Flights of Love : Stories

Rating:
Summary: NICELY WRITTEN, but...
Review: ...something about Schlink's writing leaves me personally cold -- his novel THE READER left me feeling the same way. I recognize his talent and abilities, but I just don't enjoy the paths that his fiction takes. While all of these stories deal with aspects of love, I would suggest that the word 'flights' in the collection's title refers more to the concept of fleeing from love than to the soaring heights to which it can take people.
It seemed to me that every single story in this collection dealt with someone's failure at love, their disappointment in it, their disillusionment with it, or their guilt about the way they had treated someone they loved. In 'The circumcision', a German man is offended when his American fiancée refers to his 'German-ness' and remarks that her friends looked at him in this light as well. One of the characteristics she assigns to him in this regard is his cold obsession with organization. Frankly, I can see a similar trait in Schlink's work -- and please understand that's not to say that he's not a brilliant writer. I guess the worst thing I can say that he's just not my 'cup of tea.'

Rating:
Summary: Promises met
Review: Bernhard Schlink created a devoted following with the translation of his first novel THE READER. Opinion was divided among critics and readers as to whether or not this author was playing on simplistic heart-string tuggings or whether he really had somthing new to say and an equal talent to say it. Being part of the camp of readers who were caught up in the story of 'The Reader' and waited eagerly to see just where this writer would/could go, I am happy to say that FLIGHTS OF LOVE is substantial proof that Schlink is a very fine storyteller. This book of seven short stories, while a bit uneven, at least shows that the author can relate tales of interest, of introspection, of intrique, and in general can keep his reader flowing with his thoughts to the somewhat open-ended conclusions. "The Other Man" is deftly told and has much more of a universal appeal than the isolated story would indicate. 'Girl with Lizard' is a mesmerizing tale based on a man's relationship to a painting! One of the unifying elements in Schlink's creative mind is examining how internalized perceptions, when maintained in the prison of an individual's mind, can alter the manner in which we live through relationships, ways that could have been more constructive had communication of these altered perceptions occurred. Sounds simple, but the way Schlink uses this tool to alter his characters reaction to not only each other but to everyone and everything in their lives is touching and rings true. If at times his writing seems detached or cold, I wonder how much of that is due to the fact that we are reading translations. Despite any of the negative points mentioned, here is a collection of short stories that merit attention and make us eager for the next full scale novel to come along.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN
Review: Bernhard Schlink's FLIGHTS OF LOVE is a curious, uneven, confounding and sometimes brave assemblage of stories, none of which has anything whatsoever to do with actual "flights" of our most treasured and elusive emotion. DIVES OF LOVE would have been considerably more accurate. But that's not a criticism. Schlink delivers some fine swans and at least one Triple-Lindy. My favorite has to be the opener, GIRL WITH LIZARD. There is a strange redemptive quality here, and, as with all of Schlink's fiction, a definite chill in the air. He is playing to his strength when he maintains a good distance from his characters, revealing slowly all the hidden gross machinery that drives them to do what he has them do. When Schlink fails, he does so just as grandly, God bless his Nordic soul. Best example of that, I think, has to be THE CIRCUMCISION, a miserable, too-long, improbable, atmospheric polemic about cold-blooded posturing, hair-trigger sensibilities, and not much else. When Schlink attempts a much warmer author/character relationship, the results are strained, frozen, and never very good. Stories like GIRL WITH LIZARD, SUGAR PEAS, and THE OTHER MAN really go a long way toward saving FLIGHTS OF LOVE from becoming one of the sloppiest diving teams anyone ever saw.

Rating:
Summary: Trite
Review: I loved Schlink's "The Reader" and that is why I ordered "Flights of Love." It is hard to believe it was penned by the same author. "The Reader" is a deeply layered book and one, I must confess, I probably do not fully understand being neither German nor Jewish. Yet, there is meaning that goes well beyond the obvious story line; it is angst and the burden of history.

I do not know the time frame that Schlink wrote these short stories but "Flights of Love" is more college level writing than professional. The stories are trite to say the least. There are only a few all to brief glimpses of the Schlink of "The Reader."

