Simon / Inge und Mira : 2 Romane

by Marianne Fredriksson, Senta Kapoun (Translator)

Auch mit ihrem zweiten Roman Simon wird Marianne Fredriksson an den Riesenerfolg von Hannas Töchter anknüpfen.

Die Geschichte des kleinen Jungen Simon beginnt in Schweden in den Jahren, als das Naziregime in Deutschland seine Schatten bis in den hohen Norden zu werfen beginnt. Simon ist ein Adoptivkind und weiß, daß er Jude ist, auch wenn seine Eltern, beide überzeugte Sozialisten, nur ungern darüber reden. Doch die Angst in den Gesprächen der Erwachsenen ist für den Jungen unüberhörbar.

Marianne Fredriksson schildert ihre Personen mit einer ungeheuren Tiefenschärfe und sensiblem psychologischen Gespür. Unvergessen nach der Lektüre bleibt Simons unglaublich starke Mutter, die schon früh intuitiv erkennt, daß "Liebe nichts anderes ist, als das Nichtvorhandensein von Angst", und es fertigbringt, diese Haltung an ihre Mitmenschen weiterzugeben. --Manuela Haselberger

648 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2004

About the author

Marianne Fredriksson was a Swedish author who worked and lived in Roslagen and Stockholm. Before becoming a novelist, she was a journalist on various Swedish newspapers and magazines, including Svenska Dagbladet.

Fredriksson published fifteen novels, most of which have been translated into English, German, Dutch and other languages. Most of her earlier books are based on biblical stories. A central theme in her writings is friendship because, as she maintained, "friendship will be more important than love" in the future.

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a review of Simon's Family: A Novel of Two Families. by Marianne Fredriksson (Author), Joan Tate (Translator). Since the book is a number one international bestseller, I do not understand why the title is not on Goodreads!!!! In her #1 international bestseller Hanna's Daughters, Marianne Fredriksson brilliantly evoked three generations of mothers, daughters, and the men in their lives. Now in her haunting new novel, she traces the extraordinary relationship between a mother and son, and the remarkable family they inhabit, exploring an emotional landscape of restless souls and resilient hearts. Ever since childhood, Simon Larsson has struggled with inexplicable feelings that something from his past was not quite right. The expansive sea bordering his Swedish homeland fills him with longing--for connection, for freedom. But freedom from what? And why does Simon feel so lonely in the center of a loving family? His devoted mother, Karin, the backbone of the house, is the person everyone turns to in time of need; Erik, his father, harbors the simple dream of one day owning a boatyard. Yet history forces them to conceal a shattering secret from Simon--one that, if ever revealed, threatens to destroy them all..... I am obviously not reading the book in Swedish...... Whenever I read a WWII / Holocaust novel set in Sweden, I cannot help but think of the fact that Sweden was "neutral" during WWII. When Simon and Isak sail to Norway, they are too ashamed to walk the streets of Oslo. During the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Sweden allowed the Wehrmacht to use Swedish railways to transport the German 163rd Infantry Division along with heavy weapons from Norway to Finland. German soldiers traveling on leave between Norway and Germany were allowed passage through Sweden. Iron ore was sold to Germany throughout the war. Germany used this ore in its weapon production, and trade form Sweden to Germany eventually became so large that ten million tons of iron ore per year was shipped to the Third Reich. The government did not interfere with the trade because of its official policy of neutrality. Sweden cannot be thoroughly denounced for its neutrality and bargains with the Nazis. Many individual Swedes were not neutral and helped Norwegians, Finns, and others to escape occupied territories. During the war, Sweden softened its policy against accepting refugees, admitting thousands of Jews and political dissenters from Norway and Denmark. Along side Schindler, Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg is one of the best known rescuers of Jews. (4 August 1912 – disappeared 17 January 1945) He saved tens of thousands of Jews in German-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust. While serving as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest between July and December 1944, Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory.... I have very mixed feelings about this book - sometimes I loved it - sometimes I became impatient with the time spent "off with the fairies". I understand Isak's dissociation because of his abuse as a Jewish child in Germany, but he is not the only character who disappears into an alternative reality. Although I do not believe the book was intended to be anti-Semitic there was one episode that disturbed me. When Isak's wife delivers twins, one has fair hair and the other dark. The author writes that one was a Jew, the other a Swede. They are both children of the same parents..... The title Simon's family is accurate in that Simon is one of the least interesting and narrated characters. Mild recommendation. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Artan Nd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es könnte wohl eine Wahre Geschichte sein. Es schildert sehr schön die Verzweiflung die man hat in kritischen Situationen seines Lebens.

[Heli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toinen maailmansota Ruotsin näkökulmasta, juutalaisuus