Fiction

Go, Went, Gone

Go, Went, Gone

  • Downloads：8651
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-05-28 11:55:17
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Jenny Erpenbeck
  • ISBN：1846276225
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Summary

One of the great contemporary European writers takes on Europe's biggest issue

Richard has spent his life as a university professor， immersed in the world of books and ideas， but now he is retired， his books remain in their packing boxes and he steps into the streets of his city， Berlin。 Here， on Alexanderplatz， he discovers a new community -- a tent city， established by African asylum seekers。 Hesitantly， getting to know the new arrivals， Richard finds his life changing， as he begins to question his own sense of belonging in a city that once divided its citizens into them and us。

At once a passionate contribution to the debate on race， privilege and nationality and a beautifully written examination of an ageing man's quest to find meaning in his life， Go， Went， Gone showcases one of the great contemporary European writers at the height of her powers。

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Reviews

Pelin ，

Dnf at %11

Sami Eerola ，

What a wonderful book。 I did not remember why i took this book to read or what it was about。 So i was pleasantly surprised that the story starts as a existential pondering on life and retirement and then transforms itself to a story about a old men trying desperately to help African refugees that he befriended by accident。 The book is technically well written and the story in itself is interesting and emotionally captivating。 This book is so good that i am not even sure if it has a political mes What a wonderful book。 I did not remember why i took this book to read or what it was about。 So i was pleasantly surprised that the story starts as a existential pondering on life and retirement and then transforms itself to a story about a old men trying desperately to help African refugees that he befriended by accident。 The book is technically well written and the story in itself is interesting and emotionally captivating。 This book is so good that i am not even sure if it has a political message about refugees or is just a slice of our reality and human existence。 。。。more

Molly ，

Really liked this book， and from the synopsis it seemed like one that wouldn't resonate much for me。 But it did， both Richard's story -- a recently retired and widowed academic living by a lake where someone drowned last year （and remains submerged） -- and the stories of the refugees he befriends near his home in Germany as he steps into a new way of being， as well as the interactions between Richard and these men， whose lives are always on hold now， always unlocatable in the past， present， or f Really liked this book， and from the synopsis it seemed like one that wouldn't resonate much for me。 But it did， both Richard's story -- a recently retired and widowed academic living by a lake where someone drowned last year （and remains submerged） -- and the stories of the refugees he befriends near his home in Germany as he steps into a new way of being， as well as the interactions between Richard and these men， whose lives are always on hold now， always unlocatable in the past， present， or future， as they live or die at the whim of others who don't want them， trapped in a system of administrative posturing。 The book is novelistic （it is a novel）， but also philosophical， educational， lyrical in places， especially in Richard's thoughts。 There's a lot here about Germany as well: Richard lived in East Germany most of his life and then one day in Nov。 1989 he lived in the unified country of Germany and his commute got a lot shorter。 This is a book that could leave the reader thinking about its various strands long afterward。 。。。more

