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The Bicycle Teacher
In the summer of 1981, Michael from Perth meets Kathrin from Berlin. It's love. It's East meets West, and East wins.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2006
28 people are currently reading
1684 people want to read
About the author
Campbell Jefferys
12 books115 followersIt started in the hills near Perth, where he was brought rather quietly and with little fanfare into the world. The farming area tucked in the south-west corner of Western Australia became forever his reference point, but even then the world seemed broad and large, with the fields of wheat stretching to the horizon. But the whole world could not simply have been a field of wheat. There had to be more. So, a foray in the big city, slaving through low-paid jobs, struggling and then succeeding, briefly, to make a sporting career in basketball, until succumbing reluctantly to academia. The history graduate, bored and restless, heads off to see the world. He lands a part-time job with a daily paper in a small Canadian town, convinces major newspapers he's a player on the freelance travel writing scene and manages to sell a few articles. Travels some more, hitchhiking across America. Tries to write novels but no one is interested; not even him. Works on travel guide books, lands in Europe, settles in Germany, does the required tenure teaching English, and keeps trying to write a good book. Moves to Berlin and finally a story emerges that makes all the words fall into place. 'The Bicycle Teacher' was published in January 2006. His follow up novel 'Hunter' came out in early 2009. Campbell is also the author of 'A Lord's Revenge', a novella for English language learners published by Compact Verlag while his articles have graced the pages of newspapers and magazines across the globe. In May 2009, 'Hunter' won the general fiction category of the 2009 Indie Book Awards (www.indiebookawards.com) and finished runner-up in the overall fiction category. 'True Blue Tucker' won the bronze at the 2012 IPPYs in the Australia/NZ section.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 10, 2016
I won The Bicycle Teacher in a Goodreads giveaway. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, given the perfunctory blurb, but I requested it because I wanted to hear more about life in East Germany. I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed it.
For those of you who want to hear a bit more about it before buying, The Bicycle Teacher is a novel narrated in the first-person by Michael, a young Australian mechanic who is disillusioned with Perth because of the uncrossable gap between the 'haves' of the western suburbs and the 'have-nots' in the east. Not wanting to become a bitter, angry drunk like his father, Michael looks for a way out of the cycle of poverty. During a trip to Europe in 1981, he meets a girl named Kathrin. He falls in love with both her and communism and crosses the Berlin Wall to East Germany to live the socialist dream. About halfway through the book the title begins to make sense, as Michael becomes an English teacher who rides a bicycle to work. But of course the Wall's days are numbered.
This book isn't for everyone. Michael's virulent belief that life is better behind the Iron Curtain may alienate die-hard capitalists, but I found it fascinating. Until now, all the books I read about the USSR featured repressed intellectuals wanting to escape to the West. But looking at things through the eyes of an everyman like Michael, it's easy to see the appeal of community and guaranteed subsistence, even if it means never achieving wealth or greatness. The East/West Germany East/West Perth mirror is cunningly constructed, and the theme of trying not to become one's parents gives Michael's experience a universal appeal.
The author has a gift for description and has obviously done his research into Cold War era Berlin. His matter-of-fact style and attention to detail makes it easy to picture cities, events, and people. One of my favorite descriptions is: “he had a stringy mustache that seemed to start from deep within his nose.” The only time the descriptions get weighed down by metaphor is when Michael gets maudlin. For the most part the story stays focused on Michael and his personal experiences, though toward the end it did stray a little further into politics than I usually like to go.
I wanted to like Michael, and for the most part I did. He seems like a real person with good qualities (he works hard, helps his neighbors, loves his family) and bad ones (he's judgmental, a bit homophobic, and extremely thick when it comes to Rudi). However, I didn't feel like I really connected with him. The bare-bones writing style told rather than showed his emotions, making him seem a bit cold and distant.
Overall though, I was impressed by The Bicycle Teacher. I would recommend it to people who normally read travelogues or memoirs and to anyone who's interested in hearing about the 'other side' of the Cold War (ideologically speaking).
