Category Archives: Books

Learning German with Hamlet

Posted on 2022-09-14 by Andreas Moser

I am always impressed when someone manages to learn German. It’s not the easiest of languages – though not the hardest, either – and every 50 kilometers or so, it is pronounced in a completely different way. Even I, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Germany, Language, Travel | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Slow Trains to Venice” by Tom Chesshyre

Posted on 2021-12-14 by Andreas Moser

Whether I cross the Canadian prairie with old-order Mennonites, steam to Stockholm in a frenzy of unconnected connections, or whether I am dreaming of “the big one”, train journeys are quite popular on my blog, it seems. Apparently, publishers are … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Germany, Travel | Tagged , | 10 Comments

“The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared” by Jonas Jonasson

Posted on 2021-08-08 by Andreas Moser

Zur deutschen Fassung. In those public bookshelves, 96.5% of the books deposited are rubbish. That’s only natural, because people keep the really good books or give them to friends. There are exceptions, but they are rare. A few days ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Sweden | Tagged | 11 Comments

Film Review: “Nomadland”

Posted on 2021-07-24 by Andreas Moser

Zur deutschen Fassung. In the land of the free, the middle class is free to descend into poverty and homelessness rather quickly. One bad divorce, a factory closing, medical bills, and poof, you are as free as you never wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Cinema, Economics, Travel, USA | Tagged | 3 Comments

“The Impostor” by Javier Cercas

Posted on 2021-02-27 by Andreas Moser

Zur deutschen Fassung. Impostors who portray their lives as more adventurous than they are don’t just exist in novels and in blogs. Some live among us. Or, when impostorism conspires with narcissism, they force their way onto the big stage. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Holocaust, Spain | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

“Sovietistan” and “The Border” by Erika Fatland

Posted on 2021-01-15 by Andreas Moser

Hier gibt es diese Rezension auf Deutsch. Do you also have so many travel guides at home for countries you never made it to? I still got a Lonely Planet guidebook for Central Asia, which I bought in 2007. Apparently, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Books, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Ukraine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

History Lessons in Bolivia

Posted on 2020-06-14 by Andreas Moser

In a remote jungle school in Bolivia, I am surprised by what the children learn about Germany. Continue reading →

Posted in Bolivia, Books, Germany, History, Travel, Video Blog | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Finding myself in Maugham

Posted on 2020-06-01 by Andreas Moser

One and a half winters ago, on a cold day in Calgary, I found a treasure trove of books by the side of the road. I walked home, through ice and snow and wind, with three little gems by William … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Life, Travel | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The Girl with the Book

Posted on 2020-03-25 by Andreas Moser

Lisbon, in the garden of Palácio Fronteira, on a late afternoon. Under a canopy of wisteria, there is a girl reading a book. It is both a beautiful and a soothing sight. How nice that people find leisure to escape … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Love, Photography, Portugal, Travel | Tagged , | 10 Comments

“East West Street” by Philippe Sands

Posted on 2020-01-12 by Andreas Moser

As a lawyer and budding historian, I found Philippe Sands‘ idea of telling the story of international criminal law through the biographies of Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin interesting. But the book East West Street is overloaded with the irrelevant … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Holocaust, Human Rights, Law, Ukraine | Tagged , , | 1 Comment