Max ，

Eine rätselhafte Entwicklung nimmt dieses Buch: Über 200 Seiten wird ein komplexes Bild mit zahlreichen Figuren， aber eben auch Bezugsebenen aufgebaut。 Auf den letzten 150 Seiten hatte ich dann ein Buch in der Hand， das vor allem auf starke Antagonismen und damit einhergehende Emotionen setzt。 Ich mags nicht， wenn ich bemerke， was ich fühlen soll。Richard， gebildet， emeritiert， ein Ost-Überbleibsel und seit dem Tod seiner Frau （why？） allein im großen Haus， lernt zufällig das Elend einer Gruppe vo Eine rätselhafte Entwicklung nimmt dieses Buch: Über 200 Seiten wird ein komplexes Bild mit zahlreichen Figuren， aber eben auch Bezugsebenen aufgebaut。 Auf den letzten 150 Seiten hatte ich dann ein Buch in der Hand， das vor allem auf starke Antagonismen und damit einhergehende Emotionen setzt。 Ich mags nicht， wenn ich bemerke， was ich fühlen soll。Richard， gebildet， emeritiert， ein Ost-Überbleibsel und seit dem Tod seiner Frau （why？） allein im großen Haus， lernt zufällig das Elend einer Gruppe von Flüchtlingen kennen， die in der Nähe von Berlin zwar hausen， aber niemals ankommen dürfen。 Angst essen Seele auf also。 Zugleich webt Erpenbeck noch einige Gedanken um die Auflösung der DDR in den Text。 Auch die Hoch-Literatur findet immer wieder Erwähnung。 Ich war daher 200 Seiten lang begeistert von diesem gut geschriebenen Buch， das eine klar einwanderungsfreundliche， weltoffene Haltung vertritt und vehement in seinen Anklagepunkten ist。 Das fetzt und wirkt wie ein Krafttext， der für viele Intolerante oder zaudernd Abwägende der benötigte Ziegelstein zu sein scheint – ein gut aufgebauter und elegant beschrifteter Ziegelstein sogar。 Die „Einzelschicksale“ der Flüchtlinge schocken durchaus， mit den Bildern von Booten und Schlangen und Pegidisten vor dem inneren Auge kamen sie mir allerdings nie dramatisiert oder instrumentalisierend vor。 Ja， wir sollten nicht vergessen， welch großes Schwein wir haben， hier und heute geboren zu sein。 Ein Verdienst war das nun mal nicht。 Leider gefiel mir hinten raus immer weniger。 Richard war als Person nach 200 Seiten praktisch verschwunden， seine Aufgabe erschöpft sich dann offenbar in einer modernen Jubelperser-Variation pro Immigration。 Das fand ich sehr schade， gerade in Anbetracht der eigentlich zahlreich vorhandenen Möglichkeiten， einen Christa-Wolfesken Dichtemantel der Bezugsschwerheiten aufzufalten。 Die anfänglichen Anklänge an die europäische Kultur （ein Flüchtling als Apoll， ein anderer als Odysseus） wirkten wie der Auftakt einer furiosen Verdichtung， nach der Hälfte wurden diese Analogien aber still fallengelassen。 Hier geraten auch die literarischen Fronten zu deutlich， Freund-und-Feindschablonen sind verteilt und werden dann kaum noch bewegt， nur in neuen Lichtern immer wieder angestrahlt。 Dass gerade der deutsche Staat und seine Gesetze （Bürokratie…） als Übeltäter erkannt wurde， wirkt für mich gleichzeitig wie ein schwaches und zu pauschales Urteil。 Ich finde ja gerade unsere Bürokratie in humanitärer Hinsicht verdammt geil und hoffe， dass der nächste versuchte Genozid auf deutschem Boden schon in den zu bewältigenden Dokumenten und Bescheiden steckenbleiben wird。Und， auch auf die Gefahr hin， falsch verstanden zu werden: Ich denke， dass sich hier nun mal zwei Grundthesen gegenüberstehen， die wie die Brüder Klitschko gleich stark und daher beide mächtig sind。 Klitschko 1: Jeder Mensch hat das Recht， nach Glück und Wohlstand zu streben。 Klitschko 2: Der Wohlstand， von dem wir hier profitieren， basiert darauf， Menschen auszuschließen oder auszubeuten。 So radikal wie Richard sind die wenigsten。 Hinten raus wurde mir persönlich der Roman dann doch zu sozialkitschig und emotionskitschig， das hatte ich so nicht erwartet。 Viel Kritik， ich weiß。 Aber insgesamt eine absolut lesenswerte literarische Axt， die das Meer in uns aufwühlt und dabei auf den Tod von tausenden aufmerksam macht。 Europa ersäuft im Konsum， die Immigranten im Mittelmeer。 Und mit der emotionalen Steuerung dürften viele Leser_innen ja auch einverstandener sein als ich。 。。。more

