"Berlin Alexanderplatz" by Alfred Doblin

When I decided to read this book I did not have any info about it. I decided just because of the title – “Berlin Alexanderplatz”. Usually, in 99% of cases I check the books before I’m taking my decision about reading them (especially those, which I can’t earlier open and at least look through it). But those, who know me, know that I’m crazy about Berlin, and this square and its’ surroundings is one of my favorite places there. That’s why I decided on spec. First I could not find it anywhere, but one of my internet-bookworm-friends helped me and she borrow it for me :)

And that’s how my adventure with this book started. Honestly, I had a hard time during reading it! The story itself – the story of Frank Biberkopf – is compelling. We’re meeting him in the gate of the Tegel prison, from where (after spending there a few years for the murder) he is right now starting a new chapter of his life. Frank promises himself to live and to work honestly, avoid troubles and old companions. How will he manage? How the whole story will finish? What will the life bring to Frank during Just one year since this moment? I don’t want to tell much about the story line, but I will just mention that he will open and close a few more chapters of his life. Frank will be surrounded by more or less interesting characters, friends and enemies – how it’s usually in life. He will have a great deal of bad luck and quite much luck as well. But, at the end he will find out still that it’s better to live with other people, together, for each other. Then we know better what is good and what is bad. Will it be like that? I don’t know, but I’m willing to believe to Frank. That’s about the plot.

I had a hard time during reading because of the language and the style used in this book. In the foreword we are warned that this author like to “destroy the forms of the novels”. But I did not expect what I’ve got ;) Many times (especially during first 200 pages) I felt as I’m reading 10 different books in one + the newspaper with announcements. The plot is interrupted many times with small fragments, which doesn’t have any logical background and relation with the whole story. For example during one walk of Frank we’re getting to know how different plants are reacting for a cold weather. I need to admit that those fragments dishearten me often.

Berlin is very much settled in the plot of this book. We’re getting to know quite well many streets, squares, districts; we know how they looked like in the twenties of the last century. We get to know as well different information about architecture, transportation, economy, social relations etc. For me those descriptions of Berlin were an “added value”, because I could compare the look of the places which I know :)

To sum up – the story itself it’s interesting, but because of the style used I could not relish those 600 pages of reading.