For those of you who want to hear a bit more about it before buying, The Bicycle Teacher is a novel narrated in the first-person by Michael, a young Australian mechanic who is disillusioned with Perth because of the uncrossable gap between the 'haves' of the western suburbs and the 'have-nots' in the east. Not wanting to become a bitter, angry drunk like his father, Michael looks for a way out of the cycle of poverty. During a trip to Europe in 1981, he meets a girl named Kathrin. He falls in love with both her and communism and crosses the Berlin Wall to East Germany to live the socialist dream. About halfway through the book the title begins to make sense, as Michael becomes an English teacher who rides a bicycle to work. But of course the Wall's days are numbered.
This book isn't for everyone. Michael's virulent belief that life is better behind the Iron Curtain may alienate die-hard capitalists, but I found it fascinating. Until now, all the books I read about the USSR featured repressed intellectuals wanting to escape to the West. But looking at things through the eyes of an everyman like Michael, it's easy to see the appeal of community and guaranteed subsistence, even if it means never achieving wealth or greatness. The East/West Germany East/West Perth mirror is cunningly constructed, and the theme of trying not to become one's parents gives Michael's experience a universal appeal.
The author has a gift for description and has obviously done his research into Cold War era Berlin. His matter-of-fact style and attention to detail makes it easy to picture cities, events, and people. One of my favorite descriptions is: “he had a stringy mustache that seemed to start from deep within his nose.” The only time the descriptions get weighed down by metaphor is when Michael gets maudlin. For the most part the story stays focused on Michael and his personal experiences, though toward the end it did stray a little further into politics than I usually like to go.
I wanted to like Michael, and for the most part I did. He seems like a real person with good qualities (he works hard, helps his neighbors, loves his family) and bad ones (he's judgmental, a bit homophobic, and extremely thick when it comes to Rudi). However, I didn't feel like I really connected with him. The bare-bones writing style told rather than showed his emotions, making him seem a bit cold and distant.
Overall though, I was impressed by The Bicycle Teacher. I would recommend it to people who normally read travelogues or memoirs and to anyone who's interested in hearing about the 'other side' of the Cold War (ideologically speaking).
June 7, 2016
A young man from Australia is dissolutioned with his life there.
He takes a trip to England, then ferries to Germany. He travels to East Germany, there he finds what he had been searching for. His future wife, job and education. After the Wall comes down he and his family move back to Australia.
I liked how the author brought out all the historical events of that era.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First reads.
He takes a trip to England, then ferries to Germany. He travels to East Germany, there he finds what he had been searching for. His future wife, job and education. After the Wall comes down he and his family move back to Australia.
I liked how the author brought out all the historical events of that era.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First reads.
December 13, 2016
Really enjoyed this book. Fascinating subject and a story well told. i like the way the author structures his story telling around events and places. I loved the main characters journey through romance, to youthful idealism all the way to middle age acceptance. An uplifting tale of "what might have been" tinged in so many ways with some sadness. The historical narrative is evocative, bringing back memories of those eventful days but with a different spin than those of us in the "West" are used to hearing. A really good read!
September 14, 2021
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review--from Library Thing, I think.
My honest rating would be 3.5 stars, but without that option, I give it 3, and not 4, because although I enjoyed this book and was very caught up in the storytelling, there are some aspects that take away too much for it to deserve 4 stars.
The author's narrative style is so realistic that I almost classify this book as a memoir, and that is its main strength: it is so realistic, so straightforward, the narrator's voice is masterfully accomplished: he witnesses what happens around him, he describes his relations with the people he meets, his reactions, his thoughts. Sometimes, books written in the first person are overwhelmed by the narrator's self, but in this case, the narrator is truly a lens through which readers see what he sees, and although he is not constructed as to be "bland" enough for any reader to identify with him (I certainly did not), he is presented in such a way that you understand him and accept the stupid things he does and thinks as feasible and believable (he is a bit, um, dense).
