Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Hazy Shade



Time, time, time,
see what's become of me,
While I looked around,
For my possibilities;
I was so hard to please.
But look around, leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Blind Side

Somehow I had totally missed out on Sandra Bullock winning an Academy Award as Best Actress in 2010. In The Blind Side (2009) she plays the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, a rich woman who takes a big black kid, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), into her home and family. Michael is shy and obviously traumatized and has problems at school, because he's never had a proper education before. But he's very talented with ball games and because of his size he's an ideal American Football player. Leigh Anne helps him to become a real member of the family and with his grades and her son S.J. (Jae Head - well done!) helps him with his training and his understanding of football. The movie closes with Michael Oher beginning his career with the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL).



The movie is based on Michael Oher's real life story and although football is an essential part of the movie it's not a real sports film. Apart from Michael it focuses on the personal decisions of Leigh Anne who is brave enough to take in a black kid from the wrong side of town. Bullock plays the role amazingly (although it took some time to getting used to her blondness), bringing me to tears more than once and as many times making me laugh out loud. It's emotional, it's kind and it shows us how privileged we are for having clothes, food and a bed - and people who love and protect us.

official movie site

Alltägliches Geheimnis


Es gibt ein großes und doch ganz alltägliches Geheimnis. Alle Menschen haben daran teil, jeder kennt es, aber die wenigsten denken je darüber nach. Die meisten Leute nehmen es einfach so hin und wundern sich kein bisschen darüber. Dieses Geheimnis ist die Zeit.

Es gibt Kalender und Uhren, um sie zu messen, aber das will wenig besagen, denn jeder weiß, dass einem eine einzige Stunde wie eine Ewigkeit vorkommen kann, mitunter kann sie aber auch wie ein Augenblick vergehen - je nachdem, was man in dieser Stunde erlebt.

Denn Zeit ist Leben. Und das Leben wohnt im Herzen.

aus: "Momo" (1973), in: Michael Ende, Worte wie Träume. Herder Verlag, Freiburg 1991, S. 117.

Pink Floyd: Time



Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
Its good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

from Pink Floyd's eighth album The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973

Monday, August 29, 2011

Phantàsien


Jede Kunstwelt ist autonom und nicht unmittelbar in Lebenswirklichkeit umzusetzen. Deswegen ist es auch gut, dass diese Geschichten zwischen zwei Buchdeckeln stattfinden. Der magische Bereich des Imaginären ist eben Phantàsien, in das man ab und zu reisen muss, um dort sehend zu werden. Dann kann man zurückkehren in die äußere Realität, mit verändertem Bewusstsein, und diese Realität verändern oder sie wenigstens neu sehen und erleben.

aus: "Phantasie/Kultur/Politik" (1982), in: Michael Ende, Worte wie Träume. Herder Verlag, Freiburg 1991, S. 68.

Bild: Quint Buchholz, Lesende Frau. 1995.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

