Looking for German Book, Two Boys, Construction Shack... something.
ChicagoDave
I'm looking for a book that I read a long time ago. It was illustrated
and from Germany (though I read an English translation).
It was long enough ago that the details are vague. I'm pretty sure it
was post-WWII. There were two boys and they decided to fix up a
house, or a construction shack on a vacant lot. They painted it with
spare paint and brought in stuff they found. One of the boys
eventually sought out the construction magnate who owned the site and
asked if could have the house. The man was so impressed with the
boys' hard work, he let them keep it.
That's about all I have, and probably not all accurate. I just
remember it was a simple, honest book with lovely, spare illustrations
that really resonated with the time the book was written.
If anyone can help me with the title I'd be so grateful.
Thanks in advance.
Dave
Kris Baker
Hi, Dave
I can't find a thing (I've looked). The part about a "vacant lot"
having a
building on it, might be a sticking point ;)
Tell us what year you read it, if the book was old or new, how you
found the book, etc, etc.
vixx'
the story reminds me of "Das Geheime Brot" by Johannes Mario Simmel, except there
were more people... one of my favorite books, btw... :)
Kris Baker
"vixx'" <vix...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4b1c3488$0$30490$e4fe...@dreader19.news.xs4all.nl...
Don't let "two boys" lock you in; usually, there are errors in the
descriptions of the books.
I'm trying to find an English version of a website that describes
the plot. Or one in German that'll translate ;)
vixx'
Kris Baker
> Kris Baker wrote:
>>
>>
>> I'm trying to find an English version of a website that describes
>> the plot. Or one in German that'll translate ;)
>
>
> http://www.buch24.de/1020-0/3-240831-1.html
> http://www.ciao.de/Das_geheime_Brot_Simmel_Johannes_Mario__Test_2889918
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/johannes-mario-simmel-millionselling-austrian-novelist-1380373.html
>
>
> i can't find an English translation
I translated the first link, on Google - and it comes up with:
http://snurl.com/tl7fy [translate_google_com]
(When I paste it in here, it mixes the languages:
Steiner decides to return from the war, are preparing to end his life. Doch
zuerst muss er eine W�scheleine auftreiben, damit er sich �berhaupt
aufh�ngen kann. But first he has to muster a clothesline so that he can hang
himself at all. Dies gelingt ihm zwar, aber der Selbstmordversuch misslingt
und Jakob l�sst sich von dem etwas eigent�mlichen Armenier Mamoulian, der
ein paar Eier stehlen m�chte, um einem kleinen M�dchen eine
Oster�berraschung bereiten zu k�nnen, �berreden, mit diesem in sein Haus,
das nur noch aus einem Keller besteht, zu kommen und dort zu wohnen. He
achieves this, but the suicide attempt fails, and Jacob can be traced from
the somewhat peculiar Armenians Mamoulian, who wants to steal a few eggs, a
little girl to put an Easter surprise to persuade, with the latter in his
house, which only a Keller is to come and live there.
Schon am n�chsten Tag bekommt das seltsame Gespann Zuwachs durch Frau
Magdalena Huber, einer Maurerin, die wei�, wie man/frau anpacken muss. The
very next day get the odd pair gain by Magdalena Huber, a mason who knows
what you have to tackle female /.
Durch diese beiden Menschen und einer wundersch�nen jungen Frau gelingt es
Jakob Steiner wieder in das Leben zu finden, in die Zukunft zu schauen, an
diese zu glauben. Through these two men and a beautiful young woman succeeds
Jakob Steiner get back into your life, look into the future, to believe in
them ...
Homorphus' Meinung: Homorphus' opinion:
Ich geh�re ja nicht unbedingt zu den Simmel-Fans. I'm one not necessarily to
the Simmel fans. Allerdings haben die Verantwortlichen der Aktion Eine
STADT. However, have those responsible for the action A CITY. Ein BUCH. A
BOOK. bisher immer sehr gute Werke ausgew�hlt. has always been very good
works selected. Also habe ich mir nat�rlich auch dieses Buch geholt. So I
have obviously got that book.
Simmel entf�hrt den Leser in das Nachkriegswien. Simmel takes the reader
into the post-war Vienna. Ein Wien, das beherrscht wird von kaputten
H�usern, Schwarzmarkt, Kriegsgewinnlern und Kriegsverlierern. A Vienna,
which is dominated by broken homes, black market profiteers and war losers.