So why, even though I was very caught up in the story and very interested in what would happen next, do I not give the book a higher rating? Because the narrator repeats himself ad nauseaum, like a bad non-fiction writer who hopes to convince his readers about his argument by repeating it constantly instead of by presenting the evidence. In this case, the narrator really wants to convince readers that capitalism does not give people freedom, because social mobility is very difficult in countries where the state does not provide good universal education, etc., and because personal happiness and satisfaction is indeed impossible because they are made eternally dissatisfied: one must always have more and better objects, one is in a state of permanent competition with one's peers. Communism (in East Germany, at least), freed people from both the need to have more and better things, and freed them from competing with one another and indeed forced them to cooperate in order to be able to survive. Because he is not politically inclined, and he is not the smartest person, and he has no family or friends in the country until he has been there for a while, he does not understand the pain felt by people divided from their relatives and friends by the East/West frontier, and by the Berlin Wall; nor the pain and fear felt by people who are not as happy as he is with the system. But he learns...
The author, however, does not trust his evidence, nor the intelligence of his readers: perhaps because he thinks that most people in the world would need a lot of convincing to even start to consider that maybe capitalism does not give people freedom, and communism, despite political dictatorship, could have done so at the social and economic level. Perhaps because most readers would simply scoff at this, the author prefers to repeat the argument every ten pages, instead of trusting that smart and open-minded readers are able to see in the evidence presented (the lives of those in East and West Berlin, those in London, those in Perth), that indeed, there is an important truth in this argument. Those who are close-minded will not believe it no matter how many times he says it. And those that like a good book will in fact be turned off, as I was, by the constant repetition.
My honest rating would be 3.5 stars, but without that option, I give it 3, and not 4, because although I enjoyed this book and was very caught up in the storytelling, there are some aspects that take away too much for it to deserve 4 stars.
The author's narrative style is so realistic that I almost classify this book as a memoir, and that is its main strength: it is so realistic, so straightforward, the narrator's voice is masterfully accomplished: he witnesses what happens around him, he describes his relations with the people he meets, his reactions, his thoughts. Sometimes, books written in the first person are overwhelmed by the narrator's self, but in this case, the narrator is truly a lens through which readers see what he sees, and although he is not constructed as to be "bland" enough for any reader to identify with him (I certainly did not), he is presented in such a way that you understand him and accept the stupid things he does and thinks as feasible and believable (he is a bit, um, dense).
So why, even though I was very caught up in the story and very interested in what would happen next, do I not give the book a higher rating? Because the narrator repeats himself ad nauseaum, like a bad non-fiction writer who hopes to convince his readers about his argument by repeating it constantly instead of by presenting the evidence. In this case, the narrator really wants to convince readers that capitalism does not give people freedom, because social mobility is very difficult in countries where the state does not provide good universal education, etc., and because personal happiness and satisfaction is indeed impossible because they are made eternally dissatisfied: one must always have more and better objects, one is in a state of permanent competition with one's peers. Communism (in East Germany, at least), freed people from both the need to have more and better things, and freed them from competing with one another and indeed forced them to cooperate in order to be able to survive. Because he is not politically inclined, and he is not the smartest person, and he has no family or friends in the country until he has been there for a while, he does not understand the pain felt by people divided from their relatives and friends by the East/West frontier, and by the Berlin Wall; nor the pain and fear felt by people who are not as happy as he is with the system. But he learns...
The author, however, does not trust his evidence, nor the intelligence of his readers: perhaps because he thinks that most people in the world would need a lot of convincing to even start to consider that maybe capitalism does not give people freedom, and communism, despite political dictatorship, could have done so at the social and economic level. Perhaps because most readers would simply scoff at this, the author prefers to repeat the argument every ten pages, instead of trusting that smart and open-minded readers are able to see in the evidence presented (the lives of those in East and West Berlin, those in London, those in Perth), that indeed, there is an important truth in this argument. Those who are close-minded will not believe it no matter how many times he says it. And those that like a good book will in fact be turned off, as I was, by the constant repetition.
December 20, 2015
This was an excellent read.
I give this book five stars because it kept my interest from beginning to end and I really liked the style of writing .
I give this book five stars because it kept my interest from beginning to end and I really liked the style of writing .