Babette Ernst ，

Es ist immer eine heikle Sache， einen Roman über eine aktuelle politische Situation zu schreiben und so ging ich skeptisch an die Lektüre heran。 2015 erschien dieses Buch， das sich aber auf die Besetzung des Berliner Oranienplatzes 2013 bezieht und alle Ereignisse ab 2015 noch gar nicht betrachten konnte。 Ein Professor für griechische Literatur， ein Witwer ohne Kinder， kommt mehr und mehr in Kontakt mit den Flüchtlingen und lernt die verschiedenen Hintergründe der Flucht kennen。 Hier kommen fast Es ist immer eine heikle Sache， einen Roman über eine aktuelle politische Situation zu schreiben und so ging ich skeptisch an die Lektüre heran。 2015 erschien dieses Buch， das sich aber auf die Besetzung des Berliner Oranienplatzes 2013 bezieht und alle Ereignisse ab 2015 noch gar nicht betrachten konnte。 Ein Professor für griechische Literatur， ein Witwer ohne Kinder， kommt mehr und mehr in Kontakt mit den Flüchtlingen und lernt die verschiedenen Hintergründe der Flucht kennen。 Hier kommen fast ausschließlich Flüchtlinge aus dem Krieg in Libyen zu Wort， die z。 T。 unfreiwillig auf die Reise geschickt wurden。 Diese Schicksale habe ich mit großem Interesse gelesen。 Der Blick eines Professors für griechische Literatur auf die Schicksale war dabei sehr gekonnt umgesetzt。 Die Verbindungen zu Sagen und zur Geschichte gefielen mir。 Mit Richard （dem Professor） erhascht der Leser aber auch einen Blick der Flüchtlinge auf Deutschland。 Das deckte sich absolut mit meinen Erfahrungen mit Geflüchteten。 Es gibt überwiegend keinerlei Wissen über deutsche Geschichte und Kultur und solange das eigene Leben unsicher ist， kann sich niemand damit beschäftigen。 Genauso groß ist das Unwissen der Freunde von Richard und deren Vorurteile gegenüber den Geflüchteten， aber da gibt es einen Wandel bei einigen im Laufe des Romans， der am Schluss etwa märchenhaftes hatte。Ungefähr im zweiten Teil des Buches， nachdem der Senat 108 Flüchtlingen das Aufenthaltsrecht abgesprochen hatte， wandelt sich die ausgewogene Geschichte zumindest ein wenig in Richtung Statement。 Die Geflüchteten wurden fast ausnahmslos nur als Opfer des deutschen Asylrechts dargestellt （die kleine Episode um Osarobo stellte nicht das Gegenteil dar， sondern unterstützte noch diese Ansicht）。 Es fehlte die Sicht der Gegenseite。 Sowieso bin ich immer empfindlich bei der klischeehaften Darstellung von Behörden。 Diese kommen genauso nicht zu Wort wie die Polizei oder die vielen anderen Unterstützer der Besetzer vom Oranienplatz， die mir ebenfalls zu schematisch gerieten。 Trotzdem ist es ein wichtiges Buch， die Kritikpunkte nehmen hier viel Raum ein， sind aber eher klein bei der Gesamtbetrachtung des Buches。 Viele Dankanstöße werden geliefert， wie wir mit anderen Menschen umgehen， wie sich unsere Wahrnehmung aus unserer eigenen Situation ableitet， wie wir gemeinsam leben könnten。 Manches hat sich inzwischen verändert und verbessert， manche Konflikte sind aber stärker zutage getreten， so dass es mich sehr interessieren würde， welches Buch Jenny Erpenbeck heute schreiben würde。 。。。more

Laurel ，

Worthy， but cold， flat， and grey。 Reminiscent of post-war Berlin in bleakness。

ENRIQUE BOSCO ，

Me cuesta ponerle un puntaje。 Al principio lo disfruté un montón， después se me hizo largo。 Si no hubiera estado cerca del final quizás lo habría abandonado。 Y me gustó el final。 Todo eso sentí mientras lo leía。 Es cierto tambien que estoy con mil cosas en la cabeza y eso seguramente afecta mí juicio。 Como sea， tres estrellas y a llorar a la iglesia。

Julia ，

4，5 ⭐

Jenny ，

I found this title in a review of Luiselli's excellent Lost Children Archive and was engaged right away。 This immigrant story starts in Berlin， and many places in Africa。 A retired professor finds himself interested in the crisis locally and gets to know many of the men forced from their homes。 His perspective is just as fascinating as the stories of the men he meets and befriends。 Clearly written as an everyman-type character， we see very little of his character and judgment except through his I found this title in a review of Luiselli's excellent Lost Children Archive and was engaged right away。 This immigrant story starts in Berlin， and many places in Africa。 A retired professor finds himself interested in the crisis locally and gets to know many of the men forced from their homes。 His perspective is just as fascinating as the stories of the men he meets and befriends。 Clearly written as an everyman-type character， we see very little of his character and judgment except through his actions。 This way we learn about what kind of man he is--beginning with his scientific approach to the situation and ending with his acts of kindness and response to the crisis generally and personally。 The reflections of him through his friends also betray what kind of man he is， as well as who they are。 Extremely well written and presented。 。。。more

