10 Classic Books from the GERMAN Canon
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- In this video we look at 10 Classic books from the German literary canon.
Among these classic books are a couple of well known works but also some much lesser known classic novels.
Which works from the Austro-German literature canon have you read that you would recommend?
0:00 Intro
0:49 Rock Crystal
4:05 Steppenwolf
7:11 Berlin Alexanderplatz
10:22 Michael Kohlhaas
14:00 Effi Briest
19:37 Radetzky March
24:33 Alone in Berlin
28:41 Lichtenstein
32:12 The Dykemaster
35:56 Elective Affinities
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Thanks so much for caring about German literature! I loved Steppenwolf, his disillusionment with the world, his longing for something purer, higher. Hesse's language is exquisite. This was a minor cult classic during the Hippie era. I found Alone in Berlin mind-blowing. It's so intense, bleak and understated. The moral integrity of the main characters placed against the immorality of the Nazi regime is very powerful. I'm looking forward to reading the others on your list.
The very first book that had a deep impact on me, the one that shook me to the bone was Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. We read it in German class (I’m German) and there are this three words “Nur für Ver-rückte”.
The literal translation means “only for crazy people” but that’s not all. Verrücken is also a verb and it means that you move something from one place to another. Heavy stuff leaves imprints on the floor. And sometimes you can’t move it back to its original place.
It’s the motif, the theme of the book. The narrator is someone who feels disconnected from society. And just like that, teenage me with all of my teenage angst felt understood. Apparently someone had written a book about my feelings. I was one of those Ver-rückte. The narrator meets people who help him understand what’s missing in his life.
I adore this book. It gave me so much hope. It’s been the starting point of my journey into reading modern classics.
Agree. Adore it as well. Speaks to the wondrous complexity of human identity.
This list is interesting... quite different from a lot of these lists that you see online.
Two notes about Theodor Storm. He was not part of "Sturm und Drang", in fact, he was born about 40 years after that movement ended. We in Germany tend to view it as its own literary genre, but in general, it is seen as part of early German Romanticism. Storm is one of the most famous authors of German Realism.
"The Dykemaster" is, in fact, "The Rider on the White Horse" The translator Denis Jackson chose to change the title for his translartion. because, while "The Rider on the White Horse" comes clioser to the original title "Der Schimmelreiter", he sawit as incorrect, since in English, the real equivalent to a "Schimmel" would be a grey. Also, he wanted a totle that retained the force of the original title and the focus on the protagonist, so he needed a strong compound word.
The practice of putting a living creature into a newly built dyke is indeed an old superstition and not invented by Storm. The story is set in the middle of the 18th century and (at least in this respect) represents the conflict between old believes and Enlightenment.
Thank you for this excellent information. I really appreciate it.
Hey Tristan, I've just discovered your channel and I'm enjoying going through your vids. You've become my reference for classic novels and I've added so many to my list. Keep up the great work!
Oh thank you so much for sharing this list. I’m starting my list for next year and I will definitely add some of these. The read along sounds great!
You are welcome Peggy. Isn't planning your reading list such an exciting yhing😀 Will keep you posted on the readalong.
Herlick! What a joy your channel is. Thank you for all of your recommendations.
Wilhelm Hauff is one of my favorite authors. I adore Das Wirtshaus im Spessart (The Spessart Inn) which is the story of two young guys traveling through the Spessart woods which are known to be full of robbers. When it gets dark they decide to spend the night at an inn. Here they meet other travelers for example a baroness. The innkeeper is a bad guy and the robbers appear too.
One of the young guys switches clothes with the baroness and is kidnapped by the robbers.
You have to read it !! It’s so good !!
The Dykemaster and Michael Kohlhaas are must reads for German students at school.
Hans Fallada is a well known German author. I highly recommend Iron Gustav, The Drinker, Little Man What Now, Every Man Dies Alone and his 1944 prison diary A Stranger in my Own Country
"Alone in Berlin" is an alternative English title for "Every Man Dies Alone" - same book. (I'm about two-thirds of the way through the German version - a gripping story, and not too difficult to read). Thanks for the Hauff recommendation - I'll have to find that one too.