January 29, 2015
For years I've wanted to teach a class (or lead a discussion group) on the idea of Conscience and Human Experience. The four books I would use for this group include Romain Gary's European Education, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea, Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon, and Petru Dumitriu's Rendez-Vous with the Last Judgment. Having read The Bicycle Teacher, I would add it to the reading list. An important book with a point-of-view not common in the West, The Bicycle Teacher explores the last ten years of the German Democratic Republic through the eyes of a young Australian who feels limited by his social class in Perth and free to become anything in East Berlin. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, his flawed utopia also crumbles, revealing all the rot within the system and the unfortunate fact that the system was betrayed by the people. Written in a personal, easy-to-read style, the book drew me in and left me in tears. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the political and social movements of the late twentieth century.
February 3, 2014
I received a free copy of The Bicycle Teacher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review. This book gives the reader another perspective of communism. The narrator moves from a capitalist world in Australia to a communist, later socialist, world in East Berlin at the time when the Berlin Wall still exists and later lives through the changes when the wall comes down. He comes to East Berlin as a guest worker. Because he knows the right people and he is well versed in English he is able to move from a mechanic to an English teacher. This would have never been possible for him in Australia. One of the important things in his life is equality vs freedoms. He sees West Berliners and Americans as arrogant. He misses the way life was in East Germany and becomes disillusioned after the reunification of Germany and moves his family to his roots in Australia and teaches in a local school. This book is well written, and I enjoyed reading it.
January 10, 2017
I really enjoyed the writing of this book. It's very open, honest, and made me think about society around me.
February 28, 2025
Woe is the man who hasn’t found love in Hamburg, this German pearl. From the docks of Hafen City to the soft fields of the Stadtpark I have experienced what can only be described as bliss. This is my Germany; A state of slow Sundays and generous friends. None of us have much and yet that’s more than plenty for our needs.
If I could spend every bright spring day hand in hand strolling through Altona, or all of the warm and drowsy summers evenings in a kleingarten with my beloved, I would consider myself luckier than I ever thought possible. I did not move to Germany in pursuit of love, and in fact may have used this new, old land to run from parts of my past I didn't care to address. But I ended up finding a life worth chasing.
This story was easy to pick up and hard to put down. It gave a very interesting account of what life in the DDR may have been like. Interesting too was exploring how the psychology of the protagonist influenced how he saw his time in East Berlin - he may touch on the mechanism, but seems unable to identify it in himself. Good book.
If I could spend every bright spring day hand in hand strolling through Altona, or all of the warm and drowsy summers evenings in a kleingarten with my beloved, I would consider myself luckier than I ever thought possible. I did not move to Germany in pursuit of love, and in fact may have used this new, old land to run from parts of my past I didn't care to address. But I ended up finding a life worth chasing.
This story was easy to pick up and hard to put down. It gave a very interesting account of what life in the DDR may have been like. Interesting too was exploring how the psychology of the protagonist influenced how he saw his time in East Berlin - he may touch on the mechanism, but seems unable to identify it in himself. Good book.
October 10, 2021
Very Nice
A beautiful story. Told from a unique perspective. I believe anyone would enjoy reading this regardless their point of view. Very well written as well . The author is very adept at setting the scene for each event with magical but not to long winded descriptions. His hyper cynicism towards western society is redeemed by his competence as a writer. He sure held the interest p this reader who is not quite of the same view. Well done.
A beautiful story. Told from a unique perspective. I believe anyone would enjoy reading this regardless their point of view. Very well written as well . The author is very adept at setting the scene for each event with magical but not to long winded descriptions. His hyper cynicism towards western society is redeemed by his competence as a writer. He sure held the interest p this reader who is not quite of the same view. Well done.
February 6, 2021
I enjoyed this book as it showed some of the positive sides to living in the GDR and there undoubtedly were some - as well as the obvious negative sides: the Stasi, lack of political choice, lack of freedom to travel etc. I also liked the style of writing; it did keep me gripped from beginning to end. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 as I could really have done without the homophobia.
October 21, 2020
Learned a lot
I found this story fascinating in that I learned a lot about east germany and about socialism, which sounded good, except when seen from the wessels. I remember the wall coming down, but I was too busy in my life to pay attention to it, and it makes me wonder how all of that worked out. I don't remember if the story was real, although usually true tales show pictures. If it wasn't real, it was written as if it were. I enjoyed it a lot.
