The writer Daniela Krien, born in 1975, lives in Leipzig. her novel “Love in an emergency” was a surprise literary hit in 2019. Most recently she published “Der Brand” (2021).
SZ: What are you reading right now?
Daniela Krien: “Augustus”, by John Williams. Having recently been to Rome, I found this book at home still wrapped in foil on the shelf. Williams lets the life of Octavian, later Emperor Augustus, come to life through fictional letters and documents, and for me the trip to Rome combines wonderfully with this reading. I like this moment when fragments of acquired knowledge suddenly add up to a larger whole. That’s how I feel about “Augustus”. I relate the impressions of the trip – the Roman Forum, the treasures of the Capitoline Museums, the Pantheon, the Mausoleum of Augustus and so on – to what I read and am a little wiser than before.
What was the last really good book you read?
Ernst Wiechert’s “The Simple Life”. Few novels offer such deep insights into life as this one. The big questions about the meaning of life and the decisive values are negotiated.
Which book should be banned?
none.
Which genre do you love and which do you avoid?
I love poetry, biographies and novels. I never read horror and fantasy, very rarely science fiction, and I usually stay away from crime fiction. The only exception: the crime novels by Wolf Haas. Haas is rarely about advancing the plot and tracking down the culprit; instead, in his books, one episode follows another, funny or grotesque or tragic, in that inimitable Wolf-Haas language best enjoyed spoken by himself. I regularly laugh out loud when reading his books.
First sentences are overrated, right?
Yes. With a few exceptions, most of the first sentences are introductory sentences, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The first sentence says little about the overall quality of a book.
You live in Leipzig, which novel captures the spirit of this city aptly?
This novel has yet to be written. What comes to my mind spontaneously about the spirit of the city: Due to the centuries-old tradition of trade fairs, Leipzig is a cosmopolitan, cultural and hospitable city. However, this cannot be done easily apply to the whole of Leipzig. The city presents itself very differently depending on the district. In Leipzig, too, there is gentrification and the associated homogenization of the districts, there are various problem areas and the bourgeois retreats and affluence bubbles. In my perception, Leipzig is also strongly animated by the long and unbroken musical tradition, which finds its expression in a lively music scene and many excellent concert offers.
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