János Székely: Verlockung


Verlockung von dem ungarischen Autor János Székely (1901-1958) ist ein etwa 800 Seiten starker Roman, der erstmals 1949 unter dem Titel Temptation in den USA erschien und bereits damals in zahlreiche Sprachen übersetzt wurde.
Er handelt von dem ungarischen Bauernjungen Béla, der mit 14 Jahren von seiner Mutter nach Budapest geholt wird, nachdem er bis dahin als Bastard in einer lieblosen Umgebung aufgewachsen ist. Dies weckt zunächst Hoffnung auf ein besseres Leben in ihm, doch seine Mutter verdient als Waschfrau im Budapest der 20er Jahre kaum genug Geld für Miete und Essen. So kann der talentierte Béla nicht weiter zur Schule gehen, sondern arbeitet als Boy in einem Hotel. Dort hat er Tag für Tag den Luxus der Reichen und Mächtigen seines Landes vor Augen, während er gleichzeitig hungert und Angst vor Obdachlosigkeit haben muss.
In diesem Konflikt, der mehr ein existenzieller als ein politischer ist (obwohl er mit Sozialdemokraten und Kommunisten in Kontakt kommt), versucht er dennoch, das Richtige zu tun, zu überleben, zu lieben und zu leben. Höchst menschlich sind seine Irrwege und die Tiefschläge, die ihn immer wieder treffen, sind schlimmer und bedrohlicher, als man sich das in unserer heutigen Gesellschaft vorstellen kann und mag. Am Ende steht die Katstrophe des Wohnungsverlustes, der ohnmächtigen Hilflosigkeit seines Vaters und der Tod der Mutter, die er dennoch nutzt für seine Flucht und einen möglichen Neuanfang.
Ursprünglich war der autobiografisch geprägte Roman als erster Teil einer Trilogie geplant, Székely schrieb die Fortsetzungen jedoch nie. In seinem eigenen Leben führte die Flucht aus dem unerträglichen Budapest nach dem ersten Weltkrieg zunächst nach Berlin, wo er sich als Drehbuchautor (erst Stummfilm, dann Tonfilm) einen Namen machte und von wo er schließlich von Ernst Lubitsch in die USA geholt wurde. Er erhielt 1940 sogar einen Oscar für die Vorlage für das Drehbuch zum Film Arise, my Love, das er unter dem Pseudonym John S. Toldy schrieb.
Vor dem Hintergrund der sozialen Ungerechtigkeit und der politischen Unterdrückung, die er erlebt haben muss, um sie in Verlockung so überzeugend zu schildern, erscheint es bitter, dass er in den 50er Jahren wegen seiner politischen Überzeugungen wiederum aus den USA fliehen musste.
Die brutale soziale Realität in Ungarn der 1920er schockiert, die Umstände, in denen Menschen in dieser Zeit zu überleben versuchten, sind heutzutage undenkbar. Hier zeigt sich auch die starke Wirkung des Romans: Was sind wir gesegnet, fast nie müssen wir uns wirklich existenzielle Sorgen machen! Wir essen, wir arbeiten, wir schlafen warm und trocken. Das rückt das Jammern, das uns manchmal so leicht von den Lippen kommt, in eine andere Perpektive. Natürlich kann man sagen, ja, es ist hundert Jahre her, heute ist das anders.
Die Diskrepanz zwischen reich und arm, zwischen Macht und Hilflosigkeit hingegen, die gibt es noch. Hier bietet die Geschichte - weder die des Romans, noch die historische Entwicklung - keine einfachen Antworten.
Verlockung ist sprachlich und inhaltlich beeindruckend und erinnert daran, auch wieder Literatur jenseits der ausgetretenen Pfade zu lesen.

János Székely, Verlockung. btb, München 2005.

Iceland 2011

Iceland August 2011

Friday, August 26, 2011

Both Sides, Now



Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
and feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and they snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
from up and down, and still somehow
it's cloud illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
as every fairy tale comes true; I've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go
and if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
from give and take, and still somehow
it's love's illusions I recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "I love you" right out loud,
dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
from win and lose, and
still somehow
it's life's illusions I recall.
I really don't know life at all.

Unni Wilhelmsen covering Joni Mitchell song Both Sides, Now, 2010, composed in 1969

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Finding Nemo



I received two beautiful art cards on the topic of Finding Nemo (Pixar 2003) from Stephen and Yun, both postcrossers from the US.
The film has some hilarious moments, for example Dory speaking "whale"...


Update: Another Finding Nemo card sent by Steven from Taiwan.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Monika Feth: Der Erdbeerpflücker