Something is always lost in translation of a foreign tongue, a different culture. I thought perhaps the translator was being overly simplistic with his approach - transcribing words and not meaning. Yet, the biography of the translator indicates he is highly respected and experienced. The onus reverts to Schlink. Sorry, I had hoped for more.


Rating:
Summary: Sadly Disappointing
Review: I thought Bernhard Schlink's novel, THE READER, was one of the best books I'd read in years, so I was really happy when I learned of this volume of short stories.

Perhaps the title, FLIGHTS OF LOVE, caused me to expect stories that would be somewhat fanciful; that would be infused with lyricism and poetry (which was exactly what I was looking for at the time). Instead, I found stories that attempted a gritty reality but were, more often than not, quite awkward, both in construction and in language. I certainly can't blame the translation for this because I read these stories in the original German edition, published as LIEBESFLUCHTEN. THE READER was definitely a gritty novel, but it also possessed a grace and dignity I found almost completely lacking in these stories. The two exceptions were the first story, "Girl With Lizard," which, though quite gritty, was also poignant and thoroughly believable and "The Son," which was powerful and subdued.

For the most part, Schlink's characters indulge in the most improbable, rash and downright inane actions...all in the name of love. Perhaps these are the "flights" mentioned in the title, although I saw them more as flights of sheer stupidity than of love. Love really doesn't play a very big part in these stories; infatuation and hormonal inbalance does.

The book's centerpiece, "Sugar Peas," was woven around a premise so preposterous as to be downright silly. Same with "The Circumcision." That story's main character does something very few grown men in their right mind would do and what's worse, he does it for all the wrong reasons. The closing story, "The Woman at the Gas Station" could have been good if only Schlink had allowed his character to make a different decision. As it is, the main character comes across as a totally selfish, self-indulged and stupid bore, which really isn't a very good way to end a book.

I also found the writing in these stories to be a bit awkward and clumsy at times. In "The Circumcision," a young man and woman visit a Hudson river mansion during the wintertime only to find a profusion of roses blooming in the garden. There are also several instances in which one character tells another character something he or she already knows simply for the benefit of the reader.

My main thought while reading these stories was: What happened? What happened to the lovely prose and the poignancy of THE READER? I don't know, but I'm not going to let my disappointment with FLIGHTS OF LOVE stop me from reading the next book Schlink publishes. With THE READER, he proved that he can write with the best.

Rating:
Summary: simple, sharp stories
Review: If you like simple books with strong message, this is the book for you. This book brings interesting dilemmas in which you can relate to the main character. Is it possible to love a picture more than a person? How many wifes can a man have (before they catch him)? Not completely without a touch of humour ordinary lifes and extraordinary circumstances makes a good and challenging mixture. Schlink, being a judge and a law professor, is definetily a good reference person for any ethic question. He opens different points of view to the reader which gives you an impression, you are becoming a bit smarter while reading this book! But you also learn that in yourself there is hidden a lazy person which allways chooses the easiest and effortless way to achieve something. Does this makes us cowards and anti-heros? Perhaps... Love fugitives? Definitely!

Rating:
Summary: One of my absolute favorites
Review: Let's face it: Most books are pretty good, but few are great. Well, this is one of the great ones. Normally, I prefer a novel to short story collection, but I have to say that this collection is better than most novels. Schlink seems to ask himself, "To what strange places might love drive a person?" His writing is distinctly un-American: poetic, deeply intimate, concise, and above all unashamed. The overall effect is provacative and thought provoking. Each story is unique and unattached to the next, but still focuses on the premise of people driven throughout their lives by love. Each story shows a different way that love can effect a person: in one story, love brings them together, in another drives them apart, in another it causes infidelity, in another it sends a man looking after the man that the dead wife had an affair with. With his Kundera-esque writing style, I was riveted to Schlink's book. Subjects covered: war, religion, art, travel, infidelity, circumcision, lies, sex, falling out of love, family relationships, Jewish prejudice against a German. In each story, the person seems inexplicably driven to these strange places, driven to make strange choices. The "flights" seem unconcious and inevitable, each resulting conflict the believable outcome of the characters personality. Each story flows naturally, and yet, the conflict and resolution is unexpected. If you like this, you may really like "Searching For Intruders" by Byler or "Kissing in Manhatten" by Schlinker.

