The shortlist of the German Booker Prize/Deuscher Buchpreis was already announced, and this book by Dana von Suffrin doesn´t figure on it, however I will keep reviewing some of the books longlisted, because they are important anyway for Germany´s current literary trends.
Nochmal von vorne - in my (very) approximate translation, Starting again, Suffrin´s second book (her debut, Otto, waits for a review hopefully in a few days) is a linear family story, between Germany and Israel. It is a story of - as the title suggests already - eternal re-start. A historical and personal destiny repeating itself in different variations.
The name of the storyteller, Rosa, is mentioned relatively late in the story, but it matches the specific evolution of the story itself.
Personally, I´ve find interesting the inter-historical reflections - from communist Romania to Israel and Germany - very relevant for the story development, and it does affect the personal evolution of the characters as well.
The plot does not set extraordinary aims, allowing the story to unfold in a slow yet steady pace. It does not innovate or challenge, it just tells a story, which is enough for a good literary achievement.
I just wish, as in the case of many other books written by German authors, that there is a translation into English so many more readers can read such stories.
Rating: 4 stars
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