Customer Reviews

Deutschland: A Winter's Tale (Angel Classics)

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Heinrich Heine wrote this wonderful masterpiece in january 1844 when had to stay in political exile in Paris (France). He is homesick and tells about his travels home to Germany, his mother (although Germans mostly call their country Vaterland = Fatherland, a literal translation of the french expression "patrie"). He misses Germany like his real mother and therefore, he travels home across Germany.

Thus, in 28 poems he describes his journey. The poems are very funny, witty, sophisticated, wonderful and full of brilliant thoughts reaching far beyond the mere description of his travels.

As a teenager, I had to read this piece of art in school, but also later I read it at least once a year. Many Germans know at least 3 of these wonderful poems by heart: The one describing their own home town or region and the first two poems. In the latter he describes his experiences with the customs authorities at the French-German border. 'Reading about the American Home Patriot Act, these fine lines automatically come to my mind:

What he says? No, I will not tell you! Just read for yourself!