This Is Not a Love Song

by Karen Duve

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It is 1996 and Anne Strelau is sitting on a plane bound for London, heading towards the man she has loved since her teens. Having tired of the pretence of living 'normally', she has given in to her 'madness' and decided to confront the object of her passion, Peter Hemstedt. In fact, there is little that is 'normal' about Anne. Most obviously, at 112 kg, she is grotesquely overweight. This is Not a Love Song is the story of Anne's ups and downs- of her unhappy childhood, her miserable show more adolescence, and the start of her obsession with her weight. 'The decision to embark on the first diet is a decisive, if not the most decisive, step in a girl's life', she decides. 'In any case, it is more important than the hugely overrated event of losing your virginity.' First anorexic then bulimic, she measures her self-worth in kilos and boyfriends. Then she falls for handsome, successful Hemstedt. When her love is not returned, she fakes 'normality' and gets a job. But still nothing works. 'I have reached a point', she records in her mid-thirties, 'where I no longer believe in anyone or anything, apart from chocolate.' A brilliantly black comedy about obesity, adult disappointment and cynicism, wars, ecological disasters and passing fashions, This is not a Love Song serves up irrestistibly macabre chic lit with a thick coating of grime and fat. show less

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4 reviews
This bittersweet and mordantly funny take on teenage self-awareness and angst, is the story of Anne whose self-worth fluctuates with the success or failure of her weight control regimens. As an adult, Anne looks back on a series of fumbling romances and family dysfunction and judges herself wanting. The reader sees her as a witty and perceptive observer of the human scene. If only we could convince Anne. Recommended!
Dies ist ein Buch, dass man entweder liebt oder hasst: Ich liebe es. Anne Strehlau ist eine unglückliche, mit sich selbst unzufriedene Mitdreißigerin mit Übergewicht. Anne sitzt zu Beginn des Romans in einem Flugzeug und sinniert über die Liebe. Dabei lässt sie den Leser an ihrem bislang vergangenen Leben teilhaben und man lernt, dass Annes Leben bislang nur aus unerwiderter Liebe bestand und Liebe stets in Demütigung endete. Karen Duve ist es gelungen eine Frauenfigur zu zeichnen, in der sich viele Menschen zumindest in Teilen wiedererkennen werden. Und während der Leser sich irgendwann fragen mag: "Anne, warum lässt du es zu, dass du dich so fühlst?" , ist es meines Erachtens eine Stärke des Buches, dass es nicht im Happy show more End mündet. Denn wie der Titel schon sagt: Dies ist kein Liebeslied. show less
Handlar om Anne och hennes uppväxt med teman som utanförskap, föräldrar, vikt och pojkvänner. Början var jättebra men resten av boken höll sig tyvärr inte alls på samma nivå.
Erg ongelukkig meisje dat de omgangsregels van het leven niet snapt, eet zichzelf moddervet

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20 Works 752 Members

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
This Is Not a Love Song
Original title
Dies ist kein Liebeslied
People/Characters*
Anne Strehlau; Peter Hemstedt
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction
DDC/MDS
833.92Literature & rhetoricGerman & related literaturesGerman fiction1900-1990-
LCC
PT2664 .U96Language and LiteratureGerman, Dutch and Scandinavian literaturesGerman literatureIndividual authors or works1961-2000

Statistics

Members
85
Popularity
374,243
Reviews
4
Rating
½ (3.48)
Languages
Dutch, English, German, Swedish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
8
ASINs
2