Fun Fact: Berlin Alexanderplatz was one of David Bowie's favorite books.
Great vid, hadn't heard of most of these and the audio seems improved as well! BA is on my to-read list for next year.
Oh what a novel piece of tricia. Thanks for that. Pleased the audio is better. I'm looking forward to reading BA too.
Very good selection! I loved Effie Briest and The Dykemaster.
Always lovely listening to your reviews, I have a line up of books to read because of these reviews, Well done keep going
Thank you 😊 so many books so little time.
Cool list. I kind of started my journey in literature with the Germans so you're talking about a lot of my favourite reads. Some of my other favourites so far have been Robert Walser (big influence on Coetzee who also wrote an essay on Kohlaas), Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth, Irmguard Keun, WG Sebald (for a more modern writer) and Hans Fallada (I haven't read Alone in Berlin but Little Man, What Now and The Drinker have been good). Lots of 'new objectivity' writers I guess. I hear Hofmanstaal is also interesting, as is Musil. Reading The Tin Drum at the moment which has been mind altering. Need to read Doblin on Grass' recommendation. Weird you hear so little about these writers on CZcams - they were massive in my grandparents' day from what I'm told. Especially Mann and Hesse.
Thanks for this. Some great recommendations. 👍
Interesting is definitely a good word for Hofmanstaal
What a wonderful recommendation. We’re only recently learning more about German writing as we explore the “A Very German Christmas” and will have to look more into this list. NYRB publications are always hidden gems.
Oh brilliant. Thanks for the recommendation of NYRB.😀👍
In my book club we just finished reading Kassandra by Christa Wolf. It's supposed to be her best-known work. Those who had already read it when it came out (in the 70s) loved it, as it reflected the political climate of the time. The rest of us found it very hard to follow.
Great overview! I haven't heard of some of these. I know of Steppenwolf. I also enjoy Thomas Mann's work like The Magic Mountain or Death in Venice. It would be cool to do this for different countries! :)
Hey Chris! Thomas Mann is one of the giants of lit. As for doing this with other countries, I think that would be a rather fun and engaging project.😀👍
I was intrigued by this title. J just watched the first book in the list, Rock Crystal and paused so j don't end up wanting to read all of them 😊 This sounds great for a Christmas Eve read.
Good morning Tristan, I only just discovered your channel and love it. Thank you for your views and recommendations. What made me laugh is that in the film ‘a knight’s tale’ they ask the pretend knight what his name is and he says: ‘Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein’. Clearly the author of that movie script had read this book! Thank you for enlightening me! Hope to see many more videos from you in the future! Have a lovely day, Heidi ps I would love to read Radetzki March with you!
Hey, Heidi so great to see your comment. I noticed the upright von lichtenstein too😁👍
Would love to have you in the readalong. I just need to work out how to do it now.
Tristan!! This is wild! We JUST finished reading Stifter's Motley Stones and we analyzed Rock Crystal last week. We should compare notes!
Awesome! I'll check it out later. Sorry not to be in touch for a while. Hope you guys are doing well
Just a short note to Elfi Briest: did you know that Krampus is another world for 😈 Devil? Children in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were often frightened by the fact that if they don't behave the Krampus will take them away. ( I was being originally from Hungary.)
istg my hometown still does krampus parades on december 5th and the costumes are horrifying 😭
His name is Crampas, not Krampus. 😉
@@Gaby_S6581 He's Krampus all over Austria and Bavaria. Is Crampas a Hungarian (or other) spelling? Anyway, if you get a chance to go to a Krampuslauf in Austria, don't miss it!
