Ehen in Philippsburg
book — Germany — 1957

5.5
This is what you call a traditional novel. Not that the author is very traditional, or the period where the action takes place. But it stil is traditional. There`s Hans Baumann - a young lad who goes to the "big" town searching for a job as a journalist, and he finds it working as the press person for the local factory owner Volksmann with who`s daughter he studied together. He doesn`t really love her, but it happens that she gets pregnant from him, and has an abortion. Then we switch to a gynecologist named Benrath who refused to perform the operation, who`s wife commits suicide because he`s cheating on her. Later we meet Alvin, his advocate, who`s one of the leaders of the local christian-socialist-liberal party that also is cheating on his wife, but when he accidentally runs over a drunk in his car, his political career is shaterred. And last but not least there`s Klaff, an unsuccessful writer who wanted to be employed by Hans but had no luck at that, and he commited suicide. There we have 4 dead persons in the book - the unborn child, the drunk, the wife and Klaff. I guess it`s enough for one novel. Overall the book isn`t particulary interesting or uninteresting, it just is.
2004-10-13
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