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Visitation
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
21 posts | 18 read | 32 to read
A bestseller in Germany, Visitation has established Jenny Erpenbeck as one of Europes most significant contemporary authors. A house on the forested bank of a Brandenburg lake outside Berlin (once belonging to Erpenbecks grandparents) is the focus of this compact, beautiful novel. Encompassing over one hundred years of German history, from the nineteenth century to the Weimar Republic, from World War II to the Socialist German Democratic Republic, and finally reunification and its aftermath, Visitation offers the life stories of twelve individuals who seek to make their home in this one magical little house. The novel breaks into the everyday life of the house and shimmers through it, while relating the passions and fates of its inhabitants. Elegant and poetic, Visitation forms a literary mosaic of the last century, tearing open wounds and offering moments of reconciliation, with its drama and its exquisite evocation of a landscape no political upheaval can truly change.
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review
Kathrin
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Mehso-so

In this book, the author shows German history
between maybe the 1920s and 1990s by following the property ownership of a piece of land (which later had a house) on a lake outside Berlin.

While many of the stories are very powerful, the arrangement and the writing was often very confusing.

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Buechersuechtling
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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As I said, I liked listening to this book but I‘m really not sure if I would have made my way through it had I read it in physical form. Erpenbeck‘s writing style sometimes is a bit special because here and there she likes to insert extensive repetitions.

So I am prepared to need to struggle the next time I pick up one of her physical books because I feel that her art of writing might turn out to be demanding for me.

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Buechersuechtling
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

Yes, I see and appreciate all the hard work Erpenbeck put into this novel and I liked listening to it. But sometimes it‘s hard to follow her protagonists because none is gifted a name, most are only professions. The architect, the soldier … 🙄 I‘m sure, I lost track of who is telling the story towards the end – which in my eyes is a pity. Additionally, this novel seems to be related to Erpenbeck‘s own story and family. Why does she hide this❓

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Buechersuechtling
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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I was “a bit” surprised by @AnneCecilie ‘s comment because I wondered “Well, isn‘t this something obviously noticed?” and “What kind of pretty strange duck am I that such things only jump at _me_❓” 😉

But after a while it all flows calmly – maybe also because of the author‘s voice and way of reading – that I forgot that there is no direct speech in there. So far I like it. But still: You need a certain level of attentiveness …

AnneCecilie I might have been me too 😉 There‘s a lot of choices made by the author, I don‘t notice if I like the book. 4y
15 likes1 comment
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Buechersuechtling
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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This might be one you where you constantly need to be attentive.

The complete lack of spoken word caught me by absolute surprise. So far the story is only description. Quite unusual. I‘m afraid that it therefore _can_ happen that the book/narration becomes monotonous because I feel there‘s few that challenges the author‘s voice while reading her own book aloud …

So far I‘m still curious.

AnneCecilie I never thought about that while reading this myself. I guess I was just to lost in the story 4y
Buechersuechtling @AnneCecilie I‘m listening to the audiobook, that might make a difference. 4y
15 likes2 comments
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Buechersuechtling
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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Crystal clear that, if I don‘t find enough time to read my e-book, it definitely is time to check out another audiobook. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I made my choice based on running time. This one with 5 hours was the shortest.
So let‘s see who comes visit me in this “Vsitation”. 😉 I just now noticed how well the cover motive goes with the content. Since it‘s about a house during 20th century I like the idea of having a cover with a front door with bullseye pane.

charl08 I love her writing! Hope this worked for you. 4y
12 likes1 comment
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Buechersuechtling
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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As you were, @AnneCecilie ‼️

“Visitation” is exactly the book by Jenny Erpenbeck I was referring to in my comment under your post for the 1st quarter for #ReadingEurope2020.

Look, it received quite bad ratings – and I am absolutely unsure if I like the book‘s topic. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Must have been daydreaming when you posted your review. 🤭

Maybe I‘ll give the author a try – since I just figured out my library has most of her prose as e-books. ☺️

AnneCecilie I would definitely give her a try. The book is about a summer cabin that is built at the beginning of the 20th century. I‘m not sure what the bad reviews say, but the book requires that its reader has a basic knowledge of European and German history in this time periods since a lot of the big events are just referred to in passing and we see it through the people living in this cabin. So it‘s not your standard war novel. 5y
Buechersuechtling @AnneCecilie Uh, well, I‘m not sure if I‘m having enough detailed knowledge of 20th century history. 🤭 But I like what you‘re saying about it, and that‘s why it will go on my library‘s wish list. So thanks for the good bet. 🙇🏽‍♀️ 5y
AnneCecilie @Buechersuechtling I‘m not saying you need to be a specialist in history but that you need to know when the wars were, when the wall was put up, when it was torn down. Which to me isn‘t nothing much, but if one doesn‘t know these things, it‘s probably hard to follow 5y
Buechersuechtling @AnneCecilie 😃 Okay, I can manage that‼️ Thanks for advice. 🤗 5y
11 likes5 comments
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AnneCecilie
Heimsuchung: Roman | Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

Apparently Erpenbeck‘s novels are translated into Norwegian in reverse order, so this was published in Germany in 2007

At the beginning of the 20th century a summer house is build outside Berlin, next to it another house is built. As the years move on we learn how WWI, WWII, the Cold War and the Berlin Wall influences the families visiting their summer house. Sometimes it‘s the events that‘s just mentioned in passing, that is remembered.

