My first ever book in German – my third language – and I’ve got to say I’m very positively surprised at how fun it was to read this!
Thing is, I started learning German about 20 years ago. You see, in Norway you get to pick a third language when you start middle school (junior high), and we had the choice between German and French (or you could do extra English lessons, but hardly any of us felt like there was a point in doing that). Anyway, with the two options we were given, I figured the choice was easy (obviously), so I went with German. I stuck with it for all three years of middle school and then for two years in college, and honestly… I never learnt a thing.
Honestly, I spent five years of my life trying to learn a third language and had nothing to show for it.
Fast-forward about 12 years and a pandemic ravaged the world (don’t know if you noticed). For some reason — maybe it was the gym’s being closed or maybe it was being stuck in home office (which I loved!) — but I downloaded Duolingo and got back into the German. Just something I figured I wanted to do one day.
Then, if we fast-forward another five years, my wife and I were on holiday in Nafplio, Greece when I came across this book in the lobby of our hotel on a shelf full of books up for grabs.
“I know a bit of German,” I thought to myself. “I could read a German book.”
So… it took me about a year to get through and there’s definitely parts and nuiances there were lost on me, but I’m still very surprised at how well this went.
The book follows Ian Kennedy, private investigator, in his hunt for a young girl named Peri, who seems to have disappaeared under mysterious and perhaps supernatural circumstances. As the plot unfolds we learn about why Ian chose to become a private eye, how he solved his first major case, and how the things he’s learnt and experienced makes him think he’ll be able to find Peri.
Tuttle writes in a very engaging and captivating way – even when I’m reading a German translation. The story is interspersed with these weird little side-stories about missing people, many of which I understood as true stories or at least historical accounts.
Ian’s search for Peri is fascinating, taking him from the US, across the pond to England and eventually Scotland, and we meet a lot of interesting characters along the way. Even when there’s undoubtedly a lot of stuff I’ve missed and not understood, since I’m not that good at German (yet), I still really enjoyed the book. Honestly, I might even want to read it again in English—or at least pick up something else by Tuttle.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend picking this up (in whatever language you prefer) and I’d also highly recommend trying to read something in a second, third or fourth language, perhaps especially if you’re on the fence about it. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll understand.
Have you read anything else by Lisa Tuttle? Ever picked up a book in a second or third language? Let me know in the comments!
And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!
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