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A review by caerrie
Über das Verbrennen von Büchern by Erich Kästner
5.0
I think Kästner is the perfect voice on this topic. He's honest, but he doesn't draw the focus on himself when it doesn't fall there naturally. He takes open stances without preaching. He's irreverent without making light of the situation. He gives these historic moments the gravity they call for without losing the sense that it was all real, and everyone involved was a real, fallible human. He can make you shiver and cry and scoff at the idiocy of it all, all in one short essay.
And he gives concise, crystal-clear, beautifully phrased advice that should be framed on the walls of schools and parliaments.
Kästner is underrated and this book is massively underrated and it should be mandatory reading. It's so short, there is no excuse not to read it!
"Man darf nicht warten, bis aus dem Schneeball eine Lawine geworden ist. Man muss den rollenden Schneeball zertreten. Die Lawine hält keiner mehr auf. Sie ruht erst, wenn sie alles unter sich begraben hat."
And he gives concise, crystal-clear, beautifully phrased advice that should be framed on the walls of schools and parliaments.
Kästner is underrated and this book is massively underrated and it should be mandatory reading. It's so short, there is no excuse not to read it!
"Man darf nicht warten, bis aus dem Schneeball eine Lawine geworden ist. Man muss den rollenden Schneeball zertreten. Die Lawine hält keiner mehr auf. Sie ruht erst, wenn sie alles unter sich begraben hat."