@@gscott5062 What I tried to say is: In the book the name of Effie Briest‘s lover is „von Crampas“ and has nothing to do with the legendary Krampus you all are speaking of. Crampas in the book is just a name like Miller or Smith. Many greetings and thank you for the tip. 😊
@@Gaby_S6581 Thanks for clearing that up! I was a bit confused by the auto-generated subtitles that actually spelled his name as Krampus. As a north German, Fontane probably wouldn't have included even a passing allusion to the Krampus. (I've never read anything by Fontane but maybe I should add him to my list.)
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First of all, I would like to say that, as an Austrian, I was very happy to see this video. However, "The Dykemaster" confused me a little. I think "The Rider of the white Horse" and "The Dykemaster" are just two different translations for the title "Der Schimmelreiter"
It would be great if you make a video about spanish literature
fWIW "Briest" should rhyme with "beast", but you prononounced Kohlhaas perfectly fine ;) All Kleist novellas can be recommended. Kohlhaas is the most elaborate but they are almost all rather dark (violence and sex) and fast paced (Kleist's style can be breathless in German, with sentences over half a page or more). Fallada has the stress usually on the first syllable (it's a pseudonym), I read that book (and several others of his as a teenager many years ago).
Yes yes yes to the review of “Madame Bovary” please please Tristan!
What an interesting choice of books! I'm especially surprised at Lichtenstein. Hauff writes in a wonderful language and is a treat to read. Lichtenstein is a very romantic hero story but gets, in the second half, rather too heroic for modern ears, I find. Still, Hauff is worth reading for his language. Certainly the fairy tale cycles. He also wrote a novel "Satan's memoirs" which I've never read.
Storm, too, is fantastic!
I listened to Alexander Platz and am happy I did not quit after a few chapters... it was worth waiting for the satisfying ending 😊.
Any fans of Curb My Enthusiasm would recognize Lichtenstein as a spite book.
Wow, this is embarrassing; I’ve only heard of four of these, and read none! I’ve got some catching up to do.
And yes, please: a review of Madame Bovary. And I’d love a read-along of The Radetsky March; it sounds like a good one.
So we are in the same boat then Gail😀 Have to get into the Radetzky March soon.
Read Steppenwolf and Siddhartha in the long ago like every other college student. Read some Thomas Mann, liked Death in Venice, Buddenbrooks not so much and some Goethe and that is sbout it for me. Wait, I suppose Erich Maria Remarque and Kafka may qualify? Alone in Berlin sounds interesting. Lots that I have never heard of before this video. Radetzsky Waltz sounds familiar was it by any chance made into a television series or movie? I know I have read some other German authors, did a brief cruise of the shelves but must not have kept the books.
Some great books here!!! I want to read Remarque, maybe alongside Robert Graves and Ernest Junger.
It's sad how many books are no longer on the shelves that we once read and enjoyed.
I have never heard of these novels, in fact I have never read any German classics. Thanks for the recommendation. They all sound interesting.
I would like a readalong and also a review of Madam Bovary.
Thanks for sharing ☺️
Hi Charmaine pleased these recommendations were of interest to you. I'll keep you posted on the readalong. Will definitely do a Madame Bovary review.😀👍
Read Stefan Zweig, "chess", "amok", anything of Stefan Zweig (my favourite author of all time) , is good. Also give Berthold Brecht a chance "The good person of Szechwan" " Mother courage and her children", so many good authors, so little time. 🙂
Thank you so much for these recommendations 😃👍
No Gunter Grass? I'm shocked! NYRB Classics released a pretty edition of Berlin Alexanderplatz a couple years ago, possibly a new translation? And interesting ... Steppenwolf must be more famous here in the States. I feel I was assigned it in both high school and college. I'm sure I wrote papers on it in each ... but don't believe I read it in either!
The Tin Drum was almost on the list! I hope that can soften the shock somewhat.
NYRB seem to do a number of very good looking books. Steppenwolf is definitely not on the British radar, per se.
I’d love a Madame Bovary review!
Splendid, I shall do one then😀👍
@@tristanandtheclassics6538I want one of anna karenina and have u thought about the spanish anna karenina La Regenta by Leopoldo Alas Clarin.
