Hanna is a German Jewish girl apparently suffering from 'nymphomania', which in 19th-century Germany means she has had a premarital relationship with a man. Assigned to treat her is Dr Heinrich Hoffman, whose efforts to get her to talk about her 'problem' meet with failure - until he starts to tell her about his other patients, like schizophrenic Robert, who hears voices (Flying Robert) and Lise, who cuts herself with scissors (Little Suck-a-thumb). As Hoffman opens up, gradually revealing the unhappiness in his own life, Hanna begins to speak about the love affair that led her to the asylum. But as her confidence grows it is Hoffman who begins to depend emotionally on her, to equate her pain with his grief at the absence of his troubled son, and to question what he has achieved in his life - the only thing that seems to have lasted is a children's book of silly rhymes and pictures - surely that can't count for anything!
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Review
"... an unsettling, weirdly evocative novel, evidently superbly researched...memorably poignant." -- Jon Barnes, Times Literary Supplement, November 5th 2004
"...a meaty read, full of fascinating information... and a poignant story of love and betrayal, racism and abuse." -- Mary O’Sullivan, Sunday Independent, February 13th 2005
"...compelling... splendidly affecting...strange and stirring...painted in deliberately rough, Bruegel-like images..." -- Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times, July 17th 2005
"...gripping... the plot gradually unravels in a most absorbing manner…a new voice in original entertaining and challenging fiction." -- Cathryn Scott, The Big Issue, August 23rd 2004.
"...quietly compelling... she has a poet's eye for beauty and a gift for physical description... it is not easily forgotten." -- Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, July 17th 2005
'Scrupulously researched and intensely imagined . . . an ambitious undertaking - beautifully, sinuously written . . . an outstanding delight' -- Scotland on Sunday
...an unsettling, weirdly evocative novel, evidently superbly researched...memorably poignant. -- Jon Barnes, Times Literary Supplement, November 5th 2004
...gripping...the plot gradually unravels in a most absorbing manner...a new voice in original, entertaining and challenging fiction. -- Cathryn Scott, The Big Issue (Cymru), August 23rd 2004
...interesting elegant tale...in a society poised on the brink of discovering psychiatry, psychology and self-doubt. -- Jessica Mann, Sunday Telegraph, August 22nd 2004
"...a meaty read, full of fascinating information... and a poignant story of love and betrayal, racism and abuse." -- Mary O’Sullivan, Sunday Independent, February 13th 2005
"...compelling... splendidly affecting...strange and stirring...painted in deliberately rough, Bruegel-like images..." -- Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times, July 17th 2005
"...gripping... the plot gradually unravels in a most absorbing manner…a new voice in original entertaining and challenging fiction." -- Cathryn Scott, The Big Issue, August 23rd 2004.
"...quietly compelling... she has a poet's eye for beauty and a gift for physical description... it is not easily forgotten." -- Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, July 17th 2005
'Scrupulously researched and intensely imagined . . . an ambitious undertaking - beautifully, sinuously written . . . an outstanding delight' -- Scotland on Sunday
...an unsettling, weirdly evocative novel, evidently superbly researched...memorably poignant. -- Jon Barnes, Times Literary Supplement, November 5th 2004
...gripping...the plot gradually unravels in a most absorbing manner...a new voice in original, entertaining and challenging fiction. -- Cathryn Scott, The Big Issue (Cymru), August 23rd 2004
...interesting elegant tale...in a society poised on the brink of discovering psychiatry, psychology and self-doubt. -- Jessica Mann, Sunday Telegraph, August 22nd 2004
About the Author
Clare Dudman was born in North Wales and educated at the University of Durham and King's College London. In 1995 her children's novel won the Kathleen Fidler Award, and in 2001 she received a prestigious Arts Council Award for WEGENER'S JIGSAW.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Gary Selikow
Format:Paperback
A moving and richly human novel of depth and understanding, at once a psychological and a historical novel.
Claire Dudman offers an original and offbeat perspective of life in a Frankfurt assylum in the 1850s.
A Jewish girl, Hannah Meyer, labelled as a nymphomaniac, is admitted to a Frankfurt insane assylum , in a deep and extremely debilitating state of melancholia. Dr Heinrich Hoffman, a Frankfurt physician who runs the sanatorium, and also the well known author of the book of children's poems known as Sturmwetpeter, undertakes to treat her, all treatments fail until Dr Hoffman patiently talks to her about his own life and patiently coaxes, slowly coaxes her out of her crippling melancholic state and teaches her to talk and respond again.
Her own inner thoughts and recounting of her own inner thoughts are recounted in italics, used in an intelligent and pertinent way.
Deeply in love with a German gentile who woos her and secretly marries her, and then cruelly spurns her, with strong anti-Semitic words, this incident has brought on her depressive state. The novel also focuses on the staff and other inmates of the asylum.
The novel also focuses on the staff and other inamtes of the assylum.
It is at once a window into 19th century Germany, the progressive thinking of Dr Hoffman, the inner world of the mentally ill and the anti-Semitism of the time.
An evocative novel despair and hope, love and cruelty, and ultimately the search for purpose and the reason for being, hence the name 98 reasons for being.
Claire Dudman offers an original and offbeat perspective of life in a Frankfurt assylum in the 1850s.
