On Tangled Paths by Theodor Fontane
And another romance of the 19th century... I like that time. Irrungen, Wirrungen by Theodor Fontane (in English On Tangled Paths, in French Errements et Tourments). I read it in German (the EinFach Deutsch version) where it contained 178 pages. (girls and boys at the age 18 - because of the genre). Originally published 1888.
Knowing this won't last, the poor stitcher Lene gives in to the advances of the officer and baron Botho. But after a wonderful summer together, reality catches up with the young couple: To pay his high debts, Botho has to marry his rich cousin Käthe...
I absolutely loathe Botho. But apart from that, I like this book very much. The story is nicely done, as are the characters.
I especially like Lene's mother. She's sweet. And the doctor really only ever comes too late.
Well. First to Käthe. She's the walking ideal of that time: She's good at saying nothing and a ball of sunshine, pretty and rich. I'm sorry for her, that she has to end up with Botho. As I said, I don't like him. He's arrogant, self-important, self-centred, shallow and a coward. And he dislikes Käthe. He's one of the very few men of that time who can't be happy with her – meaning that she won't ever be really happy with him.
I personally don't care whether Botho gets his happy ending or not. He's an idiot. He treats Lene like she's worthless: She does everything to please him and he always says it's not enough or that she should do it differently. He's basically not in love with her but with her life – an idealised view of her life. He uses her for entertainment – when it pleases him. The moment he gets to another place, he's suddenly ashamed for her and her life. He forgets his promises to her and her neighbour, he gives Lene another name to hide his feelings for her. To his credit: Botho develops, in the end. He finally learns to keep his promises and sees what he missed with her. I like that.
Spoiler:
But I'm glad he and Lene didn't end up together. Like I said, I don't like him. And she deserves more. Because, in the end, he'd probably use his heritage and his title against her.
Lene himself is a very sweet-natured woman who doesn't care about society. She's optimistic and practical and tries to enjoy the relationship while it lasts. But she's still thoughtful and intelligent, caring and loyal. She takes her responsibilities seriously and protects others. She always sees Botho as he is, she never lets love cloud her vision – in contrast to him. Lene's an adult, while Botho is a spoiled child.
Which is why Gideon is far better for Lene: He cares about her, he really does. He treats her like someone who's equal to him (even though his themes of conversation are unusual) and he takes care of her mother. He has a clear view of morals and what's right and wrong – and it has nothing to do with the views of the society in general. Otherwise he'd have a problem with her history. So, he's lots of better than Botho, even though he isn't as carefree as she is. He'd have to learn to loosen up a little – but I think that this would happen over time, because Lene is just such a warm person that she could melt a block of ice just by smiling at it.
Apart from the characters, the story was well written and tense, with many twists and turns.
In brief:
I give this book a star for style, characters, content and ideas.