I haven't heard of the book by Adalbert Stifter so far. I will definitely going to read it.
I have already read Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse (it is sort of about drug use and the spiritual travel), read half through the Glasperlenspiel (glass-bead game) but didn't liked it that much. Want to read Goldmund und Narziss by Hesse.
I can recommend "The Bird is a Raven" (Der Vogel ist ein Rabe) by Benjamin Lebert. Short and with a twist. Not really a classic so far.
Grimms Fairytales should be read by everyone. The most amazing classic story collection.
Effie Briest (as Madame Bouvary I guess) I think should not be considered must read novels anymore. Books about woman life written by men don't show a realistic or feminist point of female life. Fontane just likes it to be cruel to his protagonist, I think he must have been quite misogyn.
I know you got through the Radetzkymarsch. Have you ever heard the music?
Theodor Sturms stories are amazing. You should read all of his stuff. He has a very gripping writing style.
Goethes Werther is beautiful. His drama Faust is great. Elective Affinities I haven't read so far.
Some short classics that I liked so far: Kambambuli by Maria von Ebner Eschenbach; E.T.A. Hoffmans works, Die Physiker (The Physicists) by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Medea by Christa Wolf, Der arme Spielmann (The Poor Musician) by Franz Grillparzer, Everything by Franz Kafka,
I am from Austria by the way. :)
Kafka was very fond of "Michael Kohlhaas".
I read steppenwolf at 16 and even then I found it adolescent, same as Damian.
Thanks for this insight Jimena. 👍
To my disappointment Stifter's "Rock Crystal" hasn't been translated into Polish. I think I'm gonna read it in English because I'm intrigued!
Isn't it the worst when you cannot get a book you really like the sound of?😀👍
youre delightful
I've read most of them (or at least, in the case of Theodor Storm, other books). Haven't read Radetzkymarsch yet, but it's high on my list. Effie Briest is SO MUCH BETTER than Madame Bovary.
Oh I hated Madame Bovary, but for different reasons--mainly, Flaubert doesn't write Emma very sympathetically, and he acts as though the issue is simply Emma's selfishness. However, she is completely disconnected from society, left without a vocation or a meaningful contribution to society, without a friend to face the cold, cruel world. It is like saying that alcoholics just merely need to stop drinking. However, it isn't that easy or simple. Often, the drinking is a coping mechanism for the animal that lives inside the alcoholic, a wounded animal, screaming in pain, and the alcohol causes that voice to be turned down just a bit, making life a bit more tolerable. That's why it isn't as easy as "just stop drinking" because the person has to learn to live with the animal. Emma has the animal of loneliness, and she is trying various coping mechanisms to deal with it. It is such an incredibly important topic especially in this age, but Flaubert didn't get it.
Really like your thoughts on this. 😀❤️
Probably didnt get it because flaubert didnt live in the 21st century. Its like going back to the first american settlers and saying ypu know enslaving other human beings is not cool. People live mostly to a sociatal moral compass we do say act because everyobe around us also does the same. Flaubert as tolstoy cared enough about their female counterparts so much that they dedicated huge novels to them. They were novelist not self help gurus and they described their world around them even trying from a females perspective saying just that hey society not all women are super happy with their roles in life voila my novel.
But I'm wondering where Friedrich Schiller is on your list. Schiller is the greatest of them all!!
Schiller was mostly a playwright; he also wrote poems (and some historical/philosophical treatises/essays) but no full scale novel and only a few novellas, I believe.
@@bartolo498 To be a bit ironic here: no way😲
You have no sympathy for Madame bovary?... Well, that's, unfortunate. She's trapped in an unhappy, unsatisfying life with no way out, given her very limited options as a woman of her time. She does loose her grip on reality in the last third of the book, but the way I saw it, that was because she just couldn't cope with her hopeless situation.
"Emma could have changed her life quite easily". Not gonna lie, hat enraged me a bit 😄. How exactly?? By leaving town and getting a job? Women didn't work back then. They couldn't get jobs.