Synopses & Reviews
If there is one city that captures the tragedy and euphoria of the twentieth century, it is Berlin. The scene of socialist revolution and Nazi oppression, invaded and occupied, divided and blockaded, it rose again after German reunification to become a thriving global cultural center. Not surprisingly, Berlin has been home to some of the finest writers in any language, who have rooted their tales in the nooks and neighborhoods of this fascinating place. In Berlin Tales, translator Lyn Marven and editor Helen Constantine offer a collection that reveals the literary brilliance and urban richness found in Berlin over the decades. The stories are grouped together by district--from the Jewish Mitte to Turkish Kreuzberg, from Alexanderplatz to individual streets--and layered on top of each other historically, providing a narrative palimpsest that tells us much about the city and its writers. The city's image, meaning, and appeal to immigrants and tourists find full expression here, in this remarkable array of work from across the decades.
Review
"Poignant, and highly reccommended." --Midwest Book Review
About the Author
Helen Constantine is editor of the magazine
Modern Poetry in Translation.Lyn Marven is a lecturer in German at the University of Liverpool.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. 'Aus dem Fenster gesehen' (Seen From the Window), Siegfried Kracauer
2. 'Östlich um den Alexanderplatz' (East of Alexanderplatz), Alfred Döblin
3. excerpt from 'Spazieren in Berlin' (A Flaneur in Berlin), Franz Hessel
4. 'Berlin, November 1947', Max Frisch
5. 'Berliner Stadtbahn' (Berlin S-Bahn), Uwe Johnson
6. 'Alltägliche Geschichte einer Berliner Straße' (Everyday Story of a Berlin Street), Günter Kunert
7. 'Berlin, Große Hamburger' (Große Hamburger Street), Günter de Bruyn
8. 'Geburtsort Berlin' (Place of Birth: Berlin), Monika Maron
9. 'Mein Berlin' (My Berlin), Emine Sevgi Özdamar
10. 'Sommerzeit' (Summertime), Durs Grünbein
11. 'Besetzer' (Squatters), Inka Bach
12. 'Rest Esplanade' (The Remains of the Hotel Esplanade), Annett Gröschner
13. 'Das Herz der Republik' (The Heart of the Republic), Fridolin Schley
14. 'Berlin ist mein Paris' (Berlin is my Paris), Carmen Francesca Banciu
15. 'fraktionen' (factions), Katrin Röggla
16. 'Stadtführer Berlin' (Berlin Guide), Wladimir Kaminer
17. 'Gina Regina', Ulrike Draesner