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HomeShop at BookSurgeJuvenile FictionSocial IssuesGeneral (see also headings under Family)Irrungen Wirrungen, Berliner Roman: Diversions and Entanglements, A Berlin Novel (translation) (English and German Edition) |
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6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
A Delightful 19th Century Romance Nov 28, 2009
By Herbert Rutemiller
This is a new (2009) English translation of a Fontane novel about late 19th century Berlin. The English and original German are side-by-side on each page. Fontane's novels are noted for their realism, so don't expect crisis situations or happy endings.
The situation is a familiar one in literature. A young aristocratic cavalryman, Botho, out for some sexual adventures before settling down, , meets a lovely young commoner, Lenne, and they have an affair. They fall deeply in love. But here the story departs from well-worn paths.
Lenne is a pragmatist. She has no illusions about any permanence in the relationship. She sees the class system as intact and essentally impregnable. So, she enjoys the affair and resigns herself to an imminent ending. It is Botho who is torn by the role expected of him, which is ".Knock it off right now" and marry an appropriately rich young lady, Kathe, selected by his and her parents long ago. His family's financial position is precarious so he is expected to do his duty and marry money. . But the families do not coerce him heavily. It is his decision to make. He marries Kathe early in the novel, and the story is really about the subsequent lives of Botho, Kathe and Lenne. I have a feeling that, if Botho had instead asked Lenne to marry him, Lenne, the level-headed pragmatist, might have turned him down. (with broken heart).
The character development by Fontane is just great, including minor characters - Lenne's foster mother, Frau Nimtsch, and her neighbor friend, and Botho's military friends. You will like and understand these individuals, embedded in a culture where social mobility is virtually impossible. There are really no villains in the novel.
Berlin, ,the capital of the newly formed German empire, and the surrounding environment are described in colorful detail., one of Fontane's strengths.
The translator, Curt Swanson, has some nice surprises for us. You will find explanatory footnotes in the English version on virtually every page, almost like a paper in a technical journal. They are really enjoyable to read. Many refer to the Berlin environment, others to the translation of German expressions. Included with this book is an essay by Swanson on translation problems. As an example, he must deal with the local Berlin dialect spoken by Frau Orr and Frau Nimtsch and the high German spoken by Botho and his social set, somehow letting us know in English which is being spoken.
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