I found this story fascinating in that I learned a lot about east germany and about socialism, which sounded good, except when seen from the wessels. I remember the wall coming down, but I was too busy in my life to pay attention to it, and it makes me wonder how all of that worked out. I don't remember if the story was real, although usually true tales show pictures. If it wasn't real, it was written as if it were. I enjoyed it a lot.
December 17, 2017
I received a free copy of "The Bicycle Teacher" by Campbell Jefferys through the "Good Reads First Reads Giveaway."
The fact that this book reads like an autobiography is a manifestation of the author's talent. However, his socialistic ideas are a little upsetting to one who believes in the benefit of Capitalism, despite its problems. Our homeless population is mostly made up of drug and alcohol addicted people and the mentally ill. Well meaning Liberal activists essentially closed the mental health hospitals that may have helped. We do have high crime rates but these are worst in Liberal precincts.
Communism is fine for those who want to be dependent on the state. The idea that any government knows best is sure to fail, over and over again. Unfortunately, for the majority, our society does reward talent and intellect but it also rewards hard work.
The author wrote an interesting and challenging book from a Socialist prospective. He is able to surprise us and definitely entertain the reader.
The fact that this book reads like an autobiography is a manifestation of the author's talent. However, his socialistic ideas are a little upsetting to one who believes in the benefit of Capitalism, despite its problems. Our homeless population is mostly made up of drug and alcohol addicted people and the mentally ill. Well meaning Liberal activists essentially closed the mental health hospitals that may have helped. We do have high crime rates but these are worst in Liberal precincts.
Communism is fine for those who want to be dependent on the state. The idea that any government knows best is sure to fail, over and over again. Unfortunately, for the majority, our society does reward talent and intellect but it also rewards hard work.
The author wrote an interesting and challenging book from a Socialist prospective. He is able to surprise us and definitely entertain the reader.
December 17, 2017
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from goodreads giveaways.
This book has a good flow and engaging narrative. I particularly like all the historical references. It reads almost like a memoir. Thoroughly enjoyable story that leaves you feeling like you better understand the people, place and time.
This book has a good flow and engaging narrative. I particularly like all the historical references. It reads almost like a memoir. Thoroughly enjoyable story that leaves you feeling like you better understand the people, place and time.
July 19, 2016
Thank you Goodreads for this gift. I read this book at an interesting time in my life. My husband has his masters degree and his CPA, works very hard but is about to get let go just because his boss doesn't feel like being nice. We live in a world where we assume that hard work and thinking outside the box will actually give you the opportunity to succeed. Bosses like forward thinking, right? Strong personalities who have great ideas? Hmmmm, not so much it seems. It's funny, but As I finished the book, I can kind of see what it was that drew Michael toward communism. I know! What??
When I began reading this book I thought he was absolutely crazy to see communism as a good thing. Like, wow! Does he know the definition? I realize now that the idea of something can morph into something ugly quite easily by a simple twist of words by individual perspective. People today seem completely consumed by greed - more, bigger, brighter, better.
My husband and I want to succeed as well and to teach our kids that hard work really does pay off. I too like the idea of community where you can trust and count on those you live near. I try to do all I can to help neighbors and I have a few who I know would do the same for me. That's what gives the feeling of home. I think this simplistic way of looking at life is what Michael expected when he moved to Germany to be with this beautiful, foreign girl.
I felt this book was well written. I enjoyed their passionate love story! It was really just a sweet and innocent love that brought them together. The story was not long so I appreciated the amount of detail provided in each paragraph that so efficiently told their story. (I am usually an epic novel reader.) the characters were well drawn and I really felt for Michael as the author introduced him to all of these people that he would soon call his family and friends. I felt scared for him. I also felt he should have caught on to Rudi's schemes a bit quicker but I chalked that up to him having such high hopes for his new life. One of the morals to this story that I consider now is that no matter what troubles you have, you cannot run from them. The grass is NOT always greener on the other side.
When I began reading this book I thought he was absolutely crazy to see communism as a good thing. Like, wow! Does he know the definition? I realize now that the idea of something can morph into something ugly quite easily by a simple twist of words by individual perspective. People today seem completely consumed by greed - more, bigger, brighter, better.
