issue 34 - New Books in German

NBG Choices: Books in English
FICTIOn
Naw Much of a Talker
Pedro Lenz
Translated by Donal McLaughlin
Freight Books
‘Both hilarious and heartbreaking, this
novel is narrated by a former heroin addict.
Recently released from jail and determined
to start anew, he falls in love with a spokenfor
barmaid. Goalie (the narrator) may
have great stories to tell but isn’t much of
a talker when it comes to communicating.
“Lenz uses language so brilliantly,” wrote
one critic, “it sounds like a live broadcast
from real life.”’
– Donal McLaughlin, Translator
The Watcher
Charlotte Link
Translated by Stefan Tobler
Orion
‘Samson Segal, an unemployed thirtysomething,
has taken to spying on his
neighbours, particularly the beautiful
Gillian Ward. When Gillian’s daughter
comes home to an empty house, Samson
takes her in. Then Gillian’s husband is
found murdered, and Samson comes under
intense scrutiny. The only man making any
progress on the case should not really be
working on it. Yet he’s the only one who
believes Samson is innocent…’
– Laura Gerrard, Editor
Light in a Dark House
Jan Costin Wagner
Translated by Anthea Bell
Harvill Secker
‘An unidentified woman in a coma is
murdered, the killer’s tears staining her
sheets. Finnish detective Kimmo Joentaa
is called in to identify the victim and catch
her killer in this haunting psychological
thriller. As autumn turns to winter, Kimmo’s
attempts to unravel the case and identify
the first victim are complicated by the
disappearance of his sometime girlfriend
and by a colleague’s spiral into the depths
of a gambling addiction.’
– Frances Gizauskas, Publicity Assistant,
Vintage
Back to Back
Julia Franck
Translated by Anthea Bell
Harvill Secker
‘A magnificent novel about a great love
from the prizewinning author of The Blind
Side of the Heart.
Thomas and Ella grow up with their
overpowering mother, a sculptress and
fervent believer in the socialist ideology of
East Germany. She barely acknowledges
Ella’s vulnerable loneliness and Thomas’
quiet aspirations. The siblings find
themselves enclosed when the Berlin Wall is
built, and must find their own paths within
their mother’s utopia.’
– Ellie Steel, Editor
Someday We’ll Tell Each
Other Everything
Daniela Krien
Translated by Jamie Bulloch
MacLehose Press
‘Summer 1990. The Wall has fallen and
Germany prepares for reunification. In the
sleepy countryside of the East, sixteen-yearold
Maria moves in with her boyfriend on
his family’s farm. An encounter with an
enigmatic older man ignites an improbable
affair, and keeping their passion a secret
becomes increasingly difficult. A powerful
love story on the one hand, on the other
a perceptive and subtle portrait of a
community in flux.’
– Katharina Bielenberg, Associate
Publisher
Almost Like Spring
Alex Capus
Translated by John Brownjohn
Haus
‘Two disaffected young men stultified by
the Great Depression in Germany become
bank robbers in Switzerland. On the run,
the humanity of these astutely drawn,
sympathetic characters is challengingly
juxtaposed against the cruelty of their
crimes. Like much of Capus’ work the tone
is droll and elegiac. The fourth of his books
we’ve published, Almost Like Spring is
arguably the most compelling.’
– Harry Hall, Associate Publisher
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