Horn Bückel

Synopsis, Horn Bückel (by Peter Imsdahl) "Horn Bückel,” a short novel that takes place in the mid-1990s in a northern German village of 300 people, a place not even marked on most maps. It follows the adventures of the young American, Paul Klose, in Germany to spend a year abroad. When he ends up looking for a room in the sexton's house and is persuaded by the pastor to take the job, his life path begins to cross with those of the villagers - be it in the context of work or in private life. The novel combines three narrative strands, all of which of course have to do with Klose, whose first-person perspective serves as the narrative perspective. On the one hand there is the job of sexton, which Klose accidentally adopted, which includes not only ringing the bells for almost every occasion, be it the christening of the carpenter's son, the death of a woman whose confidante he had become, or simply to announce that the farmer's work week is over. The burial of the village dead isn’t initially problematic, but becomes increasingly so when the dead there are not only anonymous faces, like that of a village aristocrat, but also those who have become close acquaintances. Second, there is his job as a Business English teacher at a nearby private business school, where his unconventional teaching methods cause an uproar, as the class discussions and his antics in class do not lend themselves to a “proper” German curriculum. Because he believes that he should educate his students to be more than multilingual secretaries, he aims to inspire future leaders in German business to explore life---a la Socrates. The third strand deals with Klose's courtship of the dairy farmer's daughter, Appel Stark, a woman ten years his junior but undeniably strong. His courtship is rather unfortunate, but Frau Stamm, Paul's neighbor, a little old woman who not only seems to be a walking farmer's almanac, but also a fountain of wisdom, helps him. Not only are the villagers brimming with helpful advice and warnings, but they don't shy away from shelling out rebuke as he undergoes the trials of being a sexton. While they give him the advice, it's equally clear that Klose is actually helpless as he "is a teacher by trade and therefore can't have the faintest idea what real work is, even where it begins." His closest adviser, Mr. Schwalbe, the former sexton, regularly informs him about the customs of the village, about who is who and how he has to treat them---dead or alive. Even when burying the residents under two cubic yards of dirt, Paul encounters rules and regulations that he can't always in good conscience follow. To make matters worse, the village is home to a greedy and condescending pastor and his sex-crazed wife; to a drunkard who once lends a helping hand to Paul digging graves; to know-it-alls aplenty. The story is loosened up from time to time by some bizarre suicides and the quasi search for the remaining Nazis who were looking for new hiding places in northern Germany at the end of WWII, an area particularly well-disposed towards Nazis at the time. The uncomfortable combination of teacher and gravedigger (an almost forbidden mixture of two extremely different classes) unsettles everyone who knows about it. In the end, he is in danger of losing everything except, or so he hopes, Appel.
ASIN: B0DDY2BF53
VSKU: BVV.B0DDY2BF53.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Imsdahl, Peter
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.