Zach ，

Page 273， Kindle edition in English:"As for the rest， the people here are like people always are at this sort of symposium: clever， stupid， eccentric， ambitious， shy， obsessed with their fields。" I quote this line because it particularly stings， as someone who was almost swallowed up by academia。 Jenny Erpenbeck knows。 She knows what it is like to be an academic， she knows the abhorrent ways that men think， she knows that any of us are always seconds away from vanishing， while also being stuck i Page 273， Kindle edition in English:"As for the rest， the people here are like people always are at this sort of symposium: clever， stupid， eccentric， ambitious， shy， obsessed with their fields。" I quote this line because it particularly stings， as someone who was almost swallowed up by academia。 Jenny Erpenbeck knows。 She knows what it is like to be an academic， she knows the abhorrent ways that men think， she knows that any of us are always seconds away from vanishing， while also being stuck in a place where the accumulation of thousands of years of work has barely allowed a few people to experience a moment of actual satisfaction in their lives。 She knows a ton of what there is to know about the 21st century "this new and yet already so old century" - and she crams it all into this book。 It is not an epic tale。 It quotes several of them， but only to demonstrate how ordinary those old stories actually are， how if we want to we can see violence and drama in the highest form in our immediate surroundings。 This book itself， however， does not contain a lot of action。What it contains is wisdom。 It acknowledges that everything in human society as a façade that will all be annihilated at our death， when， if we are thought of after that at all， it will be briefly， as a rotting carcass at the bottom of a lake， in a morgue， or as a remote and embellished memory， and only by one layer of people that will soon crumble away themselves。 This is not a new perspective， of course， but it is always forcefully and tragically ignored， so it is welcome。 I didn't absolutely love this book， I wasn't enamored with the main character， but you know what， the main character was pretty real。 The story was real。 The hopes and disasters and doubts and joys all were real， and since a lot of our lives aren't actually real， reading it was welcome。 So I recommend it。 。。。more

merixien ，

2014 yılında Oranienplatz'da kurulan mülteci kampından temel alarak sığınmacı olmak， mülteci yasaları - bürokrasisi， sınırlar ve ev konuları üzerine muhteşem bir kitap。 Hikayenin anlatıcısı Richard， birleşmeden önce Doğu Berlin’de yaşamış， bir süre önce dul kalmış ve şimdi de emekli olup zamanını nasıl geçireceğini bilemeyen bir üniversite hocası。 Her ne kadar birleşme sonrası zenginleşen Almanya’nın topraklarında yaşıyor olsa da eski alışkanlıklarının izlerini ya da “Batı”nın sokaklarına olan y 2014 yılında Oranienplatz'da kurulan mülteci kampından temel alarak sığınmacı olmak， mülteci yasaları - bürokrasisi， sınırlar ve ev konuları üzerine muhteşem bir kitap。 Hikayenin anlatıcısı Richard， birleşmeden önce Doğu Berlin’de yaşamış， bir süre önce dul kalmış ve şimdi de emekli olup zamanını nasıl geçireceğini bilemeyen bir üniversite hocası。 Her ne kadar birleşme sonrası zenginleşen Almanya’nın topraklarında yaşıyor olsa da eski alışkanlıklarının izlerini ya da “Batı”nın sokaklarına olan yabancılığını görebiliyorsunuz。 Çalışma izni alamadıkları için çadırlarda ya da yurtlarda hiçbir şey yapamadan zaman geçirmeye çalışan mülteciler ile Doğu Berlin’li emekli bir dul eşleşmesi; farklı kaderlerdeki hayatın bekleme salonu dönemleri anlatısı kitabın en güzel yanlarından birisi。 Diğer bir güzellik ise tabii ki yazarın yazım tarzı。 Almanya özelinde Avrupa yasalarının keskinliğini ve bürokrasisini karikatürize ederek eleştirirken， gerçek hayatlara， savaşlara dair detayları dramatize etmeden ya da yumuşatmadan bütün gerçekliği ile bir parça da mesafeli bir şekilde dile getiriyor。 Kitabın 243。 sayfasında “…burada karşı karşıya gelmiş iki grup insan da aslında bir evrenin birbirine ait olan， ama ayrılmaları yine de kaçınılmaz olan iki parçası mı yoksa？ Aralarındaki yarık gerçekten dipsiz derinlikte de bu yüzden mi böyle şiddetli bir gerilim yaratıyor？” diye başlayan “…Tek bir evrenin içindeki sınırların sayısı nerede？” diye devam eden “sınırlar neden vardır ve bu sınırların koşulsuzca savunulmasının nedenleri-sonuçları nedir"i sorguladığı bölüm benim en etkilendiğim kısımlarındandı。 Doğu-Batı Berlin örneğini de ekleyerek vatan nedir， anavatanın sınırı neresidir ve o sınırlar hangi esaslara göre çizilir soruları eşliğinde; adaletsizlik， bürokrasi ve “mülteci krizi”ni Doğu Almanya doğumlu Richard’ın kişisel kaderiyle de birleştirerek anlatıyor。 Bu iki uç cephe sayesinde bir Alman olarak özeleştirisini de sunuyor sanki。 Bir mülteciye dair duyulan önyargıları （bir mültecinin nasıl şişman olabildiği， nasıl laptop sahibi olduğu ya da batı dillerinden bildiği gibi）， bir diyalog ortamı oluşturulmadan， neden burada oldukları anlaşılmadan sırt dönüldüğünü gösteriyor。 Adeta güncel bir sorunu daha fazla insana anlatabilmek için kurgunun arkasına saklıyor。 Bunu da üst perdeden yüzünüze haykırarak yapmak yerine sorunun her iki cephe için de temeline inerek， sizi durumu sorgulamaya sevk ederek daha sarsıcı bir şekilde yapıyor。 Benim yazardan okuduğum ikinci kitaptı ve açıkcası onun üzerine çıkamayacağını düşünerek başlamıştım ancak bayıldım。 Bu yıl okuduğum en güzel kitaplardan birisiydi。 Mutlaka okuyun。“ Richard şunu anlıyor: Dublin II’yle birlikte Akdeniz’e sahili olmayan bütün Avrupa ülkeleri， Akdeniz üzerinden gelen sığınmacıları muhattap almama hakkını kazanmış oluyor。” 。。。more

