Book Club
"Effi Briest" by Theodor Fontane

European Book Club

Thu, 02/23/2017
7:00 PM Full of Beans Coffee

The Toronto European Book Club is back in 2017 to put the spotlight on Europe’s literary legacy and its influence on contemporary publishing. To celebrate Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation, the members of the European Union of National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in Toronto will look at the connection between books written in Europe and current European literature, which echo their 19th  century ancestors. By bridging together different authors, cultures and eras, EUNIC partners in Toronto aim to revisit European classics along with today’s new voices, focussing on  former and emerging concerns.
 
From Germany to Portugal, Italy and France, we want to highlight what was written in Europe 150 years ago and what is being written now.
 
The European Book Club aims to introduce Canadians to European books and authors by crossing over cultures and allowing readers to discover modern European authors and their works.

For 2017, the Book Club will be moving its meeting location to Full of Beans on Dundas Street West, a friendly coffee shop dedicated to being a cozy, neighbourhood gathering place for those interested in culture and literature. We welcome you and your friends and family to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee,  herbal tea or one (or two) of the home-made pastries prepared by Full of Beans’ owner Lori, and participate in our European Book Club. The event is free for all to attend but donations are welcome.
 
All the books for the Book Club will be available at La Mosaïque Bookstore. http://mosaiquetoronto.ca/en/
 
Each Book Club will be in English. The Book Club will be moderated by Philipp Schnaase.

The novel Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane is considered the peak of German Realism and a main example of novels about society and social life. It follows the protagonist, Effi, and her life. When we first meet her, she is cheerful and full of life. As the daughter of noble landowners, she is convinced by her mother to marry the much-older Count Instetten, who is 20 years her senior. She moves with him to a seaside resort in Pomerania. Society life bores her and her husband seems more interested in his career then in her. Feeling lonely and bored, she begins a brief affair with an officer, that ends when she moves to Berlin. Years later her husband, Instetten, discovers the officer’s love letters and is not capable of forgiving Effi…
 
Theodor Fontane’s classic novel depicts society’s notions of morality and honour in the German Empire. It addresses topics such as love, marriage and guilt in the late 19th century and the expectations of proper behaviour.

Theodor Fontane (1819-1898) is considered one of the most important German realist writers and poets. His work depicts society’s life in Prussia in the late 19th century.