Ever heard Wolfgang Borchert?

[blackowl]

Hi everyone,

I want ask everyone : do you know Wolfgang Borchert. ever heard it, ever read his books. If so our comments
(Probably no one hear before)

[Schokokeks]

Yes, I know him, and some of his short stories, but maybe that isn't that astonishing since I'm from Germany, and I wouldn't know Borchert was internationally well-known...
How did you come across him, blackowl ?

[barbara0207]

Here's someone else who knows about Borchert. I'm German, too. One of Borchert's most well-known works is "Draussen vor der Tuer", a radio play that was first broadcast in 1947. It's about a WWII soldier coming home to a country where he can no longer feel at home. (Sorry, I don't know the English title.) Is it that one you wanted to discuss? I think it is a very distressing and moving play that conveys the feelings of a whole generation.

[blackowl]

Yes, I know him, and some of his short stories, but maybe that isn't that astonishing since I'm from Germany, and I wouldn't know Borchert was internationally well-known...
How did you come across him, blackowl ?

I am afraid no one know him in my country (Turkey). I just found one of his book which is 'Afflicted sardinies' -short stories- and it is wonderfull.

[blackowl]

Here's someone else who knows about Borchert. I'm German, too. One of Borchert's most well-known works is "Draussen vor der Tuer", a radio play that was first broadcast in 1947. It's about a WWII soldier coming home to a country where he can no longer feel at home. (Sorry, I don't know the English title.) Is it that one you wanted to discuss? I think it is a very distressing and moving play that conveys the feelings of a whole generation.

I dont know what you thinking about Borchert but I have ''Afflicted sardinies'' which is very very tastefull. It cover few short stories and I was reading (10 minutes for per story) one story in one month in purpose of not to finish book. So I have read many times and on each reading I am having different taste. I felt Borchert-soul similar to Victor Hugo.
Unfonatelly believe me the world lost this guy very early. he may wrote many books and they may gain 'classic' degree!
I am also wondering has he come his level (for writing) by effection of the 2. world war. Is there are some one like him in his family?
Hope not boring you!

[chaplin]

My German teacher in high school had us read "Draussen vor der Tuer", I enjoyed it and wanted to read it in English so I bought "The Man Outside", the English title for it, a slightly different title than the original, since, translated literally, it is "Outside in front of the Door". The book also had several short stories along with the play.

I felt the best part of the play was the tone of the whole thing: hopeless yet looking for hope and yet almost not wanting hope. The content was sometimes over-symbolized and perhaps too absurd than was warranted; but, overall, it is a great piece and portrait of immediately-post-war Germany, written by a hapless, tragic young man.

[barbara0207]

I felt Borchert-soul similar to Victor Hugo.
Unfonatelly believe me the world lost this guy very early. he may wrote many books and they may gain 'classic' degree!
I am also wondering has he come his level (for writing) by effection of the 2. world war. Is there are some one like him in his family?
Hope not boring you!

You may be right about Victor Hugo, there are similarities, especially in Les Miserables. But I think Borchert is much gloomier still. That is certainly due to his experience as a citizen of the Third Reich and as a soldier in World War II. (You're right, he died aged 26 - the war killed him two years after it had ended. It was shortly before the play that I mentioned in the previous post was to be put on stage)
I take it that you are rather young, right? So you may not know very much about that time. I am wondering what it was that fascinated you about Borchert.
The young man was so affected by his traumatic experience that this was practically the only theme he could write about. I'm not sure, but I never heard about any other writer from that family.

PS: You're not boring me. :D

[barbara0207]

The content was sometimes over-symbolized and perhaps too absurd than was warranted; but, overall, it is a great piece and portrait of immediately-post-war Germany, written by a hapless, tragic young man.

Today it may seem a bit absurd at times, but consider the situation the young post-war generation was in. They had grown up with Nazi propaganda promising them the world. They heard it at school and in the media. And when the war was lost and they looked at the mess and the unspeakable crimes they had to deal with they were shocked. (That does NOT mean that all of them were innocent.) In was in that state of shock that the young post-war writers started to create small pieces (no novels were written by them at that time) in order to come to terms with their experience.
My own father never did (come to terms, I mean). Even years later he talked about the shock he suffered when everything they had been told turned out to be lies. He joined the army as a volunteer when he was seventeen because he believed in the propaganda.

[blackowl]

[QUOTE=barbara0207;373034]You may be right about Victor Hugo, there are similarities, especially in Les Miserables. But I think Borchert is much gloomier still. That is certainly due to his experience as a citizen of the Third Reich and as a soldier in World War II. (You're right, he died aged 26 - the war killed him two years after it had ended. It was shortly before the play that I mentioned in the previous post was to be put on stage)

Thanks

I take it that you are rather young, right? So you may not know very much about that time. I am wondering what it was that fascinated you about Borchert.

I am 38
Especiall, I did not searched social and economic life in Germany after war. And the book which have not giving info abt Borchert and his life. but you are pointing 'traumatic experience'. I will search this