Present Books Toward The Quest for Christa T.
| Original Title: | Nachdenken über Christa T. |
| ISBN: | 0374515344 (ISBN13: 9780374515348) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Christa Wolf
Paperback | Pages: 185 pages Rating: 3.7 | 815 Users | 80 Reviews
Mention Based On Books The Quest for Christa T.
| Title | : | The Quest for Christa T. |
| Author | : | Christa Wolf |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 185 pages |
| Published | : | November 1st 1979 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (first published 1968) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. European Literature. German Literature. Cultural. Germany |
Description As Books The Quest for Christa T.
When The Quest for Christa T. was first published in East Germany in 1968, there was an immediate storm: bookshops in East Berlin were given instructions to sell it only to well-known customers professionally involved in literary matters; at the annual meeting of East German Writers Conference, Mrs Wolf's new book was condemmed. Yet the novel has nothing explicitly to do with politics.Praise for The Quest for Christa T.
On the surface we merely have the story of a sensitive woman as recalled by her friend. On this level Christa T. was a good citizen who did as she was told and lived a seemingly unexceptional life. But between the lines lies the real story of Christa T. -- the story of an individual crushed by the pressures of uniformity. If you bear in mind it is the first novel of any consequence to emerge from Ulbricht's East Germany, then it becomes something of a literary landmark. - John Barkman, New York Post
The contours of silence and the outline of things articulately left unsaid loom large in the muted brilliance of this novel. - Ernst Pawek, The New York Review of Books
It is a courageous book that breaks taboos and, as we have come to expect from Christa Wolf, it is infused with an integrity and a deep moral concern. . . - The (London) Times Literary Supplement
Rating Based On Books The Quest for Christa T.
Ratings: 3.7 From 815 Users | 80 ReviewsCriticize Based On Books The Quest for Christa T.
This short novel finds a perfect spot between overly emotional memoirs and stories from mid-century Germany, and remains gripping and interesting until the very end. At the same time, Christa T. is still a love letter and an homage to a dear friend who meant a lot to the narrator.The novel deals with every issue related to being a female during times of war: Being a daughter, a young lady, a mother, a scholar, a piece of society, Christa T. takes on historical events and elaborates on details ofStrange translation choice abounds here I read this as Thoughts about Christa T, but the novel does discuss the word Sehnsucht a few times as well. So who knows!An odd little book from an East German writer, this book feels in some ways similar to Elena Ferrante, especially the earlier novels from the Neapolitan Novels, as well as novels by Magda Szabo. Its a curious book for numerous reasons. One, its a book that appears on David Bowies 100 books every one should read list that Duncan Jones
A friend of Christa T. seeks to discover who Christa was, after her death at ~35 of leukemia. This book is set during and after WW2, and the war certainly impacts the people in this story, but as a setting against which the private stories of the central characters take place. The characters are all Germans who prudently, loyally, or perhaps to some extent fervently fell into line with Naziism, and this book, unlike many set in this period and region, does not seek to apologize for or come to
Worse than actual events was the fact that not even the horror itself could surprise one now. Nothing new under this sun, only the end, as long as it lasts. And the certainty: that it had to come. Politics is the first we learn of other countries and the last about our own. Proceed with caution. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. Here, there be monsters. We can display the lines along the filled up maps all we like, but there's a history of interlocking hegemonies to be resolved, some of them
Interesting theme: how can an individual deal with the pressure of society? How to go your own way and not fully adapt to your social environment? This is specifically situated in the East German, communist society, in the 1950s and early 1960s, which makes it even more interesting. Also the writing style is remarkable: Wolf muses aloud about her (fictional) girlfriend Christa T., trying to get a picture of her quirky personality, but she must regularly admit that she does not succeed in this
During the last 15 years of her life Jean Rhys, one of the most remarkable writers of the 20th century, often spoke about how much she wanted to "get things right", i.e., to be as true as possible in her writing to place, speech, mood, the taste and texture of experience, and to achieve this precision without--as she once said in a letter--"any STUNTS". Indeed, she never used any words rhetorically, her language does what it needs to do with an elegance and economy which is perfectly natural and
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