The Peculiar Disappearance of Things That Matter by Jenny Erpenbeck is a thought-provoking collection of essays that explore the ephemeral nature of existence. The book, comprising pieces originally written for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 2009, now translates to English under the watchful eye of Kurt Beals.
Erpenbeck's attention to detail and her knack for turning ordinary experiences into profound insights make this collection a kaleidoscopic study of transience. Her essays weave together observations on everyday life with metaphysics, politics, and history, creating a nuanced exploration of how our perceptions shape us.
The author delves into the power of contingency, examining how events like the collapse of the Berlin Wall compress personal histories and erase identities. Erpenbeck probes the status of objects after they disappear – think of an old pastry transformed by layers of puff pastry – leaving room for interpretation.
These introspective pieces are compact yet packed with significance, occasionally nudging the reader to fill in gaps. The writer's wit is evident in her observations on a humble drip-catcher and a hotel built on the rubble of the Warsaw Ghetto. Erpenbeck masterfully interweaves irony, humor, and poignancy.
In this introspective book, Erpenbeck contemplates the human experience – how we preserve memories, form habits, and seek to make sense of our changing world. Her aim is not to convey certainty but to capture the beauty in the act of remembering and the fragility of identity.
Erpenbeck's attention to detail and her knack for turning ordinary experiences into profound insights make this collection a kaleidoscopic study of transience. Her essays weave together observations on everyday life with metaphysics, politics, and history, creating a nuanced exploration of how our perceptions shape us.
The author delves into the power of contingency, examining how events like the collapse of the Berlin Wall compress personal histories and erase identities. Erpenbeck probes the status of objects after they disappear – think of an old pastry transformed by layers of puff pastry – leaving room for interpretation.
These introspective pieces are compact yet packed with significance, occasionally nudging the reader to fill in gaps. The writer's wit is evident in her observations on a humble drip-catcher and a hotel built on the rubble of the Warsaw Ghetto. Erpenbeck masterfully interweaves irony, humor, and poignancy.
In this introspective book, Erpenbeck contemplates the human experience – how we preserve memories, form habits, and seek to make sense of our changing world. Her aim is not to convey certainty but to capture the beauty in the act of remembering and the fragility of identity.
just finished reading this collection by Jenny Erpenbeck and I gotta say, it's like she's peeling back layers on reality or something... her writing is so precise, like a perfectly crafted pastry 
, but also kinda messy, you know? it's hard to put your finger on what's happening in each essay, but that's part of the charm.
, i was thinking about life being all like "oh wait where did that thing go" you know? like that one time my favorite childhood toy just vanished without a trace... anyway erpenbeck's got some crazy insights on how we deal with stuff disappearing and how it affects us emotionally 
. Erpenbeck's writing is like a dream, so vivid and relatable that you can't help but think about your own life while reading these essays. The way she talks about how everyday things can hold such significance, even if they're just simple objects... it really made me appreciate the little things in my own life. But what I loved most was her ability to make you question everything - our perceptions of time and memory, how we try to make sense of the world around us. It's like she's saying that maybe we don't need answers, but just the act of remembering is enough? 
. This author is like a breath of fresh air, making us think about how we're living our lives and what really matters 
. And I love how she weaves all this together with history and metaphysics - it's like a big ol' puzzle 
. Reminds me of when I was a kid and used to spend hours making pastry dough with my grandma... there's something special about getting your hands dirty and watching things come together 
. This book's gonna be a classic, trust me!
. Give me something with some real substance, you know? Like a good ol' fashioned conspiracy theory or two 
... The way she talks about everyday things like pastry and hotel buildings becomes these profound explorations of human experience that's both mesmerizing and slightly unsettling 
. I mean, what even is the point of all these memories we're trying to hold onto if they're just gonna disappear in the first place? 
? Erpenbeck's book seems too focused on how stuff disappears and gets lost in time. I mean, can't she just write about something that'll make me laugh or feel good for a sec instead of all this deep thinking? 
Still, I guess if you're into that sorta thing, her writing is pretty smooth and the observations are... interesting 
she has this amazing way of making you see things from a different perspective, like how objects can hold memories & shape our identities... and her observations on everyday life are just so relatable! i loved how she wove together history, politics, metaphysics & humor to create this kaleidoscope study of transience 
i love how she writes about the berlin wall collapse and how that changed people's lives - it's like, we think our personal histories are set in stone, but really they're just a bunch of stuff that gets messed up and remade over time... anyway, this book is like a big ol' jar of jam, all sweet and complex at the same time 
. I'd rather have some straightforward advice or a how-to guide on life than this philosophical stuff. Still, if you're into that sorta thing, go for it! 
her observations on how things disappear are so relatable 
like, have you ever lost something that was super meaningful to you? 
it's like erasing a memory 
no wonder she explores the human experience in such depth 
and it's just genius 