Wallner beginnt zu fliegen

by Thomas von Steinaecker

Stefan Wallner, verheiratet mit der Deutsch-Rumänin Ana, hat sich mit seiner Firma für Landmaschinen eine Heimat geschaffen. Der berufliche Erfolg ließ ihn seine katastrophale Vaterbeziehung vergessen. Aber über die Jahre hinweg, in denen die Firma floriert, schließlich mit einer anderen fusioniert und an die Börse geht, bröckelt das enge Verhältnis zu den Mitarbeitern innerhalb des Betriebs. Wallner fühlt sich verfolgt, wittert eine Verschwörung. Sein Sohn Costin ahnt nichts von der beginnenden Paranoia seines Vaters. Doch was bei Stefan Wallner nur im Kopf stattfindet, das erlebt Costin in Wirklichkeit, er zappt sich durch sein Leben und seine Rollen wie durch eine Fernsehserie. Er macht Karriere als Superstar einer vom Fernsehen gecasteten Popgruppe, er lebt Alternativkarrieren als Synchronsprecher in einem Hitler Zeichentrickfilm oder als Ex-Promi in einer Reality-Show. Er gründet ein Rock-Label, lebt mit Romy zusammen, der Sängerin der Gruppe "Erich", und erfährt erst spät von seiner unehelichen Tochter Wendy. Wendy trifft ihren Vater zum ersten Mal kurz vor ihrer Volljährigkeit. Die Mutter hatte ihr das Verhältnis mit Costin verschwiegen. Doch kaum hat sie ihren leiblichen Vater kennen und lieben gelernt, da stirbt Costin. Als Wendy sich nach dem Tod Costins daran macht, ihre Familiengeschichte zu rekonstruieren und aufzuschreiben, fällt es ihr bald schwer, zwischen Lebenslügen, Irrtümern und der nachrecherchierten Wirklichkeit zu unterscheiden. "Wallner beginnt zu fliegen" ist ein Familienroman, eine Saga über drei Familiengenerationen. Und ein Roman über die Frage, ob man Familiengeschichte so erzählen kann, wie sie wirklich passiert ist. Ein faszinierendes Debüt in drei Ein Wirtschaftsroman, ein Musikerleben und ein Frauenschicksal.

358 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Thomas von Steinaecker was born in Germany in 1977. A novelist and journalist, he has also written extensively for radio and is the creator of several documentaries, including Richard Strauss and His Heroines. Two of his novels, Wallner beginnt zu Fliegen (2007) and Die Verteidigung des Paradieses (2016), have been nominated for the German Book Prize.

Reviews

[Jörg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowadays, a nomination for the Deutscher Buchpreis gets a book attention, especially if it is shortlisted. 'Wallner beginnt zu fliegen' was one of five titles on the shortlist in 2007, the second prize since the Deutscher Buchpreis got transformed to a jury award. If anything is proven by social media platforms like Goodreads, it is the lack of longevity of such a nomination. Von Steinaecker even got a second nomination in 2016 for 'Die Verteidigung des Paradieses' but it doesn't seem to have a lasting effect on his popularity.

I have read both books and in parts I can understand why he doesn't appeal to a broader public. And why I will continue reading his books even though both books I read fall short of their potential. This is my main gripe with the author. His topics are original, he dares to write about today from a hypothetical future. But there is something lacking. The world he creates lacks consistency. His future ideas aren't fully convincing. Both effects hurt my reading enjoyment. Less here as Wallner is closer to reality than his more popular Verteidigung. But reading about Megadiscs as the new media format in the 2050's or new series of Mercedes cars that aren't electric still puts me off. Admittedly, streaming wasn't really a thing in 2007, smartphones were about to hit the market but hadn't arrived yet and e-mobility wasn't foreseeable. But all the issues of any foray into science fiction raise their ugly head.

Nonetheless, his daring attempts to write from a potential future are a reason why I am interested in the author. New questions are raised and answered. How will the future remember me? What will remain? This book is structured accordingly in three big parts and a one-page prelude, each of those parts given to one generation. The preamble is about great-grandfather Wallner dying in a train crash in the current time. As a small kink, the book also ends with this episode being crossed out from the narration.

The first big part is written from the eyes of Stefan Wallner, starting into the future for about 20 years (seen from 2007). He is the director of a company selling agricultural machines. The theme of this book becomes obvious. He's losing grip on reality with a starting paranoia. But nobody really notices as he covers this by inventing a new reality. In the following chapters it becomes obvious that his cover story was successful as nobody remembers Stefan Wallner as he was.

This is continued in the second part written from the eyes of Costin Wallner, Stefan's son. He is casted into a popstar band on TV. Continues his career in reality TV, dubbing actor and finally music producer. From the outside, his parents and his illegitimate daughter Wendy see him as successful. He himself lacks any self-criticism and conveys this image whenever possible. But as readers we are aware of his self-betrayal.

The final part we follow Wendy. She only learns about Costin being her father after her adolescence. She only has a short time with him before he dies by a stroke. While trying and failing to live her ideals, never being able to form a steady relationship, she takes a stab at reconstructing the life of her father Costin but also later of her grandfather Stefan and finally her great-grandfather. This is where this book works. We as readers "know" how the characters really had been but Wendy has to rely on photos and stories that remain. The bias to remember the positives of those deceased sets in. What Wendy remembers, is her past as she constructs it. As we all do. Who really knows what their parents and grandparents have done in their youth. The dirty deeds they didn't want anybody to know. The small white lies and everyday betrayals.