Sue ，

An East German retired professor， appears to feel a sense of dislocation after the Wall has come down and through the book， re-integrates with humanity in a much fuller sense by helping a group of African refugees in Berlin。 This book is about language， culture， humanity， morality and belonging。 How do we "other" ourselves and conversely， how does Richard in the book， learn to show empathy and unite with people whose life experiences are so unfamiliar and sometimes shocking， to him。 How do privi An East German retired professor， appears to feel a sense of dislocation after the Wall has come down and through the book， re-integrates with humanity in a much fuller sense by helping a group of African refugees in Berlin。 This book is about language， culture， humanity， morality and belonging。 How do we "other" ourselves and conversely， how does Richard in the book， learn to show empathy and unite with people whose life experiences are so unfamiliar and sometimes shocking， to him。 How do priviledged people in Germany， in this case， manage to detach themselves？"Have the people living here under untroubled circumstances and at so great a distance from the wars of others been afflicted with a poverty of experience， a sort of emotional anemia？ Must living in peace - so fervently wished for throughout human history and yet enjoyed in only a few parts of the world - inevitably result in refusing to share it with those seeking refuge， defending it instead so aggressively that it almost looks like war？"The relationships are simply described and there is sometimes humour and sometimes sadness in the inevitable culture clashes。 This is defintely a novel which is "about" something and not just literary meanderings。 Recommended。 。。。more

Erocchio ，

Such sad statements of our times。 Richard is an angel among us。 His interest in the refugees is incredible！ These poor men and their stories interspersed with Richard’s story interspersed with philosophers makes for some heavy reading but definitely a worthwhile story。

Ben Keisler ，

This book worked for me on an intellectual and political level， and also as a piece of writing， although not so much as a novel。 There was very little drama， plot， or character development other than the protagonist's increasing sense of his post retirement identity， which paralleled his growing engagement with the refugees as he moved from questioning them as a researcher to more personal relationships。 I found the individual refugees and the neighbors somewhat thinly drawn and mechanical， as w This book worked for me on an intellectual and political level， and also as a piece of writing， although not so much as a novel。 There was very little drama， plot， or character development other than the protagonist's increasing sense of his post retirement identity， which paralleled his growing engagement with the refugees as he moved from questioning them as a researcher to more personal relationships。 I found the individual refugees and the neighbors somewhat thinly drawn and mechanical， as was the progression of the refugees' desperate affairs。 However， I liked the inner voice of the main character and seeing the refugees and Germany， through his academic， initially detached perspective。 He was good company。I also liked what Erpenbeck did with the terms "history"， "borders" and "surfaces"。 It felt close to poetry。Finally， it is first rate as a piece of advocacy for the plight of the migrants and a critique of those of us who live comfortably in part thanks to our good fortune of living in stable， prosperous societies and smugly condemn the personal failings of those who do not。 。。。more

