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The Stechlin
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The Stechlin by Theodor Fontane
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Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks came out three years after this novel by Fontane. It is difficult to believe that they lived in the same country in regards the contrasting tone. Fontane gives us a glimpse of life among the upper inherited land class (Junkers) of Eastern Prussia, the Mark Brandenburg area, at a time when their world was being confronted with all manner of new ideas, new values and new ways of viewing the world. In other words, it was a time when the Junkers way of life was ending.
The whole book is really a series of family events, and the surrounding dialogue between those participating in them. We meet the local school teacher, the parson, some rather left over old aristocracy, a number of neighbors and a couple of members of the military ranks, but the primary focus is on the Stechlin family and the courtship and wedding of the eldest and only son. Our parson and the sister of the bride represent a new way of viewing this world in transition, and the divorced Countess is a wonderfully alive character. The Stechlin himself, the family patriarch, is a very conservative and humorous old boy who doesn't take much seriously. Unfortunately he also decides to ignore the new doctor because he doesn't like the way he twirls his cane. Although Stechlin represents the ideal of what a Junker could be, he also condemns his whole tribe by virtue of not contributing very much to the world's progress, either intellectually or economically. He does, however, have some heart.
Fontane does a rather masterful job of making us like these people, and like being with them, while really making it clear that the world needs to move on without them.
I was disappointed by this book after enjoying Fontane's Effi Briest, but I may have missed a lot because the translation I read was poor. One Google review said it read like it was done by a bot, and I suspect that was the case. Generally the conversations seemed flat, and I didn't get much out of it. I feel like I read a different book to Gail, although I did end up liking the old gentleman - but only in the last chapters. Everything else left me cold.
I also gave it 3 stars, like Gail. I do agree with Rosemary though, that I thought Effi Briest was stronger. I teach and tutor European history for a test prep company, so I am fairly familiar with this stage of Prussian/German history, although definitely not an expert. I could place this in the context of the fairly recent Industrialization and unification of Germany, and removal of Otto Von Bismarck as chancellor by the Emperor and the beginning of the decline of the Junker class. This background knowledge did help in appreciating the work. The more specific differences in opinion between Von Stechlin and that of his military more "new nationalism" son were interesting and not things I would have necessarily known.
This book focuses on a member of the the Junkers, who were the Prussian traditional landed gentry, and were particularly politically active during the chancellorship of Von Bismarck who was himself from that class, and largely in opposition to more expansive democracy. To some extent, this book really seems to romanticize the Junkers- it does make the point that the world is moving on without them- but it seems to suggest this is something to be mourned. Fontane was apparently a strong critic of the militarism of the German Empire in its wars with Austria, France, and Denmark in the 1860s-70s. I wonder if his intent was for this book to be more of a send-up of the Junkers than it comes across as, or if he associates them more with the traditional Germanic provinces (like Prussia) versus the more modern unified German military machine (exemplified more by Von Stechlin's son).
Dubslav von Stechlin himself comes across as a laid back, not politically concerned, amiable man who just wants to tend to his estate and socialize with his staff and local people. He is kind of presented to make the point about the Junkers being too comfortable and detached from public life to have remained relevant in the face of modernization, and I'm not sure this is the most accurate way to characterize them at this point in history on the whole. Him and the decaying estate seem to represent a changing of the guard from the traditional to the modern that does work, though.
The book is not very plot heavy and most of the interest/conflict in this book is supposed to stem from the long political discussions and how different positions (traditional, military nationalism, and progressivism) clashed with each other at the time, and the sense of looming doom of houses like Von Stechlin. It worked for me to a certain extent, but it certainly wasn't the most exciting book I've ever read and as a modern reader, the scope of the book now seems incredibly fishbowl-y.
It's hard to judge the prose given the meh quality translation I read. But, that aside, I'm not sure the perspective and action/lack of action would have been exponentially increased with better translation. That said, it was a fine book that served as an interesting capsule to this class and point in history. I gave it 3 stars, and if I wrote the list would potentially bump it for something else.
I also read a Kindle version of this book and the translation was terrible, particularly of the conversations which are the most important elements of the novel. I therefore only gave it two stars, although I realise that it must have more merit than I credit it with to be on the list. The descriptions of the countryside near Berlin, were lyrical and interesting, but because the characters’ speeches were so jumbled I found it difficult to imagine much about the various characters. Not a book I would recommend.
Mod
This was the second book by Fontane for me. This was a slow read and a good way to promote sleep. A story about the end of an era and a class of people. It was not plot driven. The best part was the last part when the old Stechlin faces death alone with the various classes of people that are stepping in to ease his way out.
Terrible translation for me as well. I think this would be a much better experience in a better translation. I think the rating would be higher if I had read it as a study rather than trying to fight falling asleep every time I picked up the book and hoping to get it done before the end of the month.
It would seem that I read a profuse amount of German literature this month. It was completely unintentional. This is a comedy of manners about an aging man from Prussian aristocracy and his son who live in a crumbling castle on the shores of Lake Stechlin in Northern Germany. The book takes place around the turn of the 20th century. Not a lot really happens here, aside from a a lot of dialogue between characters. There is virtually no plot. It is, however, a beautifully written and thought-provoking book with likeable characters.