What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
Der Gletschermann
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. man exiled/chased from tribe/village for murder he didn't commit [s]
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No, unfortunately that sounds nothing like it.
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Is it a historical setting or a fantasy world?
Who was he accused of killing?
Did he have any special skills, physical traits, etc.?
► Are there any fantasy/paranormal elements? Is it a historical setting or a fantasy world?There is a slim chance that it featured subtle fantasy or paranormal elements which have slipped my mind, but as best as I can recall the setting was very plain. So historical, or in the ballpark thereof, since I couldn't say to what extent it was historically accurate and/or had any connections to real historical events.
[ !! There's something I'm remembering now, but I can't say for sure if I'm not just mixing stories, BUT: The basis/inspiration for the book MAY have been one or more set(s) of bones found in some mountain region, which showed signs of a violent death. ]
► Who was he accused of killing?
That would make for a super neat phrase to google, but unfortunately I haven't been able to remember zilch about that. I couldn't even tell if it was one or more people, somebody close to him or just somebody from the same tribe/village.
► Did he have any special skills, physical traits, etc.?
I remember absolutely nothing about him, but given the feel of the book this would make my best guess that he had no outstanding skills or traits.
No, unfortunately that's not it either.
UPDATE: I may have found the right book, thanks to one of the prompts I got here.It's called "Der Gletschermann" by Erich Ballinger and yes, sadly, seems to only be available in German.
Something about the murder victim being a blind woman strikes a cord, and none of the descriptions I've found feature anything that would rule it out for sure. I'm a little apprehensive about the date I've found for its publication, because March 2005 would be cutting it far closer to my potential timeframe than I'd have guessed.
( I graduated in June 2005, and I wouldn't have thought that I'd read it so close to my graduation. )
IN ANY CASE, I've ordered a used copy of the book, and I'll update you with the final verdict as soon as it arrives.
Extreme longshot, but I thought I might as well mention it Gate of Ivrel by C.J. Cherryh. It's the first in a trilogy called the Morgaine Saga, science and fantasy mixed. The book description isn't very good but I copied this bit from one of the reviews-"This novel is set on a world that exists in a pre-industrial, feudal level of development with rival clans vying for High Kingship. Vanye is a half-blood in a time when clans stick to their own, cast out by his father for slaying a half-brother. "
Then, time travel and ancient scientific Gates and magic (?) sword and stuff. But it starts out a lot like what you described :)
Nope, definitely not it, but thank you!
Last update: The book arrived, and I can confirm that it's the one I read back then. Thank you so much for your help, everybody!
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
Gate of Ivrel (other topics)The Fixer (other topics)
The Faraway Lurs (other topics)
It's called "Der Gletschermann" by Erich Ballinger. It only seems to be available in German, sadly.
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I read this book as paperback 10+ years ago, but I don't know how recently published it was at the time. I got it from our high school library, and it was either a YA or an adult novel.
What I remember most strikingly is the setting, cold mountains, snow and ice and isolation. Much of the rest is sadly a bit of a blur.
The setting was definitely not modern, and quite possibly so far in the past as to be prehistoric, but I could remember that much wrong.
It was about a man living in a tribe or village, who was wrongly accused of murder, and chased or banned or exiled from his home.
I don't remember anything else about the book with a lot of clarity, but as best as I can guess the bulk of it features his lonely wandering through the mountains & snow, and there is some kind of resolution about the real murderer, but I don't dare to hazard a guess as to what it was.
I do believe that I didn't forget whole chunks of vital and gripping plot, but rather that it was a very slow-paced and quiet book that relied more on environmental descriptions and the accused man's thoughtscape. The book featured little to no dialogue.
Its original language MAY have been something other than English, but it is/was definitely available in either English or German.
I remember thinking I wasn't too impressed with the book when I read it back then, but apparently it stuck with me enough that I kept thinking about it during those 10+ years, and I would really love the opportunity to give it another read. Thank you so much in advance for your help!