Get used to this Wednesdays are wunderbar post milarkey. Over the next couple of months the hosts of German literature month will have lots of literary goodness to giveaway thanks to an abundance of willing sponsors. We’re starting the giveaways now to give you the chance to win something and have it delivered in time for the start of November.
One of the highlights of the reading schedule for me will be the group read of Theodor Fontane’s Effi Briest. How so?
1) Caroline and I both think it is criminal Effi Briest is not as well known as Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina (outside the German speaking world, that is). Which is not to say that Effi is cut from the same cloth. She is quite different.
2) Within the German speaking world, Effi’s place at the peak of the literary canon is assured. In 1919 Thomas Mann said that Fontane’s novel belonged among the six most significant novels ever written.
3) Fontane is considered to be Germany’s greatest novelist between Goethe and Thomas Mann and Effi Briest is his masterpiece.
4) I don’t want to give anything away here but don’t let 2) and 3) intimidate you. Effi Briest is a 19th century, realist novel and very, very readable – particularly so in 3 x 100 page sections we have planned.
I do hope you’ll join us. Each week we will email you questions for you to think about. On discussion days bloggers post their thoughts on their own blog; non-bloggers can post in comments on the leading blogpost. Ideally you’ll follow the structure of the distributed questions but if you want to go free-form, we won’t object. We just want as many people as possible to read and enjoy this marvellous novel.
The text can be readily downloaded in the original German or translated into English by William A Cooper.
If, like me, you’ve not yet been converted to e-reading, I have, courtesy of Penguin Classics, 3 giveaway copies of the 1995 translation by Hugh Rorrison and Helen Chambers. Just leave a comment about why you’d like to read this book to enter.
The competition is open worldwide The only condition of entry is that, should you win, you commit to joining in the readalong. Winners will be chosen and announced on Sunday 9.10.2011 and I will post the books airmail next week to ensure they arrive in plenty of time.
Lizzy's Literary Life (Volume One) 
I was in two minds about joining you all for German Lit month only because I don’t know much about German literature. However, I recently finished 2 books translated from German, Alois Hotschnig’s Maybe This Time and Juli Zeh’s Dark Matter and loved them both. I’ve only recently heard of Fontane and am embarrassed that I didn’t know he’s one of Germany’s best loved writers. So please add me to the draw so I can find out why!
enter me pl,ease ,I ve four more to read from library ready all new to me writers ,all the best stu
I definitely plan on joining you for German Literature Month. I’m very excited about it. I’d be delighted to win a copy of Effi Briest because it’s been on my tbr list for a long time. I love Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary, and I’m sure I’ll love Effi as well.
Thanks for the giveaway! I’m not normally a fan of readalongs, but I’ll join if it means a free classic novel. 🙂 I need more non-originally-English books in my library, too.
I’ve got my Hamburger Leseheft edition ready and waiting, so I’ll let someone else go for this 🙂 Can’t wait for the fun to begin!
Please enter my name into the hat, as I will be back to the blog by November and this sounds wonderful.
This is one classic that I have not read but would really like to read. Please enter me, thanks.
I’d love to read this book because I LOVE classic novels, but I haven’t even heard of this one, which intrigues me! I also need a new book to read right now, but I just moved and so I don’t have a library to visit yet =(. I’d love to partake in a readalong because I miss having someone/a class to discuss books with!
Hi Lizzy
Please enter me into the giveaway. I have never heard of Fontane or of Effi Briest. You have sparked my curiosity about the book and I therefore really want to read it. Thanks, Ceri
Please enter me in the draw. I have actually read Effi, but it was years ago when I was a student. I remember that I liked it a lot, but I don’t remember that much, so I’d love to read it again. Thanks, Pia
Hi Lizzy, I’ve signed up via Caroline’s blog so I promise to readalong if I win! Fontane is a name I was aware of but hadn’t thought about reading before, so thanks for broadening the horizon a little. The reasons you list above are pretty strong so I will ceratinly pick up Effi Briest regardless of how the giveaway goes.
I’ve never read Effi Briest but have long heard it’s a book that should be read, The brief summary intrigues me, too, and I want to know what happens to poor Effi.
Please enter me in your giveaway!
Aimala127(at)gmail(dot)com
I think it’s great that you and Caroline organised this. Don’t enter me as I already have this copy, thanks though
Hi Lizzy,
I didn’t know I wanted to read this book until I clicked on this post, but now I really do want to. You are very persuasive!There’s not much I can add to your four points. It just sounds like a book I need to read and talk about as part of your German literature month. Being unable to read electronic copy for more than a few paragraphs, I’d love to win a paper copy!
Thanks
Andrew
Giveaway closed.
German literature is in short supply in my library so I downloaded this to my Kindle* after reading part of the review on ACR and linking to your blog.
I’d like to join the group read.
*What I like best about the Kindle is that it satisfies my impulse book buying habit.
Susanna
Received my copy of Effi Briest today. Thanks so much!!!!!