Neulich fiel mir in der Schulbibliothek das Audiobook von Monika Feths Der Erdbeerpflücker in die Hände. Das Buch stammt aus dem Jahr 2004 und es gibt weitere Folgekrimis. Feths Bücher richten sich hauptsächlich an Jugendliche.
Die Geschichte wird aus verschiedenen Perspektiven erzählt, in unterschiedlicher Intensität und Häufigkeit sogar aus der Sicht fast jeden Beteiligten. Jette, die Tochter einer bekannten Krimiautorin, lebt in einer WG mit Merle und Caro. Letztere verliebt sich in einen verschlossenen Mann, der viele Geheimnisse hat. Er ist Erdbeerpflücker und - wie schon früh im Roman klar ist - ein Serienmörder. Nach dem Mord an ihrer Freundin Caro beschließen Jette und Merle den Mörder zu finden, auch ohne die Hilfe des netten Kommissars, der in dem Fall ermittelt. Leider weiß auch der Mörder, dass die beiden ihn suchen, so dass er eine Liebesbeziehung zu der ahnungslosen Jette aufbaut. Dies führt zu einem dramatischen Showdown.
Dadurch dass wir die Geschichte auch aus der Sicht des Mörders präsentiert bekommen, ergeben sich zwei Dinge:
1. Wir wissen von Anfang an, wer der Mörder ist und etwa ab der Hälfte ahnen wir auch, wie es enden wird.
2. Eine gewisse Identifikation mit dem Täter entsteht, er hat ein schweres Schicksal erlitten, er hat seine positiven Seiten und auf Frauen eine nahezu magische Wirkung, wie wir aus Jettes verklärter Sichtweise erfahren.
Das Audiobook wird den Perpektivwechseln durch den Einsatz verschiedener Sprecher gerecht: Wanja Mues, Barbara Nüsse als Erzähler sowie Julia Nachtmann
Für jugendliche Leserinnen hat der Roman einiges zu bieten, auf dem Gebiet der Romantik und beim Thema Freundschaft und Familie. Für Leser dieses Alters fehlt vermutlich die Action, erwachsene Krimileserinnen und -leser können Der Erdbeerpflücker eventuell für zu offensichtlich oder sogar ein wenig flach halten.
Monika Feth, Der Erdbeerpflücker. Goya LIT 2007.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Erich Fried: In der untergehenden Welt

Der schlägt sich an die Brust
der schafft Gold fort an heimliche Orte
Fast alle suchen noch Lust
auch ich – doch ich such auch noch Worte

In der untergehenden Welt
Wohin können Worte gehen?
Wenn sie in Flammen zerfällt,
wer soll das Lied verstehen?

Aber wenn es noch nicht geschieht
dann werden einige lang
lachen über mein Lied
vom Weltuntergang.

aus: Erich Fried, Um Klarheit. Gedichte gegen das Vergessen. Wagenbach-Verlag, Berlin 1985

Friday, August 19, 2011

Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol


In 2009 Dan Brown's third novel involving Robert Langdon was published and immediately it was a bestseller in several countries. Although I liked Angels & Demons (2000) and The Da Vinci Code (2003) I was slightly disappointed by his other novels - maybe that's why it took me until now to read The Lost Symbol.
Under false pretenses Robert Langdon is coaxed to Washington D.C. to give a lecture in the Capitol. A villain called Mal'akh needs Langdon's help in finding the Lost Word. The Lost Word is a well-kept secret by the Freemasons - only to be found with the help of the Mason's Pyramid, an object with a lot of hidden messages. To ensure Langdon will help him Mal'akh has kidnapped Peter Salomon, Langdon's mentor and a 33rd degree mason. Of course the Freemasons, Peter's sister Katherine Salomon and the CIA have their interests in the consequent events.
In short, the usual hunt from one piece of the puzzle to the next starts, Langdon finds help and obstacles along the way until the final showdown.
On the one hand it is another page turner, the reader is eager to know what will happen next, how they gonna escape this time and what is the solution of the puzzle.
On the other hand The Lost Symbol is clunky and constructed. All this knowledge, all the symbolism, all the double layers to everything, the quotes... It's not always fun to read, more like a lecture. And some of the turns were even obvious.
And in The Lost Symbol, the secrets are not as fascinating as the ones in the other two novels. Of course, here we find mysticism and masonry in the very deep foundation of the USA, but it is not really appalling, is it? Not to me apparently.
There were a few quotes I liked but all in all I wouldn't put this book on my favorite thriller list. Here's one quote which Dan Brown copied from the Masonry bible - figures!
Time is a river, and books are boats. Many volumes start down that stream, only to be wrecked and lost beyond recall in its sands. Only a few, a very few, endure the testings of time and live to bless the ages following.

