Some weeks ago, someone mentioned Klaus Kordon in an article. That article piqued my interest in this writer, I started to read his Brothers Like Friends (Brüder wie Freunde) and I could not put the book down. A beautiful book about childhood in Berlin after World War 2, where ruins were children’s playgrounds. The bond between the two brothers was very moving. It is an autobiographical novel of Kordon, we can see Kordon as Frank in the story.
Novel The Message in a Bottle (Die Flaschenpost) was written in 1987, Kordon expressed his hope to break the Berlin Wall in this book. He was a victim of DDR, he and his wife were prisoners due to unfair judgement. Although his hope was granted on 9.11.1989, but there are still many invisible walls need to be knocked down nowadays.
Kordon already talked about pollution in year 1983 in his book The Journey to Wonder Island (Die Reise zur Wunderinsel). Now, year 2023, I wonder if we are making any progress in environmental protection since 1983?
His debut novel was Tadaki in year 1977, he edited and republished the book again in year 1998 as The Road to Bandung (Der Weg nach Bandung). The setting was in Jakarta, my 2nd childhood home! Those memories with my late-grandmother came back to me, do you see the vehicle on the cover? It is becak, a cart pulled by bicycle, I used to ride on it. Both grandmother and becak, they belong to a past that cannot be returned to, I am so grateful to think of the beautiful memories.
If you have favourite books by Klaus Kordon, please tell me in the comment section, I am curious. Thank you so much! Have a great week ahead!
Note:
Please support The Journey by making a donation via: https://ko-fi.com/thejourneywriter
Every single donation made would be truly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Klaus Kordon, Writer | Talking Germany | Deutsche Welle (Interview in English)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHXdsHPp6KU