Er beschreibt eine einfache Geschichte. It describes a simple story. Die
Geschichte mehrerer Menschen, die unter anderen Umst�nden vermutlich nie
zusammengekommen w�ren. The story of several people who had met under
different circumstances, probably never. Menschen, die sich gegenseitig
halfen, sich unterst�tzten und miteinander begannen, an eine neue Zukunft zu
glauben. People who helped each other to support each other and began to
believe in a new future. Und - miteinander ein Haus wieder aufbauten. And -
again built up a home together.
Die Geschichte klingt vielleicht kitschig, in manchen Teilen ist sie es
auch. The story may sound corny in some parts it is right. Aber sie macht
auch nachdenklich. But it also makes thoughtful.
Gerade in unserer so konsumgepr�gten Zeit ist es nicht so schlecht, sich ein
wenig Gedanken dar�ber zu machen, wie es damals war. Especially in our time
konsumgepr�gten so it is not so bad, get a few ideas about how it was then.
Damals, als die Menschen fast nichts mehr hatten. Back when people had
almost nothing.
Auch die Protagonisten machen sich Gedanken - Gedanken �ber die Gegenwart,
die Zukunft, �ber Freundschaft und Liebe, �ber das �berleben und das Leben.
Even the protagonists worry - worry about the present and the future of
friendship and love, about the survival and the life. Dabei kommt aber die
Humor nicht zu kurz und Simmel gelingt es einige Male �Homorphus zum
Schmunzeln zu bringen. Here comes the humor is not too short, and Simmel, it
is possible a few times � Homorphus bring to smile about.
Als Erz�hler tritt der Autor immer am Beginn eines Kapitels auf, indem er
kurz den Inhalt des Folgenden umrei�t, aber auch direkt zur Schreibweise
Stellung nimmt. As a storyteller, takes the author always at the beginning
of a chapter, by briefly outlining the contents of what follows, but also
refers directly to the writing position.
In einem Interview anl�sslich der Aktion Eine STADT. In an interview on the
occasion of the action A CITY. Ein BUCH. A BOOK. sagt Simmel, dass "Das
geheime Brot" eigentlich auf Wunsch der Herausgeber des "Neuen �sterreich"
geschrieben wurde: "Schreib einen Roman, der jetzt in Wien spielt und den
Menschen Hoffnung macht." - und Hoffnung kann der Roman auch heute noch
machen, wenn der/die LeserIn bereit ist, sich auf diesen Roman einzulassen,
den Inhalt abstrahiert von der Nachkriegszeit und sich vielleicht einfach
bewusst wird, mit wie wenig ein Mensch gl�cklich oder zumindest zufrieden
sein k�nnte. Simmel says that "The secret of bread" was actually the request
of the publisher of the "New Austria wrote:" Write a novel that is now
playing in Vienna and offers hope for the people ... "- and hope can make
the novel even today still though, the reader is ready to embark on this
novel, the contents of abstracts from the postwar period and might be
intentionally simple, with as little as a man could be happy or at least
content. Gedanken, die zur Adventszeit und zum Jahreswechsel doch auch ihre
Berechtigung haben. Thoughts that have the Christmas season and New Year but
also its justification.
Zu kaufen gibt es das Buch nat�rlich auch: To buy the book, of course, there
are also:
Johannes Mario Simmel: Das geheime Brot. Johannes Mario Simmel: The Secret
of bread. Droemer Knaur, 1997, ? 6,90 (D). Droemer Knaur, 1997, ? 6.90 (D).
Gebraucht gibt es das Buch bei Amazon schon ab ? 0,50. Hand there is the
book at Amazon starting at ? 0.50.
vixx'
>
> "vixx'" <vix...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:4b1c467f$0$32253$e4fe...@dreader19.news.xs4all.nl...
>> Kris Baker wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm trying to find an English version of a website that describes
>>> the plot. Or one in German that'll translate ;)
>>
>>
>> http://www.buch24.de/1020-0/3-240831-1.html
>> http://www.ciao.de/Das_geheime_Brot_Simmel_Johannes_Mario__Test_2889918
>> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/johannes-mario-simmel-millionselling-austrian-novelist-1380373.html
>>
>>
>>
>> i can't find an English translation
>
> I translated the first link, on Google - and it comes up with:
> http://snurl.com/tl7fy [translate_google_com]
>
> (When I paste it in here, it mixes the languages:
>
> Steiner decides to return from the war, are preparing to end his life.
