I read Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane a few weeks ago in a fit of seriousness. I imagined it a sort of German Madame Bovary but it lacked the immediacy of Bovary for me. But it may have been the translation which although they rave about on the back jacket as "clear and modern" to me was jarring. Phrases like "Effi was not for reheated leftovers; fresh dishes were what she longed for, variety." conjure up images of microwaves and saran wrap which I imagine were not prevalent in 1895. So it was like one of those classics were they rework the language to appeal to a young audiences. Poor Effi, she should have stuck with the leftovers.
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