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Berlin Tales Is A Collection Of Seventeen Translated Stories Associated With Berlin. The Book Provides A Unique Insight Into The Mind Of This Fascinating City Through The Eyes Of Its Story-tellers. Nearly Twenty Years After The Fall Of The Berlin Wall, The Stories Collected Here Reflect On The City's Fascinating Recent History, Setting Out With The Early Twentieth-century Berlin Of Siegfried Kracauer And Alfred Döblin And Culminating In An Excellent Selection Of Stories From The Best Of The New Voices In The Current Boom In German Fiction. They Are Chosen For Their Conscious Exploration Of The City's Image, Meaning, And Attraction To Immigrants And Tourists As Well As Berliners From Both Sides Of The Wall. These Stories Also Depict Berlin's Distinct Districts, Not Just The Differences Between East And West But Also Iconic Sites Such As Alexanderplatz, Individual Neighbourhoods (jewish Mitte, Turkish Kreuzberg) And Individual Streets. There Is An Introduction And Notes To Accompany The Stories And A Selection Of Further Reading. Each Story Is Illustrated With A Striking Photograph And There Is A Map Of Berlin And Its Transport System (a Frequent Motif). There Is An Introduction And Notes To Accompany The Stories And A Selection Of Further Reading. The Book Will Appeal To People Who Love Travelling Or Are Armchair Travellers, As Much As To Those Who Love Berlin.
This collection of seventeen short stories captures the shifting identity of Berlin through the perspectives of diverse authors across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The narrative objective is to map the psychological and physical landscape of a city defined by its turbulent history, division, and eventual reunification. The stories operate within a framework of literary realism and cultural observation, utilizing the city itself as a primary character that exerts influence over its inhabitants. The authors navigate the constraints of memory, political upheaval, and the evolving social fabric of neighborhoods ranging from Mitte to Kreuzberg.
Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of the anthology in capturing the specific atmosphere of Berlin across different political regimes. Readers frequently highlight the diversity of the selected voices, noting how the collection balances established literary figures with contemporary writers. Critics observe that the inclusion of maps and photographs provides a helpful anchor for those unfamiliar with the city's complex geography. The thematic focus on the city as a site of constant reinvention generates significant interest among those interested in urban history and cultural studies. Many readers appreciate the scholarly approach to the selection, which elevates the book beyond a standard travel companion.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2009-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191570249
ISBN-13:
9780191570247
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