Walking in Berlin: A Flaneur in the Capital by Franz Hessel, translated by Amanda DeMarco: a review

I’m not too sure what drew me in to picking this book up. I suppose it’s just something a little bit different to the sort of thing I usually gravitate towards, and it’s nice to break out of one’s usual tastes every now and then.

            Walking in Berlin: A Flaneur in the Capital by Franz Hessel (translated by Amanda DeMarco) is a sort of travel guide, showing the reader the treats of Berlin that you can enjoy by simply making your way around on foot. This 1929 guide offers a window into a version of the city that was mere moments away from change.

            I was immediately brought in by the voice of the piece. I’d say Hessel’s voice, but I believe it might be more accurate to credit DeMarco’s translation with that one. There’s something electric about it at times, and it’s genuinely stunning. Though, this electricity is wonderfully pulled back at the beginning of the ‘Tiergarten’ chapter which is utterly serene. There’s a real sense of calm that washed over me as I read. His writing really invites you to fall in love with it.

            This is a great tool for any writer looking to improve their world building skills. I know it’s something that I’m working on, and this genuinely is something that I’ve kept in mind when trying to build my scenes better.

            While he creates a vision of the places beautifully, I did admittedly gloss over the names themselves a lot of the time. I know maybe a handful of words in German, but my enjoyment of this book wasn’t impeded because of this. I was able to recognise the places, even if I couldn’t technically read them.

            It was really interesting to see the complaints about new swanky coffee shops. They’re so similar to today’s complaints except the fancy/pretentious drink for Hessel is a mocha which is now just a pretty standard drink. It really is that old “the more things change, the more they stay the same” coming to fruition, isn’t it?

            While coffee shops are a fairly standard place to visit, I’m not sure the same can be said for slaughterhouses. It isn’t even just a passing mention that there is a slaughterhouse in the district because he goes into detail about how you simply must go to see how efficiently the sheep get skinned. I know I could make the easy joke about how there really was far less to do back then, but much of this book is proof to the contrary. Anyway, quick trip to the abattoir anyone?

            I appreciated all the little footnotes for the new edition. This book contains subtle references to current (for him) events and the culture of the time. The footnotes shine a light on these references for readers separated by time and location. It really adds to what you can get out of the book.

            I really enjoyed this little dive into late 20s Berlin, or at least, Franz Hessel’s view of it. This was a really fun jaunt. I don’t know if I’ll read it as a whole again, but I know that I’ll be using it as a tool for my writing. I can definitely recommend you have a look into Hessel’s Berlin, and you can do so by taking your own little stroll down to Burnley Library. 

              I also want to be sure to credit Amanda DeMarco's excellent translation work. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy this book at all.