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Friday, June 19, 2009
Wetlands (Feuchtgebiete)
A reader asked about "Wetlands", which is a translation of the German novel Feuchtgebiete, a bestseller in Germany when I was there the last time. I can't really contribute to a discussion as I haven't read the book except for the first few pages (in a bookstore)--so, it's up to readers to take the lead in this.
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Hi Ulrich, I was just reading a review of Charlotte Roche's book "Wetlands," which was described as a literary sensation in Germany akin to the one once caused by the famed "Story of O." Do you know if it was a big deal in Germany and is it unusual for a German woman to write a novel that is labeled pornographic. In the U.S. currently, women writing explicitly about sex is no longer a big deal, although it once was as I am sure Erica Jong would attest. This may be a curve ball because you live in the States, but I thought you might have heard something about it in one of your visits.
@Heika: An interesting, timely topic--thx! I wish I had more to say...
The first few pages I read deal graphically with hemorrhoids, a topic I'm not that interested in, and so, I didn't read on, let alone buy the book.
I remember from reading reviews a year or two ago that Feuchtgebiete didn't sound like pornography to me--shouldn't that be titillating? Rather, the more positively inclined reviewers treated it as a protest against unreasonable expectations/demands when it comes to female hygiene.
I wish I knew more about the current literary scene in Germany to be able to tell if it is an exception, part of a trend, or, possibly, the originator of a trend: Given its success, one almost has to expect that there will be followers.
@Ulrich: I haven't read this book but I have read about it. It's a rather shock-jock kind of book about crevices, the physical kind. I'll look at it again when I'm in Holland in August.
@mac: I also get the impression that the in-your-face or shock approach is what the author was after. I can see how people may get a kick out of it--or may be too intimidated to protest--'nuff said--I just don't know enough.
@Ulrich: when I lived in Hamburg the most popular book was "Salz auf unserer Haut" by Groult. It was actually pretty good. It was translated into many languages and did well.
@Heika, Mac, Ulrich,
I was away for a while and so I'm quite late to dock on that thread.
'Feuchtgebiete'was a sales success and initiated mixed reactions and controversial discussions. I don't see it as a piece of erotic literature as some customers might have expected as incentive to buy the book, but as a description of the authors mental state.Charlotte Roche hides the vulnerability of her little soul behind a harsh,obscene and saucy language.Traumatised as a child, divorce of her parents, loss of her youngher brothers in a car accident caused by her mother- it seems that she wanted to punish her. As followers we have Sarah Kuttner and Maria Sveland(Sweden), the same peer group. All in their late twenties or early thirties, all worked for Pop TV Stations like MTW or the german equivalent VIVA.
Sarah Kuttners 'Mängelexemplar'begins : a depression is a f...... event, depression as existential orientation.
Maria Sveland writes desillusioned about the myth of equal opportunity and the failure of our gender politics. This book published 2007 in Sweden under the title 'bitterflittan' came out in Germany in spring 09 as 'bitterfotze' and causes socialcritical
discussion. The title is a slangword I'm not going to translate into english, because it's likely not to pass through the filters.
..the myth of equal opportunity and incompability with the joy of motherhood..
@Mick and anonymous: Thanks for the update--we finally have something more substantive to contemplate...
Which of the books did you like best, if any?
Well, to be honest this is not the type of book I would usually buy but there is a lot of influence by my children. I'm not MTV or VIVA consumer, their heroes are not my heroes, sometimes even their language is not my language but I like to be up to date, and we discuss a lot, very inspiring.. I would choose Maria Svelands book because it's less ironic than the other two and comprehensible.
I forgot to mention that Charlotte Roches 'wetlands' is disgusting,but not pornographic and definitely not erotic literature like Anais Nin, Benoite Groult or Henry Miller. When she sits in TV Talkshows and that's quite often it's not about her book, but for her own controversial provocative personality. She sells herself in an outstanding way and even has a new TV-show. The other two authors I mentioned as well do not produce pornography ; in Roches and Svelands case it is only a misleading title. Maria Sveland btw comes very close to Erica Jong in her social relevance.
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