Schweigeminute

Between the factual, sometimes cynical descriptions, uniquely dense sentences unfold, in which the great storyteller designs the entire new world. Stella Petersen was undoubtedly one of the most popular teachers at the Lessing Gymnasium. Her zest for life, intelligence, and erudition earned her the recognition and natural respect of her colleagues as well as that of her students. And surely, the love for her student Christian, which broke in over the unequal pair at the end of the summer holidays, led to that confusion of feelings, the intensity and power of which overwhelmed both. Siegfried Lenz has written a magnificent novella about the love of a high school student for his English teacher, a story about growing up and being grown up, a story in which indescribable happiness stands alongside deeply felt sorrow.