My husband and I want to succeed as well and to teach our kids that hard work really does pay off. I too like the idea of community where you can trust and count on those you live near. I try to do all I can to help neighbors and I have a few who I know would do the same for me. That's what gives the feeling of home. I think this simplistic way of looking at life is what Michael expected when he moved to Germany to be with this beautiful, foreign girl.
I felt this book was well written. I enjoyed their passionate love story! It was really just a sweet and innocent love that brought them together. The story was not long so I appreciated the amount of detail provided in each paragraph that so efficiently told their story. (I am usually an epic novel reader.) the characters were well drawn and I really felt for Michael as the author introduced him to all of these people that he would soon call his family and friends. I felt scared for him. I also felt he should have caught on to Rudi's schemes a bit quicker but I chalked that up to him having such high hopes for his new life. One of the morals to this story that I consider now is that no matter what troubles you have, you cannot run from them. The grass is NOT always greener on the other side.
June 9, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I am very interested in stories from the WWII era. It was interesting to read of the two sides, with Communism being the preferred way of life.
Written in the first person, this book is very realistic and reads like a memoir.
A disillusioned young man leaves his home and family in Perth, Australia, in search of a more meaningful life. He is tired of the class system, the haves and the have-nots, and the "grass his always greener" approach to life in his country. He ends up in East Germany, where he finds the equality and stress-free, non-materialistic way of life more to his liking. Hearing his views on Communism almost leads one to believe that he may have a valid argument.
Another interesting aspect of the story is the way the Americans are portrayed as powerful and egotistical enemies.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in life in East and West Germany at the time of the Berlin Wall and it's demise. What the Wall came to represent to citizens of both sides and how the lives of each were strengthened or weakened are explored and speculated on in a personal narrative.
Written in the first person, this book is very realistic and reads like a memoir.
A disillusioned young man leaves his home and family in Perth, Australia, in search of a more meaningful life. He is tired of the class system, the haves and the have-nots, and the "grass his always greener" approach to life in his country. He ends up in East Germany, where he finds the equality and stress-free, non-materialistic way of life more to his liking. Hearing his views on Communism almost leads one to believe that he may have a valid argument.
Another interesting aspect of the story is the way the Americans are portrayed as powerful and egotistical enemies.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in life in East and West Germany at the time of the Berlin Wall and it's demise. What the Wall came to represent to citizens of both sides and how the lives of each were strengthened or weakened are explored and speculated on in a personal narrative.
April 5, 2016
(Note: I won this book in a LibraryThing.com book giveaway.)
This is a rather unique story from a perspective with which I'm rather unfamiliar, even though I have spent some time in what is formerly the East German part of Berlin. The author balances an engaging narrative with history and an examination of political ideology, including the failures of said ideology.
What is perhaps also fascinating is that I found myself nearly sympathizing with the main character's journey including his critique of capitalist desire--but not for long, as the main character also quickly realizes. The one aspect that I did not find myself sympathizing with in the end, however, was the degree of melancholic nostalgia for a system that he hoped would have worked, despite the fact that it's never "worked" materially in any actual instantiation of reality. Is this a product of a falsely dualistic Marxist view of history? In either case, the story seems to capture real events and experiences in a convincing manner. Recommended for those looking for a bit of a different read along the lines of historical fiction.
This is a rather unique story from a perspective with which I'm rather unfamiliar, even though I have spent some time in what is formerly the East German part of Berlin. The author balances an engaging narrative with history and an examination of political ideology, including the failures of said ideology.
What is perhaps also fascinating is that I found myself nearly sympathizing with the main character's journey including his critique of capitalist desire--but not for long, as the main character also quickly realizes. The one aspect that I did not find myself sympathizing with in the end, however, was the degree of melancholic nostalgia for a system that he hoped would have worked, despite the fact that it's never "worked" materially in any actual instantiation of reality. Is this a product of a falsely dualistic Marxist view of history? In either case, the story seems to capture real events and experiences in a convincing manner. Recommended for those looking for a bit of a different read along the lines of historical fiction.
June 1, 2016
I have been an avid reader of East/West German fiction for a few years. It's hard to find a book which doesn't cast a predictable dark shadow across the memory of what it was like to live in the East.
