ralentina reviewed Siblings by Brigitte Reimann
The coolest chick, the blandest guy, and a world that disappeared
4 stars
Content warning Minor spoilers
It is a bit of a truism to say that Siblings is a book from another world; another era, a place that no longer exists. At its core, it is about Elisabeth's struggle to reconcile her love for her two brothers, and her faith not only in socialism, but specifically in the DDR. All the reviews I skimmed are really keen on emphasising that what matters about the book is not Reimann's view of socialism, but her independence and the fact that she was 'the coolest chick in town' (cit). But her relation to the regime is actually really interesting, because she is committed to the ideals, but frustrated by most party members she meets (except maybe her boyfriend, who sounds incredibly boring and bland). Politics aside, all about this book - the plot, the style, the characters - are so different from what I usually read, that these differences alone made the book worth reading.