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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
May 2019 NYRB Selection
Look at that cover. What’s not to love?
And then you have lines like this, “I looked at the two herrings, the two herrings looked a me, and none of us said anything” (25).
On one level the story is about a man and his lover going on vacation to Sweden. One the other hand is it that or the story the character wrote about two people going on vacation.
Then it is also a story of saving a child from an ogre.
There is humor in this story, this fairy tale about a tale. The names that are assigned to various kings are amusing. There is Adolphus the Unshaven, for instance.
There are comments about gender, “. . . you women take what you do seriously -that’s your undeniable advantage over the rest of us” (68).
It is strange reading this book so shortly after reading a Calvino work because there is still a strange sense of otherworldliness, of not quite knowing what it is going.
But that is also vacation.
The story is almost two because there is the child who becomes the child that the vacationing couple could have and therefore must rescue. It makes an interesting if weird little quest. It is almost like you are entering the picture on the cover, a weird castle and forest where almost anything goes.
But not quite.
It is a lovely read however.
Look at that cover. What’s not to love?
And then you have lines like this, “I looked at the two herrings, the two herrings looked a me, and none of us said anything” (25).
On one level the story is about a man and his lover going on vacation to Sweden. One the other hand is it that or the story the character wrote about two people going on vacation.
Then it is also a story of saving a child from an ogre.
There is humor in this story, this fairy tale about a tale. The names that are assigned to various kings are amusing. There is Adolphus the Unshaven, for instance.
There are comments about gender, “. . . you women take what you do seriously -that’s your undeniable advantage over the rest of us” (68).
It is strange reading this book so shortly after reading a Calvino work because there is still a strange sense of otherworldliness, of not quite knowing what it is going.
But that is also vacation.
The story is almost two because there is the child who becomes the child that the vacationing couple could have and therefore must rescue. It makes an interesting if weird little quest. It is almost like you are entering the picture on the cover, a weird castle and forest where almost anything goes.
But not quite.
It is a lovely read however.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Eine schöne, leichte Sommerlektüre die Lust auf Urlaub im sommerlichen Schweden macht. Es gab leider zwei, drei Kleinigkeiten die mich doch etwas gestört haben aber ansonsten lässt es sich wirklich gut lesen. Und die Illustrationen von Hans Traxler sind wunderbar anzusehen.
I doubt that I'll manage to write a proper full review, so let's me try to sum it up really quickly: such a wonder-wonder-wonderfull book! So much love, so much friendship ("Freundschaft, das ist wie Heimat." -- "Friendship, this is like home."), such wonderful characters, such a perfect, light language (I guess it makes this book not translatable, sadly), such an incredibly light, happy tone. Light, but not shallow. Oh, not shallow at all. And some incredible surprises for a book written in the 1931.
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nach dieser kurzen Geschichte scheint klar, dass Tucholsky noch zu kompliziert für mich ist.
Dopo questo breve racconto mi sembra chiaro che Tucholsky resta per me ancora troppo complicato.
Dopo questo breve racconto mi sembra chiaro che Tucholsky resta per me ancora troppo complicato.