The Bicycle Teacher is an altogether different and entirely refreshing perspective, written from the point of view of a disenfranchised teenage emigre, tired of what he feels to be the rat-race West. He pursues his love across the Iron Curtain and is given a second chance at life.
Firstly this is a touching love story, which is worth reading in itself; beautifully written and observant of human behaviour and frailties. However, it is also an important record of the largely overwritten or ignored narrative about the strengths of the caring communist society in stark contrast to othe consumerist, survival of the fittest West.
The author plays down the more sinister side of the GDR, such as occasional beatings of friends and colleagues and visits from party men, and chooses to focus instead on the fairness and contentment which he finds in the GDR. Stasiland was a great book, and so is this. Both written by Australians, and both worthy of 5 stars.
The Bicycle Teacher is an altogether different and entirely refreshing perspective, written from the point of view of a disenfranchised teenage emigre, tired of what he feels to be the rat-race West. He pursues his love across the Iron Curtain and is given a second chance at life.
Firstly this is a touching love story, which is worth reading in itself; beautifully written and observant of human behaviour and frailties. However, it is also an important record of the largely overwritten or ignored narrative about the strengths of the caring communist society in stark contrast to othe consumerist, survival of the fittest West.
The author plays down the more sinister side of the GDR, such as occasional beatings of friends and colleagues and visits from party men, and chooses to focus instead on the fairness and contentment which he finds in the GDR. Stasiland was a great book, and so is this. Both written by Australians, and both worthy of 5 stars.
August 18, 2014
I got this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The book started out with what felt to me to be a YA tone. This worked for the main character's age and perspective and I appreciated the familiar logic of a young person discovering the tenets of communism and thinking it would be a great idea. However, as the plot progressed and the YA tone did not evolve I found it to detract from the overall story. It felt like the character development and plot were held back by the tone and that the story could have unfolded more, with more chapters and details if the tone aged as the characters did. This may have been intentional, to show the lack of changing perspective in the main character as detracting from his quality of life, but for me it impacted my overall reading experience too much.
I did enjoy reading it but there were also several typographical errors in my version. Still, I appreciated the story as a unique look inside East Germany and I think a lot of the themes brought up ring true in considering our own versions of democratic societies today.
The book started out with what felt to me to be a YA tone. This worked for the main character's age and perspective and I appreciated the familiar logic of a young person discovering the tenets of communism and thinking it would be a great idea. However, as the plot progressed and the YA tone did not evolve I found it to detract from the overall story. It felt like the character development and plot were held back by the tone and that the story could have unfolded more, with more chapters and details if the tone aged as the characters did. This may have been intentional, to show the lack of changing perspective in the main character as detracting from his quality of life, but for me it impacted my overall reading experience too much.
I did enjoy reading it but there were also several typographical errors in my version. Still, I appreciated the story as a unique look inside East Germany and I think a lot of the themes brought up ring true in considering our own versions of democratic societies today.
February 10, 2017
Excellent perspective from the other side of the wall. Michael is the son of a blue collar family in Australia who is dissatisfied with the "haves" and "Have-nots." While spending a summer in England and West Germany, he gets more disgusted with the capitalist system. When he meets a girl from East Berlin visiting family in the West, he falls in love with her and the ideals of Communism. This book focuses on his life in East Berlin and how he sees the best Communism has to offer while trying to ignore and come to terms with the totalitarian aspects of the East German regime.
The author develops the characters very well and makes them relatable to the reader. Story flows very well and keeps you interested. As a child growing up during the end of the Cold War, it was very interesting to see the perspective from the East.
The author develops the characters very well and makes them relatable to the reader. Story flows very well and keeps you interested. As a child growing up during the end of the Cold War, it was very interesting to see the perspective from the East.
February 10, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. Took a bit of getting into and I did feel that the beginning (which was important to lay the context for the main body of the story) was a bit long winded and clumsy but once it got going was a great read. I don't state this just to be critical but as encouragement to other readers to stick with it.
I found the description of his life in East Berlin evocative and fascinating. What really impressed me was how so much of it seemed - to a relatively ignorant Brit - realistic, especially his experiences of reunification. Before this book I had just read "Stasi State or Socialist Paradise?: The German Democratic Republic and What Became of It" and watched the documentary "Behind the Wall" and I could see elements of fact and experience from these reflected well in the story line.