Stephenie Meyer: The Host


I could just say Stephenie Meyer is required reading when dealing with teenage girls these days. Or maybe it's the teenage girl in me who likes the love stories and the fantasy stuff. Whatever... - after really enjoying the Twilight series (books and movies) I was curious about The Host (2008) too and decided on it as holiday reading.

The story is simple: Tiny silvery aliens (called Souls) take over worlds as parasites inside their hosts' bodies, eliminating their minds while keeping their memories and habits. On earth, there are some human minds who aren't willing to give up and who fight back. So Melanie Stryder's mind continues to live inside her old body along with the alien mind of the Wanderer and forces her to go looking for her family which live in a small community of free humans in the Arizonian desert. When Melanie/Wanderer joins this community a series of complicated relationships and love stories begins.
Basic questions: What makes us human? What is good or bad? What makes us who we are?

The book was entertaining and an enjoyable light read. I liked the setting because I have vivid memories of the Sonoran desert. The genre is a mix of science fiction, fantasy and love story, advertised as "science fiction for people who don't like science fiction" - which says it all.
The kindle edition had quite a lot of additional material at the end: an interview with the author, a track list of music Stephenie Meyer listened to while writing, additional scenes (already written in regard to making a movie out of it) and even a collection of discussion questions (for possible use for school reading?!). This was a bit unusual, I thought, you normally don't get this kind of information in a book, but possibly on a website. Things are changing, obviously.

Strange fact at last: In these notes at the end of the book I found out that Stephenie Meyer intended to write this book for adult readers and she seems convinced to have done so. She's even contemplating if young adult readers will read (and understand) the book too. I read The Host with the same expectations as if reading another Twilight novel and I did not once think it was only suitable for adults. Simple story, love and jealousy and a bit of complicated dialogues and personality mix-up (new being only that this takes place just inside one body), but not more. No real literature - and I wouldn't recommend it as such.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Milk


I am milk
I am red hot kitchen
And I am cool
Cool as the deep blue ocean

I am lost
So I am cruel
But I'd be love and sweetness
If I had you

I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you

I am weak
But I am strong
I can use my tears to
Bring you home

I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you

Lyrics from Milk, from Garbage's first album, 1995.

(I simply can't believe this album is now 16 years old... apparently they are working on their 5th album at the moment... )


Thursday, August 04, 2011

Andrew Vachss: Flood

A while ago I remembered some of the first thriller authors I read as a teenager. There was Sara Paretsky's Vic Warshawsky series, some German and Swedish authors and there was this one guy called Andrew Vachss. His Burke was one of the darkest characters I had met so far, dark, but still the good guy. In my memory there were only bits and pieces so I re-read Flood (1985), the first novel, in English on my kindle. It was even darker then I remembered.
Burke is a kind of a private investigator who is very secretive, very careful about letting people know things about himself and his business. He chooses his cases carefully, apparently only for money, but deep down he's very sensitive - especially about the topic of child abuse.
He has well-trained dog called Pansy (who is modelled after one of Vachss' own dogs as you can read and see on his website) and some strange/bizarre friends who help him devotedly.
Flood is a woman who wants to revenge the death of her friend and her friend's child who were killed by a child abuser and she needs Burke's help to find the man. While dealing with a lot of violence and moving about in NY's darkest areas Burke and Flood get into a personal relationship which lets us see behind the mask of the tough guy and together they succeed.
I liked to read the story again, I am still fond of the characters, the setting and the atmosphere. The language took a while getting used to. The topic - which is Vachss' main impulse to write the books - is sadly still very up-to-date and he is still fighting for better treatment and protection of abandoned and abused kids.
Probably I'll read more - some of the later novels didn't get translated into German so there's a lot more to read (list on krimi-couch.de).