German book suggestions?

[sleepychunky]

Hi everyone, hope you can give me some ideas. I'm part of a German book club that meets once per month. We've only been going since the autumn so it's all new, but is a mixture of real German people, people who have lived in Germany, and people who have studied German (I am the latter two categories). We are supposed to bring a suggestion to our next meeting of a book to read, but I don't know what to suggest! My degree was at Oxford so we read mainly old, long, classic things but the book club likes shorter and more modern reads.
Can anybody suggest anything I could take a look at? So far we've read Sternstunden der Menschheit (Zweig), Eine deutsche Leidenschaft namens Nudelsalat (Rafik Schami) and we're just reading Reunion by Fred Uhlman.
Any suggestions would be really welcome, thanks very much

[Artandco]

It's in Swedish originally, but the German and English translations both good.

Kind 44. It's now a trilogy so you could go on the read the other two also ( although the first is the best). I believe it's a film now also for later down the line ( but I haven't seen)

[prokupatuskrakedatus]

After checking our bookshelves:

Walter Moers
Wolf Haas
Gisbert Haefs
Heimito von Doderer
Heinrich Steinfest
Rupert Schöttle

ein bisschen krimilastig das Ganze ... and tastes differ of course.

[MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge]

No up to the minute choices (I haven't used my German for years), but a favourite of mine is Justiz, by Friedrich Durrenmatt. This site has lots of suggestions.

[tripfiction]

Well, a couple of suggestions here: you could try Look who's back (Er ist Wieder da, auf Deutsch) by Timur Vermes, it's satirical and good for debate! www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-in-berlin-germany-hes-back-hes-fuhrious/

And/or Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek www.tripfiction.com/thriller-set-in-germany-north-sea-island-psychological-suspense-story/

And/or The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-in-berlin-germany-fabrizio-collini-goes-trial/

Finally Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-in-germanytaunus/

[BlueEyeshadow]

MyFavourite has beaten me to it - was about to recommend New Books in German!

Elisabeth Herrmanns is another good Krimi author.

Some more suggestions:

Aufräumen by Angelika Waldis

Die Herrlichkeit des Lebens by Michael Kampfmüller

Aus den Fugen by Alain Claude Sulzer

[sleepychunky]

Ooh thank you everybody! I will check all of these out and will be armed with suggestions by the time of our next meeting. I wasn't aware of New Books so that is a great resource

Danke alle!

[mercifulTehlu]

Thanks for this thread OP. Another Oxford 'modern' linguist here. I'm not in a book club, but I'm always thinking that I should get back into reading in French and German, but never know what to choose!

[crapfatbanana]

Something by WG Sebald?

[cyrillicsquirrel]

I've only read it in translation, but 'Alone in Berlin' by Hans Fallada is a great book, and very thought-provoking so there'd be lots to discuss.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

All Quiet on the Western Front - it's glorious.

[DorothyL]

Max Frisch is fantastic - Stiller in particular

Daniel Kehlmann, Ruhm is good

[Igneococcus]

Sten Nadolny' Selim oder die Gabe der Rede is a great book and I'm very fond of a book by his mother Isabella Ein Baum waechst uebers Dach.

[Davros]

I was going to say Look Who's Back. I've only read it in English and it was serialised on Radio 4. Very funny and original

[DapperDame]

Perfume and The Reader are two I've read (in English translation) that were fantastic.

[Archfarchnad]

Er ist wieder da, as mentioned by tripfiction is totally to be recommended, according to my DD, and great for a book club as lots to discuss. We do have it, but it's on my 'to be read' list.

West Berlin in the 1980s: Herr Lehmann by Sven Regener.

East Berlin in the 1980s: Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee by Thomas Brussig. I think Brussig is very funny. His Helden wie wir is also hilarious.

Jurek Becker: Jakob der Lügner

DH recommends Ingeborg Bachmann: Malina

Ingrid Noll: die Apothekerin

[gingercat12]

I second Durrenmatt.

[Archfarchnad]

Can I have a vote against Dürrenmatt please. I found Der Richter und sein Henker immensely dull. It possibly didn't help that it was the set text for my Goethe-Institut Sprachdiplom.

[gingercat12]

Archfarchnad Yeah, I never liked any set texts . To be specific my favourite Durrenmatt novels were Die Physiker and Der Besuch der alten Dame.

[MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge]

Really? I really liked Der Richter und sein Henker. And it was a set text for me too!

[SecretSpi]

I don't know if it is too late, but what about 'Ein ganzes Leben' by Robert Seethaler. I have only read it in translation but it was excellent. It's set in Austria rather than Germany.

[sleepychunky]

This month's club was cancelled so I have more time! Thank you all for these additional suggestions - so many to look at! I do agree with those against Durrenmatt, I'm afraid I didn't take to him when I was studying...