Teresa ，

Finding oneself and helping others along the way is difficult yet heartwarming。

Lily Werlinich ，

So beautiful。 Keep thinking about it

Jan-Maat ，

A worthy read but not compelling。This was the first novel that I have read by Erpenbeck， I judged the book by it's back cover， but the excitement and drama promised there， takes a few pages to appear and then is swiftly tidied away， which is consistent with the title and the narrative drive of the book， but still， it's not very dramatic。The novel concerns widower and newly retired classical philologist Richard who gets to know （view spoiler）[ or notice， or take note of （hide spoiler）] a group of A worthy read but not compelling。This was the first novel that I have read by Erpenbeck， I judged the book by it's back cover， but the excitement and drama promised there， takes a few pages to appear and then is swiftly tidied away， which is consistent with the title and the narrative drive of the book， but still， it's not very dramatic。The novel concerns widower and newly retired classical philologist Richard who gets to know （view spoiler）[ or notice， or take note of （hide spoiler）] a group of refugees from Africa who are slated or fated to be deported， at best to Italy where they first made landfall in Europe， at worst back to where they were trying to leave because they found it impossible to live。 All of these men have dramatic back stories and they have differing degrees of trauma， however since Richard is the novel's viewpoint character we only experience this indirectly。 At the same time Richard does not emerge as a character， I couldn't think of him as a dynamic part of the book， I was unsure if his engagement with the Africans changed him， or if he actually was always the same throughout， he seems eventually somewhat less fussy and punctilious but maybe that is because Erpenbeck stops telling us what is on his shopping list and what he is eating on a slice of bread （view spoiler）[big， bad spoilers coming up （view spoiler）[ honey？ or cheese？ （hide spoiler）] （hide spoiler）]， he does get to see some of the racism among his contemporaries， or to realise that they are racists， but I am not sure if that really is character development。Richard starts with the idea of interviewing the men and he develops a set of questions to ask them， before eventually developing friendly relationships with them。 I had the feeling that Erpenbeck had had a similar experience herself， and perhaps the lifelessness stems from a desire not to appropriate the stories of refugees nor to misrepresent them or the complexities of their situations， neither does she go the full Kafka and via Richard walk with them step by step through the daily disappointments of seeking asylum。There are some fine moments， I laughed a couple of times， and I loved the heavy intimation of death in the opening pages - here is a man with nothing to do but sit with his hands folded in his lap and wait for the end， until he sees the Africans which gives him a project。 They save him I felt， though he in the end does what he can to help them too， but maybe all the men want is to be seen and not ignored。I don't disagree at all with Erpenbeck and what she presents， I'm completely on board with her sympathies， so the book was for me completely worthy and noble， but was not a compelling or exciting read， despite the slow build up of similarities between the initially opposite seeming experiences of Richard and the refugees （view spoiler）[ and the history of welcoming migrants （view spoiler）[ if they were Huguenots （view spoiler）[welcome throughout the Protestant world （hide spoiler）] or among the ancient Germans， according to Tacitus （hide spoiler）] （hide spoiler）]。 Somehow the novel was always for me a slice of brown bread with a lettuce leaf on top of it， no doubt it was healthy， but it failed to excite。 。。。more

Chiara Canu ，

"Mi chiesi: che cosa c'è di sbagliato in me？Me lo chiesi e lo chiesi anche a Dio。Una volta può anche andarti male。 Ma quando non sai mai dove dormire e che cosa mangiare？ Davvero su tutta la terra non c'è neanche un posto dove io possa coricarmi per dormire？Guardai davanti a me e dietro di me， e non vidi niente"。 Quando Richard conosce il mondo dei rifugiati， nel centro di Oranienplatz a Berlino， è ormai un docente in pensione， vedovo， senza più uno scopo concreto di vita。 E quando conosce con i "Mi chiesi: che cosa c'è di sbagliato in me？Me lo chiesi e lo chiesi anche a Dio。Una volta può anche andarti male。 Ma quando non sai mai dove dormire e che cosa mangiare？ Davvero su tutta la terra non c'è neanche un posto dove io possa coricarmi per dormire？Guardai davanti a me e dietro di me， e non vidi niente"。 Quando Richard conosce il mondo dei rifugiati， nel centro di Oranienplatz a Berlino， è ormai un docente in pensione， vedovo， senza più uno scopo concreto di vita。 E quando conosce con i propri occhi quello che per tutti è un fenomeno sociale ancora prima che umano， non gli ci vuole molto per entrare nelle vite dei ragazzi sbarcati sul continente tedesco。 Storie di persone， giovani e uomini， senza più una dimora e con solo la strada sotto i piedi， dalla pelle di un mare che ha portato via i loro familiari， fuggiaschi da una guerra scoppiata proprio nel luogo che loro chiamano casa。 E noi possiamo viaggiare con Richard in questo percorso di conoscenza， di visione che aspira a una mutazione， cambiamento che solo attraverso l'avvicinarsi alla diversità e toccarla， può manifestarsi。 Ma quanto sarà in grado di redimere le loro vite？ Quanto è possibile l'aiuto a fronte delle numerose normative e leggi che， più che unire， finiscono per dividere？Jenny Enperbeck centra l'obiettivo all'apice: riflettere sulla （possibile） utopia di conciliare immigrazione con collettività， e sulla visione di un fenomeno troppo spesso contornata dal timore della differenza， nella percezione di un pericolo scontato - a discapito della curiosità - della semplice e più ingenua conoscenza che può tradursi in empatia。 Ma se si guarda attentamente， è possibile scorgere quello che il protagonista， nel mescolarsi in ricordi personali con il presente di una società contorta e vincolata， trova in questa storia: occhi di uomini come tutti， sogni di un'evoluzione umana， come tutti。"Perché mai， quando si tratta del prestigio di un paese， il salto di un profugo dal tetto di un edificio dovrebbe essere più grave del suo lento perire in una vita miserabile？"。Ci lascia con questo interrogativo， e può bastare per tutta una vita。 。。。more