> aufh�ngen kann. But first he has to muster a clothesline so that he can
> Mamoulian, der ein paar Eier stehlen m�chte, um einem kleinen M�dchen
> eine Oster�berraschung bereiten zu k�nnen, �berreden, mit diesem in sein
> wohnen. He achieves this, but the suicide attempt fails, and Jacob can
> be traced from the somewhat peculiar Armenians Mamoulian, who wants to
> steal a few eggs, a little girl to put an Easter surprise to persuade,
> with the latter in his house, which only a Keller is to come and live
> there.
the German original:
Am Karfreitag des Jahres 1948 beschlie�t der Kriegsheimkehrer Jakob Steiner,
seinem Leben ein Ende zu bereiten. Doch zuerst muss er eine W�scheleine
auftreiben, damit er sich �berhaupt aufh�ngen kann. Dies gelingt ihm zwar, aber
der Selbstmordversuch misslingt und Jakob l�sst sich von dem etwas eigent�mlichen
Armenier Mamoulian, der ein paar Eier stehlen m�chte, um einem kleinen M�dchen
eine Oster�berraschung bereiten zu k�nnen, �berreden, mit diesem in sein Haus, das
nur noch aus einem Keller besteht, zu kommen und dort zu wohnen.
Schon am n�chsten Tag bekommt das seltsame Gespann Zuwachs durch Frau Magdalena
Huber, einer Maurerin, die wei�, wie man/frau anpacken muss.
Durch diese beiden Menschen und einer wundersch�nen jungen Frau gelingt es Jakob
Steiner wieder in das Leben zu finden, in die Zukunft zu schauen, an diese zu glauben�
and my translation:
On Good Friday of the year 1948 Jakob Steiner, who just has returned from the war,
decides to make an end to his life. But first he has to find a clothes line, so
that he can hang himself. He manages to do so, but the suicide fails and Jakob has
himself persuaded, by a slightly weird Armenian, Mamoulian (who wants to steal a
few eggs, to make a little girl an Easter surprise) to live with him in his house
of which no more is left but the cellar.
The next day already this remarkable pair gets company by mrs. Magdalena Huber, a
brick layer, who knows how to make herself useful.
By these two people and a beautiful young woman Jakob Steiner manages to find back
to life, look into the future and believe in that future...
hope that helps
ChicagoDave
Thanks so much to everyone for the responses.
Looking at the descriptions, it isn't "Das Geheime Brot"
I read it in a library a few years ago. What struck me about it was
how amazing the illustrations were in capturing the time it was
written.
The book HAD to be written in post-WWII Germany during the
reconstruction, so 1945-55, '55 at the latest. The illustrations
somehow captured that time of vacant lots and rubble as Germany was
recovering. I think one of the reasons it spoke so much to me is my
father lived in Germany from 1952-54, and he told me of how strange it
was to be in these 'old' cities (compared to America) and see the
amazing things remaining, but also the sadness at so much history
lost.
I'll keep searching my foggy memory for details.
Thanks to everyone!
Kris Baker
>
> > I can't find a thing (I've looked). The part about a "vacant lot"
> > having a
> > building on it, might be a sticking point ;)
>
> > Tell us what year you read it, if the book was old or new, how you
> > found the book, etc, etc.-
> Hi Kris and all,
>
> Thanks so much to everyone for the responses.
>
> Looking at the descriptions, it isn't "Das Geheime Brot"
>
> I read it in a library a few years ago. What struck me about it was
> how amazing the illustrations were in capturing the time it was
> written.
>
> The book HAD to be written in post-WWII Germany during the
> reconstruction, so 1945-55, '55 at the latest. The illustrations
> somehow captured that time of vacant lots and rubble as Germany was
> recovering. I think one of the reasons it spoke so much to me is my
> father lived in Germany from 1952-54, and he told me of how strange it
> was to be in these 'old' cities (compared to America) and see the
> amazing things remaining, but also the sadness at so much history
> lost.
>
> I'll keep searching my foggy memory for details.
>
> Thanks to everyone!
>
Heavily illustrated, children's picture book? Age group, maybe?
4-8, 8-12, teenagers? Chapter book? Hardcover?
ChicagoDave
Yes, heavily illustrated. I'd guess 4-8 age range. About 2-6
sentences per page. Hardcover. Not a chapter book.