Book of the month 2004

© Piper

The nine short stories in Julia Schoch's Im Körper des Salamanders have one thing in common: The "East" as the general topic and setting of its narratives. The heroines and characters whose stories move closely between reality and dream and history and present, either live in Rumania, Bulgaria and the GDR or have frequented those places as visitors. These former Eastern States, now politically and economically ruined, provide the backdrop for the main characters' developments and dream worlds.

Cinema Aurora the last story in the collection depicts the ruin of the Aurora cinema after the fall of the Wall. Whilst cultural standards are slowly replaced by economic profitability the projectionist Kaatsch attempts to save the remainders. With consistent consequence, by showing wrong films, he sabotages any attempts to modernise the cinema. Oblivious to the fact that the declining number of viewers means the financial ruin of the cinema. However, Kaatsch acts under the pretext of saving the "old" charm of the cinema and the art of film.

In the title story Der Körper des Salamanders the heroine refuses to partake in the hated training sessions of her rowing club. Not only does she hope that the ordeal will be cancelled due to cold February frosts but furthermore she decides to take matters into her own hands. As the boat's cox she steers it dangerously close to the borderzone of West Berlin and shortly afterwards it collides with a pleasure steamer.

The heroines and heroes in Schoch's stories create their own dream worlds which are often detached from history and present day reality. In the post communist societies their existences remain marginalised and unaffected by the (often failed) promises of a better life. The characters' very own perceptions of the world and developments around them give the stories a mysteriousness which points out mainly one thing: In the existing world everybody has to fend for oneself.

Julia Schoch was born in 1974 in the GDR. Der Körper des Salamanders is her first collection of short stories. As a student she lived in Rumania where two of the stories are set.

AK

Bibliografic Details
German	English Translation
Hardcover: Not yet available anymore.	Hardcover: Not yet available.
Paperback: Schoch, Julia: Im Körper des Salamanders. Erzählungen.Piper, München, 2002 ISBN 3-492-23733-9 EUR 7,90	Paperback: Not yet available.
Audio-CD: Not yet available.