I owe Gerhard Self an apology …. another one.
Gerhard Self is the protagonist in Bernhard Schlink’s crime trilogy and I was supposed to be reading the second one during Judith’s Bernhard Schlink week. Only something got in the way – just like something’s been getting in the way for the 5 years it’s been sitting on my bookshelves. (I wouldn’t mind but I loved the first one.) So what’s the excuse this time?
German Literature Month arrived late October in the UK when Radio 4 chose Summer Lies as a book at bedtime. I don’t usually listen to this because I don’t like abridged versions of anything but I thought listening to some short stories would be therapeutic. Over the course of a week, the BBC broadcast 2 of the longer stories, and they were so good, that I ***had*** to read the rest.
Translated by Carol Brown Janeway
They were absolutely marvellous.
The volume consists of 7 stories and if you, by a supreme act of will, pace yourself at a story per night, it contains a week’s worth of deeply engaging and yes, let’s use the word, blissful reading. Stories of turning points, betrayals (small and large). Male and female protagonists dealing with life’s dilemmas, sometimes triggered by external forces – like meeting a man on the run on a plane trip – or simply by a change in emotional makeup – such as a aged mother discovering that she no longer loves her children.
The characters aren’t necessarily likeable – indeed, they can be downright irritating. (Anne from The Night in Baden-Baden, I’m thinking of you.) But they are human and the psychological profiles are instantly recognisable.
In any collection of short stories, there are usually one or two weaker stories buried somewhere in the middle. Not so here. In fact, the only fault I can find is that the collection is too short. Please, Professor Schlink, I want more.
pleased you had same view as me ,I found some of the females in this book a little annoying but felt he caught so well men in situations we have in middle age ,all the best stu
Wow, having just read Caroline’s review of The Weekend, this couldn’t be more different! It sounds lovely.
I know. It appears Schlink can be somewhat patchy.
After having finsihed The Weekend I thought I will never ver read another Schlink again but you’ve sold me on this one. It sounds really good. Have you alos read his first short story collection Liebesfluchten? I think I’ve got it somewhere.
Have not read Summer Lies yet – will do so soon , but did read Liebesfluchten and loved it; in fact I preferred it to The Reader. Really! I also like Schlink’s crime novels.
Thanks for telling me. I will have to read it one of these days to forget about The Weekend.
Well, that’s two good reviews (yours and Stu’s), so I’m mildly tempted now 🙂
It’s interesting that you pick out Anne as the irritating character from Night in Baden-Baden, because I’d have said the man was more annoying than her…