An illustrated novel of a contemporary couple - and a hard working German learning refugee from Ukraine - Der Hausmann (the masculine version of the Hausfrau) by Wlada Kolosowa is an ironic view on an unlikely couple. Enmeshed in accidental neighbouring relationships, the characters are entertaining and very much relatable, at least for the Berlin crowd.
My main attraction for reading the book was the mixture between story, illustrations - by Berlin-based Spanish graphic artist Raúl Soria - and some social media fragments - as some of the characters do engage in social media activities. Given the contemporaneity of the topic, it was a happy choice and the different narrative layers only made the reading diverse and entertaining.
In some respects, the book reads as a comic book. Thea and Tim do challenge the patriarchy: she is from a rich family living in Dahlem, working hard in a start-up, he is the son of a single cleaning lady, whom he often accompanied to JobCenter meetings in-between jobs. He is an artist - working hard to finish a graphic novel with an ecological topic - and when the inspiration left him, taking care of the household. Does this story have a happy ending? Or/Oder...?
I enjoyed the irony of the book and it has some funny turns of phrase that makes it a recommended read for students trying to improve their contemporary German knowledge - B1 to B2 level. Although I felt sometimes that the story has too many creative turns - of the kind that just add more and more text to the story without necessarily flowing into the story, I´ve found the story entertaining and worth reading it.
Der Hausmann recommended read if you are looking for some easy weekend read with a rich German vocabulary.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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