Ivica Kolić ，

Tematikom bliska Dimitri Verhulstovom Problemskom hotelu ili Spaljenima Antonio Ortuñoa， ova je knjiga ipak specifična。 Život izbjeglica u Njemačkoj i odnosa Nijemaca prema njima prikazan je iznimnom vještinom。 Umjesto brojki i proizvoljnih predodžbi autorica nudi neposredno ljudsko iskustvo i razumijevanje ljudi naspram hladnoće birokratiziranog sustava。 Duboko humana i topla priča koju bih preporučio svakome。

Ashley Singer ，

This book started as a very slow read for me。 I think it's the tone and partly the translation。 It is a very smart book and there are double meanings in many places， what a job translating it！ But once I kicked in past page 85， I read the next 2 pages in 2 days。 So 2 weeks for 85 pages and 2 days for 200。 The evolution of Richard is beautiful， as is the inner analysis of how complex the simple becomes in bureaucracy。 There's a lot to feel here， for refugees fleeing so many places today， and in d This book started as a very slow read for me。 I think it's the tone and partly the translation。 It is a very smart book and there are double meanings in many places， what a job translating it！ But once I kicked in past page 85， I read the next 2 pages in 2 days。 So 2 weeks for 85 pages and 2 days for 200。 The evolution of Richard is beautiful， as is the inner analysis of how complex the simple becomes in bureaucracy。 There's a lot to feel here， for refugees fleeing so many places today， and in days behind and ahead of us。 The systems are fucked around the globe and our perspective is so imbalanced。 This book highlights this in such a way that I feel is a vital read today。 Particularly with weaving Nazi history and remnants as well as the realities of the east and west for Berlin。 There's a lot to take in， from Greek mythology to geography， religion and beyond。 Perhaps too much to grasp in depth as a reader but enough to remind you how much you don't know and that's the biggest reminder of all when assessing situations。 。。。more

Tamsin ，

A solid 4*。 There are many brilliant lines， very 'highlightable'， drawing on many philosophical and classical sources and the subject matter is of the utmost importance in today's world。 It made me realise that behind the figures of 'welcomed' refugees in Germany lies a more complicated reality。 What actually happens to these refugees once they enter the country？ I haven't been able to verify how accurately this book reflects laws and treatment of refugees in Germany， but at least it has raised A solid 4*。 There are many brilliant lines， very 'highlightable'， drawing on many philosophical and classical sources and the subject matter is of the utmost importance in today's world。 It made me realise that behind the figures of 'welcomed' refugees in Germany lies a more complicated reality。 What actually happens to these refugees once they enter the country？ I haven't been able to verify how accurately this book reflects laws and treatment of refugees in Germany， but at least it has raised the question for me and highlighted the contradictions between the public perception and the reality for asylum seekers in Europe。 I didn't find the main character very relatable for a lot of the book and the middle wasn't so compelling， hence no 5*。 。。。more

Sarah ，

A lovely novel that mixes my love of language， snippets of Classics， and interest in social justice on a world stage。 Compelling characters caught up in beaurocracy and red tape。 It ends a little weird and has some odd parts （can someone explain the narrative purpose of the dead guy in the lake？） but on the whole I enjoyed it。 In finding the right edition of this to review， I noticed the title was translated a few different ways into other lanugages， which intrigues me 。

