Vu’s queer book tip: Die Mitte der Welt
Spring is in full swing and while the first rays of sunshine are tickling our faces during the day, the nights can still be dark and windy. So, what’s the most comforting thing on one of those evenings? Yes, grab a book and delve into a good story..
This time, we’d like to go way back. While most of the books and podcast tips we share are up-to-date or the latest releases, we thought we’d travel back in time – for the nostalgia. Let’s take you back to the nineties and talk about this gem among the young adult books – and no, not everything was trashy back then. 🙂
This coming-of-age story is one of the stories Vu remembers really well: „Die Mitte der Welt“ (1998) written by Andreas Steinhöfel is a very interesting story about an outcast teenage boy who grows up with his shy and private twin sister and an uber-chaotic mother. „Die Mitte der Welt“ is definitely not your classic love story as the teenage boy falls in love with another guy who his best girlfriend ends up having a fling with. Meandering between tales of friendship and the adventures of growing up as a queer person, unrequited love and most of all finding your own self, the story mirrors well the ups and downs of teenage life.
If you’d like to work on your German without digging too deep into literature but are looking for something light and summery instead, try out this youth book which is an easy read for learners of the B2 level.
„Die Mitte der Welt“ was critically acclaimed and was nominated for the Youth literature award. In 2016, the book was also made into a film – but as is often the case, the book outshines the movie by far, even though we’d say the movie is cute enough 🙂
Die Mitte der Welt – Andreas Steinhöfel
