GERM 120A MOD GER PROSE (Course appears not to be offered currently)
This was an excellent course. Professor Sabalius chose an interesting collection of materials to read and the discussions in class were enlightening. The requirements for the course included writing summaries of each of the books we read (see document below). Warning: Non-native German writing to be expected.
My favorite book was Brandung, by Martin Walser. The story of a German career academic coming to UC-Berkeley (called Washington University in the book) to live out some American, and particularly West Coast fantasies has both comedic and tragic elements. Some of the cultural misconceptions remind me of the time I met a young German couple at San Francisco International Airport. Upon disembarking from their Lufthansa flight they asked me, an obvious local, “where can we see the Hell’s Angels Motor Cycle Gangs?”
Content:
Literature read in GERM 120A included the books listed below. Here is a link to a .pdf that includes 1-2 page synopses of each of the books. Note: The synopses are written in German (by a student of German). German 120 Modern Prose / Document created using DITA.
Tonio Kröger, by Thomas Mann
Der Verwandlung, by Franz Kafka
Steppenwolf, by Hermann Hesse
Katz und Maus, by Günter Grass
Ansichten eines Clowns, by Heinrich Böll
Brandung, by Martin Walser
Der Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse