of this wall are petrified, and so she finds herself stranded with just a dog, a feral cat and a cow, and whatever deer are in her alpine forest.

The narrator has to focus on her survival in this brutal environment—as high altitude mountains are not particularly arable. But she also creates extremely close relationships of mutual reliance with her animals. She dotes on her cow, but also relies on her milk for sustenance. The dog is her truest friend, but also keeps on ever watchful eye on her. Like any true family, this unconventional group shares a touching love, as well as caring for each other through the thick and thin. And it’s these relationships that keeps the narrator from falling into true despair.

The writing is beautiful—quite plain and focused on the particulars of the narrator’s small and peculiar world, but also filled with profound insights on life, love, and the relationship humans have with the natural world, which can range anywhere from incredibly destructive to deeply caring.

As other people have mentioned, the novel I Who Have Never Known Me, published in the 1990s appears to be in conversation with this one, published in the 1960s, so I would suggest reading them pretty close in time with each other, which is what I did.

Anyway, excellent novel.

Content Warnings

jacobingle's review against another edition

3.75

dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Started great. Very slow in the middle and repetitive. The ending scene should have been so much longer.

encyclopedia_brittany's review against another edition

3.25

dark reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

garlicbreath's review against another edition

5.0

slow-paced

I expected this book to be boring based on the reviews, and maybe in some ways it was? But I was absolutely consumed by it, the unnamed main character's reflections on life after and before the wall, her new relationships with nature and animals, the way her emotions pass like weather, her ability to survive. There were moments that total surprised me, the ending was unexpected and meaningful. It's a deeply feminist book without being heavy handed, it's entirely unique. I will never forget this book.

zsjinohtna's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not sure what to write about this book. I have complained a fair amount about this book as I read it, but ultimately upon finishing it, I actually kind of loved this book. When I was only at page 80, I wrote an update on Goodreads I can no longer retrace, only complaining about how much repetition it had. And it did. And for a while that got boring and I contemplated not finishing it a couple of times.

I think it had to do with the non-chronological storytelling, which I had to get used to. Of course it made sense why Marlen would use this, but at around page 100 I was just very confused how long the main character had been living in the mountains. Mostly, I was confused why she kept thinking the cow might be pregnant: I thought it had already been over two years and had checked to confirm that cows carry for about nine months.

Anyway. Ultimately, nothing happens in this book and that makes it kind of beautiful. I loved the afterword, as it brought much more depth to the book. Turns out it is a quite empowering, feministic book- I didn't realise such simple stories could be activistic in a way.

Although I am glad I finally finished the book, I already also kind of miss it. At a certain point, after enough repetition and milking of the cows and scything of the hay, a sense of serenity overcame me and I longed to be in those same mountains with nothing to do but take care of the animals around me. The way Marlen portrays the instinct to care for others, and the anxiety that comes with it, was beautiful and I very much recognised myself in it.

Ending was sudden and quick and I didn't think it was necessary to add a new character- But at the same time I was sorta glad the book came to an end.