Rating:
Summary: Love isnt'easy
Review: Love is not easy: not only attaining it, winning the heart of your loved one, but, most difficult and most important, keeping it. Too many, once they "won" the love of somebody, take love for granted, as an acquired boon. They're wrong. This book explains why.This book is all about the self-centeredness, the pettyness, the fear of loving that prevents love to take flight. But it's a recommended reading if one wants to avoid errors. Beware young lovers, where ever you are! Love is a many splendored thing...handle whit care!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: This is the first book I have read by Bernhard Schlink. Based upon this initial exposure to his work, I look forward to reading other books he has written that are being translated for publication in the USA. "Flights Of Love", is not a collection of sentimental love stories. None of these 7 tales qualify as a Hallmark Card Moment. All 7 stories have males at the center of the issues/conflicts, and the concepts of love that are explored vary widely. Several of the stories are about the lack of love, love that has missed its opportunity because of active or passive neglect.

The situations Mr. Schlink explores are at times extremely volatile. One of the best stories, and the more traditional, centers on a relationship between two young people. Beyond this one fact the author lights a match and holds it precariously close to a very short fuse. The young man is German and Christian, while his girlfriend is Jewish with a family that lives in New York that was directly and savagely victimized by The Holocaust. Fifty years have passed since the end of the war, but time will never heal this wound, and this couple is in the middle of conflicting philosophies. The idea that sons should not be held responsible for their father's or grandfather's sins is an idea that is embraced in theory. However in practice, her family and friends see him as German first just as his family notes she is a Jew, and rapidly wind up in conflict between the necessity of never forgetting, and the feeling that they are forever cursed as Germans. This all sounds very familiar until the boyfriend makes the decision to convert. He also makes a decision to have a procedure that any adult male would visibly wince at the thought of. This decision and the events that follow make the story unique and worth reading.

"Girl With Lizard", may sound a bit odd as a title. However the author takes you through decades of strife that is caused by the painting that is the title of the story, and brings it to a conclusion that is poignant without appearing to be just a clever sleight of hand. In, "Sugar Peas", the author again takes the familiar concept of a love triangle and literally changes its shape, abruptly interrupts the narrative, and then delivers an ending that I don't believe most readers will see coming. I do believe most readers will find the ending a satisfying one.

These are great stories of varying length that all are worth reading, and will likely cause you to add a new author to your list of people to read.

Rating:
Summary: NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
Review: When I finished THE READER, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was convinced that the book was autobiogrpahical and that Bernhard Schlink had done what may writers do; tell the one story they have to tell and write several poorly done works hoping to capitalize on the success of their first book. So it was with spepticism that I began FLIGHTS OF LOVE. I was delighted to find that I was wrong, at least on the second point.

Schlink has compiled a wonderful selection of short stories with ironic twists and surprise endings. As he does in THE READER, he deals with relationships and the web people spin for themseles in dealing with lovers and spouses. I felt the strongest of the stories were THE OTHER MAN and THE CIRCUMCISION. In THE CIRCUMCISION and THE GIRL AND THE LIZARD, Schlink revisits the theme of THE READER in terms of deling with Germany's past and the acceptance of it by contemporary Germans. The conflicts between the characters in THE CIRCUMCISION, while specifically dealing with German/Jewish relations are universal and could involve interracial couples as well as couples from different cultures. In THE OTHER MAN Schlink marverls the reader with his incites into the life of a grieving widower and the fact that his wife has had an affair yet maintained a healthy relationship with him.

I felt that THE SON was the weakest of the stories and seemed to have been drawn on themes more common to V.S. Naipaul. I suspect that some of these stories will show up in the movies some day, especially THE OTHER MAN. All in all the stores are well done, provacative and readable. I only look forward to Schlink's next work.