Geister

(German text underneath - deutscher Text unten)
Der Original-Titel lautet "The Nix"

Samuel Anderson, assistant professor of English, computer gamer, was left by his mother when he was only eleven, in 1988. Now it is 2011 and Faye Andreson-Anderson throws stones at Wyoming’s right-wing ex-Governor Sheldon Packer. That’s how suddenly Samuel’s mother comes back into his life: he is asked to write a letter in her favour to the judge. He realizes he does no really know anything about her and goes for a search – not fully idealistic, though.

Why love this book?

you read this and do not realize it is very long sentence – it rather makes perfect sense
"Larry fucking Broxton, skin as pale and sickly green as the inside of an old potato, pathetic attempts at a blond mustache and beard that looked more like his face was lightly crusted with panko bread crumbs, a kind of hunchiness and withdrawn, inward manner that for some reason reminded Samuel of a small fern that could only grow in the shade, Larry Broxton, who had never once spoken in class, whose feet had outpaced the rest of his body, growth-spurt-wise, and had resulted in a kind of floppy walk, as if his feet were two large and flat river fish, feet on which he wore these chunky black sandal things that Samuel was pretty sure were designed for use only in public showers and pools, this same Larry Broxton who during the ten minutes Samuel gave to each class for "freewriting and brainstorming" would idly and subconsciously and casually pick his genitals, he could almost every day, invariably, during their two-week sitting-together period, on the way out of class, make Laura Pottsdam laugh." p 42f

you read this and get sentences which really tell it all
"Don't trust things that are too good to be true" or "The things you love the most will one day hurt you the worst" p 115
"Because when all you have is the memory of a thing...all you can think about is how the thing is gone." p 164
“It’s the great flaw of journalism: The more something happens, the less newsworthy it is.” p 486

you read this and have those fantastic characterizations
Samuel to Bethany: "But you have music in your brain. Mostly what I have is worry." p 153
Periwinkle, the publisher is "...like a flashlight aimed at all your shortcomings." p 67
The mother “She became a person who never screwed up” + “Her outward personality had no hard edges to bump into.” p 300
Gamer Pwnage about his real-life problems: “A game will always tell you how to win. Real life does not do this. I feel like I’ve lost a life and have no idea why.” p 228

you read this and really live within situations that could be yours
Like when Samuel tells Laura that her only problem is not learning disability but being rather stupid – yes, one does not do that, but you can wish and dream…
Or the description of that "combat" while driving when you try and make it on the exit road without getting blocked.

You read this and see all of those differenty styles
Like the latin headers with Laura or change of narrator when Samuel visits Frank and it starts off as an inner monologue which really ends like a narrative or the "Choose-your-own-adventure" - style chapter, where the reader is (well, almost) challenged to decide about which storyline should be followed or the one chapter which is a final game of Elfscape and only one sentence

remark on one of the characters: Pwnage (Pownage) = “internet Speak” Term used mainly in online shooters, where one person is displaying superior and winning traits. cf https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pownage

In deutscher Übersetzung heißt dieses Buch "Geister"

Samuel Anderson, Juniorprofessor für Englisch, Computerspiel-Fan, wurde von seiner Mutter 1988 verlassen, als er erst elf war. Jetzt ist es 2011 und Faye Andreson-Anderson wirft Steine auf Wyomings ultrarechten ex-Gouverneur Sheldon Packer. So erscheint plötzlich Samuels Mutter wieder in seinem Leben: er wird um einen Brief zu ihren Gunsten an den Richter gebeten. Ihm wird klar, dass er wirklich nichts über sie weiß, und begibt sich auf eine Suche - doch nicht nur als idealistischen Motiven.

Warum muss man dieses Buch lieben? (einige Sätze sind aus der deutschen Übersetzung - dann sind die Seitenangaben für diese)

man liest Sätze wie diesen, ohne zu bemerken, wie lang er ist - und er passt, genau so
(es gibt auch deutschsprachige Beispiele, aber gerade dieser wurde wohl nicht als EIN Satz übersetzt)
"Larry fucking Broxton, skin as pale and sickly green as the inside of an old potato, pathetic attempts at a blond mustache and beard that looked more like his face was lightly crusted with panko bread crumbs, a kind of hunchiness and withdrawn, inward manner that for some reason reminded Samuel of a small fern that could only grow in the shade, Larry Broxton, who had never once spoken in class, whose feet had outpaced the rest of his body, growth-spurt-wise, and had resulted in a kind of floppy walk, as if his feet were two large and flat river fish, feet on which he wore these chunky black sandal things that Samuel was pretty sure were designed for use only in public showers and pools, this same Larry Broxton who during the ten minutes Samuel gave to each class for "freewriting and brainstorming" would idly and subconsciously and casually pick his genitals, he could almost every day, invariably, during their two-week sitting-together period, on the way out of class, make Laura Pottsdam laugh." p 42f

man liest das und solche Sätze hier sagen einfach alles:
"Don't trust things that are too good to be true" oder " S. 143: "Die Dinge, die du am meisten liebst, werden dich eines Tages am schlimmsten verletzen."
"Because when all you have is the memory of a thing...all you can think about is how the thing is gone." P 164

man liest das und bekommt diese phantastischen Charakterisierungen:
Samuel zu Bethany: Seite 185: „Aber du hast Musik im Kopf. Ich habe da hauptsächlich Sorgen.“
Periwinkle, der Verleger ist "...like a flashlight aimed at all your shortcomings." p 67
Die Mutter “She became a person who never screwed up” + “Her outward personality had no hard edges to bump into.” p 300
Computer-Gamer Pwnage über seine Probleme mit dem echten Leben: “A game will always tell you how to win. Real life does not do this. I feel like I’ve lost a life and have no idea why.” p 228

man liest das und erlebt Situationen mit, die die eigenen sein könnten
zum Beispiel als Samuel zu Laura sagt, ihr Problem sei keine Lernbehinderung, sie sei vielmehr dumm - jaaa, tut man nicht, aber man kann sich das ja wünschen und davon träumen...
Oder die Beschreibungen dieses "Kampfes" beim Autofahren, wenn man irgendwie auf die Abfahrt kommen will ohne blockiert zu werden

man liest das und erhält diese verschiedenen Stil-Varianten
So zum Beispiel die lateinischen Überschriften bei Laura oder der Wechsel der Erzählperspektive, als Samuel Frank besucht und es als innerer Monolog beginnt, aber endet als Erzählung oder bei dem Kapitel im Stil der US-Jugendbücher "Choose-your-own-adventure", bei dem der Leser aufgefordert wird, sich für einen möglichen Fortschritt der Geschichte (fast) selbst zu entscheiden oder in dem einen Kapitel über ein letztes Spiel Elfscape mit nur einem einigen Satz