Siegfried Lenz
The Boy and the Sea of Silence
A book of memories,
A book of fetishes.
Recently, Siegfried Lenz, known as one of the "three masters of post-war German literature", translated and published his masterpiece "The Boy and the Sea of Silence" in China.
Stills from the German Lesson movie
In a melancholy tone of memory, the book tells the story of a sensitive and melancholy teenager struggling to get out of his trauma, and interprets the Introverted affection of Lenz to the extreme. To learn more about Lenz, start with this book, The Boy and the Sea of Silence.
The great German writers who influenced Mo Yan did not have only one "German Lesson"
Mo Yan once said: "Grasse and Lentz, their attraction to me is even greater than the attraction of Germany to me, if I can meet them, I think it will become my grand festival." And Yu Hua also told an interesting story about "stealing books": he borrowed a copy of Lenz's "German Lesson" from the library, because he did not want to lose it after reading it, he lied that he had lost the book, and paid a fine of three times the price of the book, so that he could always take it with him.
After the film of the same name of "German Lessons" aired, Lenz was known to more Chinese readers, but it was not enough to know the legendary writer who was more loved by the German people than Heinrich Burr and Günter Glass, two Nobel laureates in literature.
Lenz has achieved astonishing success in a variety of literary genres, with his works translated into 22 languages, sold more than 25 million copies, and adapted several works into films
A book of memories, a book of fetishes
The Boy and the Sea of Silence is a novel by Lenz written in 1999, the original German translation should be "Ana's Relic", and the translated title Chinese highlights the characteristics of marine novels. The novel tells the story of a 12-year-old boy Ana in calm, restrained and sentimental words, showing the inner struggle and pain of a sensitive and delicate boy.
The novel is told in the first person that "I" am Hans, the eldest son of Ana's foster family, and although he and Ana have only been together for two short years, they have developed a deep friendship between brothers and friends. The story jumps between memory and reality, opening a month after Ana's death, and Hans is caught in memories while sorting out his belongings. As the memories unfolded, Hans became more and more into Ana's inner world.
Lenz said in the interview: "Narrative is as important to me as learning how to live. To give yourself a clear understanding of this strange and strange life, narrative is a kind of self-liberation. Narration is a better way to understand! Storytelling provides me with an opportunity to have a clearer understanding of certain troubles, certain experiences. My purpose is not to liquidate, but to be able to see through. ”
Many people and things are annihilated in time, while others shine because of the distance of time. This is the light of silence, the unspoken words no longer need to be said, all misunderstandings have disappeared, and what is finally left is the sincerity that is difficult to hide in the plain narrative, and it is also a long dull pain hidden in the heart. This is both the worldly heart of Lentz's pen and the imprint he left on the history of literature.
[de] Siegfried Renz
Translated by Ye Huifang
Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House· KEY-can culture
Text/Guangzhou Daily, New Flower City Reporter: Wu Bo
Photo/ Guangzhou Daily, Xinhuacheng reporter: Wu Bo
Video/Guangzhou Daily Xinhuacheng Reporter: Wu Bo
Correspondent: Zhou Si
Guangzhou Daily New Flower City Editor: Liu Liqin