Aileen ，

I did really learn a lot from this book and enjoy reading it。 I would have a hard time explaining it to someone else or remembering it， probably because it is mostly driven by character and prose rather than plot and story。 A solid read with some memorable passages that will stick with you。

Laura McGaha ，

I will be thinking about this book for a long time。。。 and even then， I'm positive there are subtleties I've still missed。 While this book exquisitely shares the desperation of refugees， it is not preachy。 It gently reminds us of the absurdities of borders （whether it's the Berlin Wall or dotted lines separating countries） and shows us how small acts can make a difference。Beautifully， poignantly translated。 I will be thinking about this book for a long time。。。 and even then， I'm positive there are subtleties I've still missed。 While this book exquisitely shares the desperation of refugees， it is not preachy。 It gently reminds us of the absurdities of borders （whether it's the Berlin Wall or dotted lines separating countries） and shows us how small acts can make a difference。Beautifully， poignantly translated。 。。。more

Caroline ，

It took me quite some time to get used to the writer’s style， particularly the lack of quotation marks， which I often find requires the reader to work a lot harder （though I’ve now read many books written this way， each with their own unique style）。 However， this story quickly grew on me and I ultimately fell in love with all the characters and their stories， and found myself quite teary quite regularly throughout the second half of the book。

Maddy ，

4。5 stars - a narrative that needs to be plastered everywhere。 A story about human connection and what links us all as citizens of this world。

Alexa Fleet ，

An anthropology professor recommended that I read this and I found it incredibly edifying！ I thought it was a nonfiction until I was three quarters through though。。。。 slightly embarrassing but honestly it made it even more nourishing。 I wish this transpired in the real world！ The story weaves academia， history， EU's refugee crises， human rights questions and Germany's Vergangenheitsbewältigung into one story of increased personal and cross-cultural understanding。 I do think the ending fell short An anthropology professor recommended that I read this and I found it incredibly edifying！ I thought it was a nonfiction until I was three quarters through though。。。。 slightly embarrassing but honestly it made it even more nourishing。 I wish this transpired in the real world！ The story weaves academia， history， EU's refugee crises， human rights questions and Germany's Vergangenheitsbewältigung into one story of increased personal and cross-cultural understanding。 I do think the ending fell short of any structural solutions for an endemic problem。。。 but hey， it is a fiction book ;） and Go， Went， Gone gets many important primary steps across。 。。。more

Sandra Rahimi ，

Not sure if this is not a white savior novel。

Marie （UK） ，

I enjoyed this book for the most part， it examines the plight of refugees in a novel way。 Richard an emeritus professor in Berlin becomes embroiled in the lives of a group of refugees and the ways that society and those in power make it so difficult for them to become settled。 Towards the end I began to feel that the author had， in reality， covered what she wanted to say and that things like the break in at Richards were extraneous to the ongoing narrative。She does however have a beautiful liter I enjoyed this book for the most part， it examines the plight of refugees in a novel way。 Richard an emeritus professor in Berlin becomes embroiled in the lives of a group of refugees and the ways that society and those in power make it so difficult for them to become settled。 Towards the end I began to feel that the author had， in reality， covered what she wanted to say and that things like the break in at Richards were extraneous to the ongoing narrative。She does however have a beautiful literary style understated but impactful 。。。more

Jim B ，

Although written as fiction and written well， this book teaches a lot of insight into the problems of refugees， immigration， the use of law to protect privilege instead of assist justice， and modern German culture。 I often find myself dissatisfied with reading a book in translation， but not in this book。 Although I experienced the book as an audio book， there were many times when I wished I could highlight a well-written sentence that captured a thought so well。 For example， in a book where Afri Although written as fiction and written well， this book teaches a lot of insight into the problems of refugees， immigration， the use of law to protect privilege instead of assist justice， and modern German culture。 I often find myself dissatisfied with reading a book in translation， but not in this book。 Although I experienced the book as an audio book， there were many times when I wished I could highlight a well-written sentence that captured a thought so well。 For example， in a book where African and European race is an issue， consider the beauty of this casual sentence: "these three musicians use the black and white keys to tell stories that have nothing at all to do with keys’ colors。”Almost incongruously， the book unfolds a retired professor's journey of self-discovery as he gets to know the refugees and he looks at his life from a different perspective。 I agree with all the reviews that this is a well written book that exposes the weaknesses of laws and regulations to deal with refugees and may help a few people who attempt to end the discussion of refugees by lumping them with illegal immigrants。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Go, Went, Gone

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Go, Went, Gone&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Go, Went, Gone&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0