Alexanderplatz

[GameofPhones]

Did anyone hear the dramatisation of the novel over the weekend? I've started the novel but it's not easy to follow (being Modernist like James Joyce). The dramatisation sounded really good to me, but I was listening while doing other things. Wondering if I should pick it up on Sounds and listen properly.

Sorry, this is a disappointing answer! I was in the same room as the radio, and it was on, and I did try to listen with attention. But perhaps it didn’t suit my mood at the time, or perhaps I’ve lost the habit of longer length radio drama, because my attention kept wandering. Bits of it seemed charming. Other bits - the on-air reverting back to production decisions, say, probably seemed a good idea at the time but is already a little too familiar as a dramatic tool.

Don’t think I’ve ever opened the book - and there are a million others clamouring to be read so I probably won’t in the foreseeable future.

I’m inclined to blame the BBC though. They’ve cut long form radio drama to the bone, in favour of podcast size snippets - I don’t have the concentration any more.

I'll be listening to this, thanks. I love this period and will never get round to reading the book...

I've read about half the book. It's fascinating as a historical document, and should be read by people studying the period. I'm not sure it would make the best radio drama, personally I'd prefer visual clues to follow it.
I did find it interesting that the author was Jewish, but it felt like an authentic depiction of that kind of petty criminal world. The casually brutal way women were dealt with was shocking but believable but I wonder if that would be cut for Radio 4?

Don't know if it was cut for radio, but the treatment of women was portrayed as casually brutal.

Did anyone listen to this ? I enjoyed it but found the jumping back and forth to the studio a bit confusing