Ferdinand, The Man with the Kind Heart
Author | : Irmgard Keun |
Publisher | : Other Press, LLC |
Total Pages | : 257 |
Release | : 2020-12-08 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781635420357 |
ISBN-13 | : 1635420350 |
Rating | : 4/5 (350 Downloads) |
Download or read book Ferdinand, The Man with the Kind Heart written by Irmgard Keun and published by Other Press, LLC. This book was released on 2020-12-08 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last novel from the acclaimed author of The Artificial Silk Girl, this 1950 classic paints a delightfully shrewd portrait of postwar German society. Upon his release from a prisoner-of-war camp, Ferdinand Timpe returns somewhat uneasily to civilian life in Cologne. Having survived against the odds, he is now faced with a very different sort of dilemma: How to get rid of his fiancée? Although he certainly doesn’t love the mild-mannered Luise, Ferdinand is too considerate to break off the engagement himself, so he sets about finding her a suitable replacement husband—no easy task given Luise’s high standards and those of her father, formerly a proud middle-ranking Nazi official. Featuring a lively cast of characters—from Ferdinand’s unscrupulous landlady with her black-market schemes to his beguiling cousin Johanna and the many loves of her life—Ferdinand captures a distinct moment in Germany’s history, when its people were coming to terms with World War II and searching for a way forward. In Irmgard Keun’s effervescent prose, the story feels remarkably modern.