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anna_hepworth's review against another edition
3.0
This is interesting, and I think if I'd read Stasiland more recently, or been generally more familiar with the histories of both West and East Germany, or the late 70s German art scene, I'd have been fascinated. Ditto, if I'd been more familiar with the stories of bands such as Kraftwerk, which is the one band name mentioned that I actually recognised as real. As it was, I found it incoherent and hard to follow. A bunch of young white fellas who all wear the same clothes becomes an exercise in frustration as I try to develop any kind of empathy for the stories, or even try and work out who is doing what.
I did know enough to be quite confused by the early presentation of one of the characters. Possibly if I'd remembered more about a particular part of West German history, it might have made more sense. Because for a lot of the time, I couldn't work out whether it was some kind of twisted alternate history or just using recognisable names to mess with the reader.
I do wonder, if I'd known nothing about the history that is being referenced, whether it would have worked as a fictional dystopia. Certainly, there are enough dystopia tropes that are true to history that they would work in this context as either.
I did know enough to be quite confused by the early presentation of one of the characters. Possibly if I'd remembered more about a particular part of West German history, it might have made more sense. Because for a lot of the time, I couldn't work out whether it was some kind of twisted alternate history or just using recognisable names to mess with the reader.
I do wonder, if I'd known nothing about the history that is being referenced, whether it would have worked as a fictional dystopia. Certainly, there are enough dystopia tropes that are true to history that they would work in this context as either.
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