All in all, a great read that had me emotionally invested.
I found the description of his life in East Berlin evocative and fascinating. What really impressed me was how so much of it seemed - to a relatively ignorant Brit - realistic, especially his experiences of reunification. Before this book I had just read "Stasi State or Socialist Paradise?: The German Democratic Republic and What Became of It" and watched the documentary "Behind the Wall" and I could see elements of fact and experience from these reflected well in the story line.
All in all, a great read that had me emotionally invested.
February 21, 2017
This is a very interesting story that takes place in the 1980's. A young man from Perth, Australia meets and falls in love with a young woman from East Berlin. He is a very naive and not well-educated young man who knows very little about history and politics and decides that communism is the best system under which to live. While I really liked learning more about the history of the collapse of communism in East Berlin, I sometimes felt that the story lacked in emotional flavour. While the narrator often says, and often repeats what he says, he does not always show what he is feeling. We are supposed to believe that he left everything for this woman but their love affair doesn't feel, as the reader, very compelling.
January 4, 2019
4,5 stars because while it's quite realistic, there's an exaggerated description of the good parts of communism and too little is said about what wasn't so good. I know what I'm talking about because I grew up in Hungary and I was a high school student when we opened our frontiers to Austria. Reading this book was like a journey to the past for me and I do have some nostalgy for the simplicity of that life but it isn't true that everyone was equal and had the same opportunities. There were always people who found a way to have more than their neighbours and others struggled to have enough to eat. Life wasn't all happiness and laughter only beacuse there wasn't unemployment. Everyone has the right to freedom - what you do with it is your choice.
September 4, 2016
A really excellent read. Enlightening, educational and heartwarming.
I appreciated the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the characters and all their flaws.
Ultimately a love story, this book is so much more. A story of discovery, of relationships, of unity, of morals and of a country in economic turmoil and governmental segregation.
It's a tale of decision-making, of coming of age, of innocence and of guilt,with clear imagery and pacy story line throughout.
I appreciated the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the characters and all their flaws.
Ultimately a love story, this book is so much more. A story of discovery, of relationships, of unity, of morals and of a country in economic turmoil and governmental segregation.
It's a tale of decision-making, of coming of age, of innocence and of guilt,with clear imagery and pacy story line throughout.
August 10, 2017
A wonderful book catching the relationships between the different characters. The concept of a westerner going East in the 80s is unusual but this book deals with it superbly well. I did find myself shouting at the main character in his naivety in dealing with the East German authorities, but that is easy in hindsight. Well worth a read if you're interested in East Germany or the eastern bloc in general.
February 7, 2015
This book was a pretty decent book. It isn't every day that I get to read a book that has this level of romance wrapped in politics and history. It is a book I would suggest to anyone interested. In my opinion this author is quite capable of keeping the reader interested until the very end.
*won on GoodReads First Reads*
*won on GoodReads First Reads*
July 29, 2018
3.5. An interesting, thoughtful, entertaining novel about life in the GDR (East Germany) in the 1980s, presented in a refreshingly honest and balanced way. The writing felt a bit naive at times, it could do with a more thorough edit, and the protagonist's homophobia doesn't sit very comfortably. Overall a good read, however.
July 25, 2019
A fascinating insight into life in East Germany
I found this extremely interesting, as I could compare it with my experience in Czechoslovakia in the same period. It was surprising that the Ossies thought they were the best off in the Eastern Bloc. It was, of course, the Czechoslovaks! The atmosphere there was much better, although the same drawbacks existed in both countries.
I found this extremely interesting, as I could compare it with my experience in Czechoslovakia in the same period. It was surprising that the Ossies thought they were the best off in the Eastern Bloc. It was, of course, the Czechoslovaks! The atmosphere there was much better, although the same drawbacks existed in both countries.
January 29, 2014
Great book. I didn't know what to expect and I typically do not like books similar to this in terms of the romance. However, the history and political interests I have kept hooking me on the characters. I would recommend this good read and in fact already have to a few people. Cheers!
August 18, 2022
Excellent book!!!!
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