A Jewish girl, Hannah Meyer, labelled as a nymphomaniac, is admitted to a Frankfurt insane assylum , in a deep and extremely debilitating state of melancholia. Dr Heinrich Hoffman, a Frankfurt physician who runs the sanatorium, and also the well known author of the book of children's poems known as Sturmwetpeter, undertakes to treat her, all treatments fail until Dr Hoffman patiently talks to her about his own life and patiently coaxes, slowly coaxes her out of her crippling melancholic state and teaches her to talk and respond again.
Her own inner thoughts and recounting of her own inner thoughts are recounted in italics, used in an intelligent and pertinent way.
Deeply in love with a German gentile who woos her and secretly marries her, and then cruelly spurns her, with strong anti-Semitic words, this incident has brought on her depressive state. The novel also focuses on the staff and other inmates of the asylum.
The novel also focuses on the staff and other inamtes of the assylum.
It is at once a window into 19th century Germany, the progressive thinking of Dr Hoffman, the inner world of the mentally ill and the anti-Semitism of the time.
An evocative novel despair and hope, love and cruelty, and ultimately the search for purpose and the reason for being, hence the name 98 reasons for being.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A moving and richly human novel of depth and understanding
24 May 2009
By Gary Selikow
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
A moving and richly human novel of depth and understanding, at once a psychological and a historical novel.
Claire Dudman offers an original and offbeat perspective of life in a Frankfurt assylum in the 1850s.
A Jewish girl, Hannah Meyer, labelled as a nymphomaniac, is admitted to a Frankfurt insane assylum , in a deep and extremely debilitating state of melancholia. Dr Heinrich Hoffman, a Frankfurt physician who runs the sanatorium, and also the well known author of the book of children's poems known as Sturmwetpeter, undertakes to treat her, all treatments fail until Dr Hoffman patiently talks to her about his own life and patiently coaxes, slowly coaxes her out of her crippling melancholic state and teaches her to talk and respond again.
Her own inner thoughts and recounting of her own inner thoughts are recounted in italics, used in an intelligent and pertinent way.
Deeply in love with a German gentile who woos her and secretly marries her, and then cruelly spurns her, with strong anti-Semitic words, this incident has brought on her depressive state. The novel also focuses on the staff and other inmates of the asylum.
The novel also focuses on the staff and other inamtes of the assylum.
It is at once a window into 19th century Germany, the progressive thinking of Dr Hoffman, the inner world of the mentally ill and the anti-Semitism of the time.
An evocative novel despair and hope, love and cruelty, and ultimately the search for purpose and the reason for being, hence the name 98 reasons for being.
Claire Dudman offers an original and offbeat perspective of life in a Frankfurt assylum in the 1850s.
A Jewish girl, Hannah Meyer, labelled as a nymphomaniac, is admitted to a Frankfurt insane assylum , in a deep and extremely debilitating state of melancholia. Dr Heinrich Hoffman, a Frankfurt physician who runs the sanatorium, and also the well known author of the book of children's poems known as Sturmwetpeter, undertakes to treat her, all treatments fail until Dr Hoffman patiently talks to her about his own life and patiently coaxes, slowly coaxes her out of her crippling melancholic state and teaches her to talk and respond again.
Her own inner thoughts and recounting of her own inner thoughts are recounted in italics, used in an intelligent and pertinent way.
Deeply in love with a German gentile who woos her and secretly marries her, and then cruelly spurns her, with strong anti-Semitic words, this incident has brought on her depressive state. The novel also focuses on the staff and other inmates of the asylum.
The novel also focuses on the staff and other inamtes of the assylum.
It is at once a window into 19th century Germany, the progressive thinking of Dr Hoffman, the inner world of the mentally ill and the anti-Semitism of the time.
An evocative novel despair and hope, love and cruelty, and ultimately the search for purpose and the reason for being, hence the name 98 reasons for being.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enthralling writing style for an enchanting book
21 May 2010
By D. Sorel
- Published on Amazon.com
Overall, an excellent read. I found the characters to be extremely dynamic and multidimensional. The story was also at times heartbreaking as well as uplifting. Yet, it was the writing style that made this book exceptional to read. There were sections of narration that were interrupted by case studies performed by the psychiatrist as well as the thoughts inside the main character's mind. Though I would not go as far to say that it is postmodern, the way that the story is presented is certainly nontraditional.
Basically, it is the story of a Jewish girl who is brought into a mental institution because she refuses to talk. Through her treatment, she encourages the doctor and other patients to open up and free themselves from their own demons. Of course, not all are saved and there are numerous characters that can be deemed as "not good". Still, the complexities of the characters makes them seem more real than the paper on which they are described.
Basically, it is the story of a Jewish girl who is brought into a mental institution because she refuses to talk. Through her treatment, she encourages the doctor and other patients to open up and free themselves from their own demons. Of course, not all are saved and there are numerous characters that can be deemed as "not good". Still, the complexities of the characters makes them seem more real than the paper on which they are described.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Complex and satisfying
13 Feb 2006
By Gentle Reader
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
After the first several pages, I almost gave up. Reading italics seems so gimicky and needless. But no - it's a sly and clever way to make you see the story from two points of view, the doctor's and the patient's. The time period is interesting, the characters are interesting, the plot, while simple enough, has a true feeling. I would slow down, savor this, enjoy.
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
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