As usual I am lagging along behind the rest of the group (I wish I was a faster reader, but oh well) for Caroline and Lizzy's readalong of Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane. You can read Caroline's thoughts here and Lizzy's here (thanks to her for this week's questions) and there are links to other Q&As here. I have to say I sort of like this kind of set up (answering questions) for an occasional book post. It's a different way to think about a story.
In case you're not familiar with Effi Briest, this is a German classic. It is considered to be a masterpiece of German realism. Effi is a young woman married off to a much older man. She has an affair, which will result in tragic consequences. Does the theme sound familiar? It was a serialized novel, which was later published in book format in 1896. Just for comparison sake-- Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary was published in 1856 in serial form and 1857 in book format, and Anna Karenina was published in installments from 1873-1877. Isn't it interesting that these novels, written from the woman's perspective, were all written by men. Now I must think about a similar novel written by a woman!
So without further ado, here are my own answers.
Welcome to the 1st German Literature Month Readalong! Had you heard of Theodor Fontane and Effie Briest before now? What enticed you to readalong with us?
I had heard of Theodor Fontane before this readalong. His name came up in relation to Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary and Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, both of which I have reread/read in the last year. It was suggested I read Effi Briest as well. I admire/appreciate both books in different ways and was curious to see how Effi would compare to Emma and Anna. Both heroines led such tragic lives with awful endings (neither particularly deserving in my own opinion), despite perhaps not having always made the best choices (but then who amongst us has?). I had marked this book as one to read this year in any case, so this was the perfect excuse to make sure I pulled the book off the shelf and crack it open, and I am so very glad I did.
Which edition/translation are you using and how is it reading?
I am reading the Penguin Classics edition, which is translated by Hugh Rorrison and Helen Chambers. I'm not at all familiar with either translator's work, but it seems quite smooth to me. According to the translator's note this edition was produced as previous translations were outdated or abridged.
"Much has been written about the difficulties of translating a writer as subtle as Fontane, and there is no doubt that he presents particular problems. We have tried to get as close as possible to the effect of the original by rendering the natural feel of the conversation while still retaining the more poetic aspects of the text. Without, we hope, being anachronistic, we have avoided old-fashioned expressions, for the effect the novel had on Fontane's contemporaries was anything but old-fashioned."
I fear I am probably missing out on some of the subtleties of the original writing, as there are certain aspects of the language and colloquialisms that are undoubtedly untranslatable, but it's either read a translation or not at all. Hopefully by reading along with others in the group who might be reading in the original German I can pick up on some of the things I am missing. Strangely (sadly) this edition appears to now be out of print in the US (except in ebook form).
Is the novel living up to your expectations?
I wasn't quite sure what to expect honestly, and while I'm not sure if I can explain why (not really sure myself), but it has a different feel than I expected--not in any way bad, just different. It's a slim novel (especially compared to Anna Karenina), though it is perhaps more intimate than Anna K. It's much more just about Effi's situation than a panorama of German life at this period. She's an interesting character, very young and with a seemingly rich imagination (like Emma Bovary).
What do you make of Effi Briest and Baron von Instetten. What motivates them? What do you make of their match?
It's a little concerning that he is not only much older than she, but that he was at one time paired with Effi's mother. I'm guessing it wasn't unusual for younger women to marry a slightly older and more established man. He seems very ambitious and not open to too much nonsense. My first impression is that Effi is a little flighty. She is only 17, so this isn't surprising. She seems more interested in lovely things to own and in making a good match than just what it means to be married. She doesn't, at least at first glance, to seem to have a lot of depth, but I suspect this is age and upbringing as much as anything else.
How are you reacting to Effi's parents?
Why have they let this match happen? Even Effi's father tells his wife that she would have made a better match with Instetten, and that it is a pity really. Is it some strange wish-fulfillment on the part of her mother to pair her daughter with her old flame?
Are there any secondary characters to whom you are particularly drawn? Any to whom you are adverse?
I like Gieshübler. He's an oddish character with his uneven shoulders and short fur coat and tall hat, but he seems to be Effi's only friend. How can you not like someone so congenial who fills the role of so many for Effi (father, uncle, teacher, admirer) and who so thoughtfully always sends her chocolates! The other aristocratic families that they visit all seem very shallow, and Effi seems very much alone while her husband works. And I think Roswitha, who will be the child's nurse, might have a little potential, too.
Effi Briest was originally serialized in 6 parts. I'm assuming that its 36 chapters were published in 6 monthly parts of 6 chapters each and the novel seems to bear this out. How does the mood of the first part (chapters 1-6) contrast with that of the second (chapters 7-12)?
The first part seems fairly cheerful and optimistic even though Effi does feel a little concerned by the match. She's willing to go through with it as it is her duty and she wants to please everyone, in particular the Baron. There is excitement about Effi's pending marriage and honeymoon that will follow in Italy. She and her mother are buying things for her new home, and it is telling that the choices she makes are not always very appropriate or practical, as her mother points out it all seems like flights of fancy. After the two are married the tone is darker. Kessin seems almost like a backwater. It's a seaside town but in winter it seems barren of people. Effi is obviously worried at being alone in the house. She hears noises and thinks she sees ghosts and has nightmares. Instetten is all but dismissive of her concerns.
We finished our first reading at the end of chapter 15 or the middle of part 3. Where is Effi in terms of her psychological development and how does that bode for the future?
It seems she is putting her hopes into her coming child. She remarks that Instetten is good and kind but no lover. Somehow it doesn't seem quite enough for a young girl to have so little attention in a marriage. It isn't until after she has their child that he finds that she has a seductive quality about her. Is she still just a young woman with a baby or has she developed psychologically since her marriage? I'm not sure. I have a feeling her lessons are going to be hard-learnt.