Herr Lehmann

I'm reading several books at once, as usual, one of which I wish to praise tonight even though I've only just started in. The book is Herr Lehmann by Sven Regener, and I'm just loving it. I am already disappointed in advance that I will soon have finished it, I might just have to turn back and start again at page 1.

The book is a falling-in-love and coming-of-age tale set in a run-down part of West Berlin (as it then was) in the summer of 1989. Now, we all know what happened in the autumn of '89, but the characters obviously didn't know what was coming. (In this sense it's related to the situation of Flaubert's "Sentimental Education," where the young hero wanders about Paris learning about love and life while a bloody revolution rages in the next street over, all but unnoticed by him.) It's almost all dialogue, very realistic, funny, well-written. I've just finished the third scene, in which our hero falls in love with the new chef of his favourite cafe, who was annoyed by his order and came out to argue with him about it. The argument turns from the right time to eat Schweinebraten (him: now, for breakfast; her: later, for lunch) to a discussion of time in general and whether it passes faster or more slowly when one is drunk.

"That's illogical," she said. "The faster someone is, the slower time passes. It's like the Mayfly. For them, a single day is a lifetime. That's why you can't swat them. They see your hand racing towards them, approaching very slowly and so can easily fly out of the way. Because their perception is faster."

"You mean, because the Mayfly perceives things faster, time moves for them more slowly."

"Yes, of course. And sober people have a quicker perception than drunks, so they notice more things, so they make more use of their time, therefore time passes more slowly for sober people."

...

"What do you think, Karl? Does time pass faster or more slowly when you're drunk?"

"Is that what you've been talking about? You two are made for each other."

"Don't avoid the question. It's important."

Karl thought briefly. "I think, time passes faster. But the morning after balances it out."

"There, you see?" said the pretty chef with a satisfied smile.

The book was filmed in 2003, the English title is Berlin Blues which is also the name of the book in translation. The film is (so far) very true to the novel, probably because Regener himself adapted it. I would prefer to recommend the book, but if you know that you're not going to read it then do look out for the film.

In other news I would like to say "hello" to an anonymously lurking regular reader, a Mac-user from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Are you who I think you are? (Now there's a metaphysically loaded question!)

Twenty down, ten to go.