Librarybelle Nice review! 5y
mollyrotondo I really love Jenny Erpenbeck. Haven‘t read this one yet though 5y
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB Echoing @mollyrotondo, I still must read this one. I really loved 5y
mollyrotondo @BarbaraBB I did too! It caused a heated discussion of mixed thoughts in book club but I really liked what she did. My favorite was 5y
BarbaraBB @mollyrotondo I have that one on my tbr! 5y
AnneCecilie I‘ve read both of the books, and the book I read now is probably more similar to The End of Days in format in that they both cover large time periods. Erpenbeck is fast becoming an auto buy author for me. 5y
AnneCecilie @mollyrotondo @BarbaraBB I‘ve read both of the books, and the book I read now is probably more similar to The End of Days in format in that they both cover large time periods. Erpenbeck is fast becoming an auto buy author for me. 5y
63 likes8 comments
review
Jari-chan
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Mehso-so

I've had my troubles with this book. But let me tell you - this is a book one only gets in retrospect. Also, one sure has to read it a couple of times to really get it. It might be a pick for me if I read it a second time. Just not sure if that's going to happen. Now that I've finished it I can see all the work and thought Erpenbeck put into her text and that's just astonishing.

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Rissa1
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

Such a somber story.
Tee ball practice allowed me to finish this. Book 1 of #24b4monday finished

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charl08
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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And now he had to consider himself lucky he was escaping with his life.

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Tamra
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

There is a lot to contemplate in this slim novel, it's rich & dense. For me it is about the temporary nature of our tenure on a piece of land or in a dwelling, in fact the temporary formations of even the landscape itself. If I reread this a year from now, I'd likely have a different perspective bc I know I didn't grasp it all. (Not a breezy read.) There are poetic descriptions of nature and some startling brutal human encounters and acts.

quietlycuriouskate It sounds fascinating! 7y
Tamra @River_Voice it was not at all what I was expecting! I'm not sure what I anticipated, but it did not disappoint. Required focus however, so it took a long time to get through, despite how short it is. (edited) 7y
minkyb Sounds intriguing! 7y
53 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Tamra
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Devastatingly written. Doris, a young girl orphaned, survives the deathly ride to a camp, only to be ushered to the pit with the old & "useless."

Lindy 😪 7y
Suet624 Ugh. 7y
charl08 Yes, this hit me hard too. 7y
40 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Tamra
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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There are some longer passages of exquisite writing about nature in this book. But here is a shorter gem that resonated.

"As if time, even when you grip it firmly in your hands, can still flail and thrash about and twist which way it will."?

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Tamra
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Book mail! 👏🏾 I've been waiting to read Visitation for quite a while and just recently read the summary of Tom Dooley after @MrBook mentioned McCrumb and was sold on it. Purrmaids #1 was a hit with my daughter, so onto #2.

MrBook Yay! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
batsy I'm interested in the Erpenbeck too 👍 7y
Tamra @batsy I think that will be up next. 😁 7y
34 likes3 comments
review
Lacythebookworm
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

#litsyreadingchallenge #indiepublisher This little gem follows the families that live in a German house over several generations. The stories are haunting and surprising. I would definitely reread this one to pick up on details that I may have missed. Published by New Directions, a press that produces outstanding titles. 📚😍

vivastory Love New Directions 8y
lovelybookshelf Sounds great and ohhhhhhhh that cover! 😍 8y
Lacythebookworm @vivastory Yes! 🙌😍 8y
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Lacythebookworm @lovelybookshelf It is a nice cover! The other book of hers that I'm hoping to read soon also has an A+ cover! 😊 8y
JazzFeathers I have to agree that's an awesome cover. I don't know about the story, though. I trend to be wary of stories that encompass multiple generations... l'm not sure why 8y
Kammbia1 I bought a copy recently and looking forward to reading it. 7y
125 likes11 stack adds6 comments
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Lacythebookworm
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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#readjanuary #readingequipment Airport edition! ✈️ Husband and I are off for a short vacation to celebrate his birthday!

Jenshootsweddings Oooooh have fun !! 8y
DaniRa Love the florals! 😍 8y
Cinfhen Safe travels ✈️ 8y
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RealLifeReading Such pretty patterns! Have a good trip! 8y
shanebeth love the coordination! 8y
Reviewsbylola Have fun!! 🌼🌸🌹 8y
MeganAnn Gorgeous!!! Have fun! ✈️ 8y
LornaDH I love all of this. Extra 😍for your composition book. Have the best time. 8y
kspenmoll Enjoy! Love your stuff! 8y
Tigerbook Awsome 8y
Lacythebookworm @Jenshootsweddings @Cinfhen @Reviewsbylola Thank you! A few book stores are on the itinerary so pictures to come! 8y
Lacythebookworm @DaniRa I love Rifle Paper Co! 😍 8y
156 likes13 comments
review
alohabetty
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

I don't have the words to properly review this short book. I'm always more moved by an author who can get across immense feeling with few words. Erpenbeck does this with brutal efficiency.

I think this one will haunt me for some time.

Tamra Super dense! I wish I had buddy read this with someone because I'd like to have other interpretations! 7y
8 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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alohabetty
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Once again, this time with feeling.
I stared this book several years ago, but only got a few pages in. I'm going to give it another go from the beginning again.
#currentread

mauveandrosysky What a pretty cover. 8y
ohyeahthatgirl I loved this book! I read it when it came out and I still think about it. 8y
Kammbia1 I bought a copy of this novel and looking forward to reading it. 7y
9 likes1 stack add3 comments
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peggyriley
Visitation | Susan Bernofsky, Jenny Erpenbeck
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Pickpick

Rereading this gorgeous, haunting thing. Such sharp writing.

3 likes2 stack adds