{"id":864,"date":"2015-06-05T18:35:22","date_gmt":"2015-06-05T16:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=864"},"modified":"2020-05-31T00:09:39","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T22:09:39","slug":"selection-kiera-cass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2015\/06\/the-selection-kiera-cass\/","title":{"rendered":"The Selection \u2022 Kiera Cass"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

I was really pleased to read this book, since up until now, young adult novels hadn\u2019t really been on my radar. I had already written something<\/a> in the past about an interesting feature on the Bildungsroman in Arte\u2019s Bits Magazine, and even though the discussion criticized its lack of literary precision, the bigger question \u2014 why young adult novels are so popular \u2014 remained unanswered. That was motivation enough for me to pick up a book of this kind, and it was clear that it had to be something quite commercial and sentimental.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The book itself is a quick read \u2014 its roughly 370 pages felt like half that. The reading experience left me with mixed feelings, but I can already say: parts two and three have made it to the very top of my wish list.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At the beginning of the book, we get a brief glimpse into the life of the protagonist, America \u2014 a young, beautiful, musically gifted girl who unfortunately was born into one of the lower castes. The story is set in the future, in the kingdom of Illea, a monarchy formed during the Fourth World War, where society is strictly divided by a state-controlled class system. This vision of the future is enriched with familiar elements from Huxley\u2019s Brave New World<\/em> and Orwell\u2019s 1984<\/em>. There are strictly separated social classes (Orwell), regulated by the state in terms of work and wealth (Huxley). The nation is in a constant state of conflict \u2014 that is, near-perpetual war \u2014 demanding continuous patriotism from its citizens (Orwell). State control combined with bureaucracy, clear rules for cross-class marriages, censorship of history books, and mild surveillance (such as curfews) are also part of the setting and reminded me strongly of Orwell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This vision of the future is not particularly believable \u2014 at times, it borders on the absurd. In one history lesson, for example, the reader learns that China annexed the United States after they refused (or failed) to repay their debts, turning the country into the \u201cAmerican States of China.\u201d Then came the Russians, and somehow the former Americans, under the leadership of the future monarch, managed to free themselves from both powers and became the kingdom of Illea. This invented backstory made me somewhat question the quality of history programs in the U.S., since a more credible background certainly wouldn\u2019t have hurt the book.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Thinking back to the Arte feature on the Bildungsroman, The Selection<\/em> could serve as a textbook example. All the typical elements are there: a young girl experiencing her first love, uncertain in a world she finds unjust, filled with insecurity about her place in both family and society. There\u2019s a youthful optimism, even narcissism. A mother who pressures her, but only because she wants the best for her daughter \u2014 namely, social advancement \u2014 and America\u2019s own conflicting wishes and worries. The novel didn\u2019t even need to be dystopian; all of these conflicts could easily occur in a realistic, contemporary setting. Of course, the fantastical elements add excitement, and an obviously unjust system, contradicting the democratic ideal of equality, can be effectively used to stir emotion in the reader.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The book is written in the first person, allowing the reader to see the world through America\u2019s eyes and experience all her thoughts and emotions. This creates great intimacy \u2014 it\u2019s easy to empathize with her, to share her joys and sorrows. Stylistically, however, the language is bare minimum for a novel. In terms of writing level, I would place The Selection<\/em> alongside the short stories you might find in women\u2019s magazines like \u201cNeue Post\u201d (yes, I\u2019ve read those too ;). This tabloid-like simplicity runs consistently throughout the entire book \u2014 even experienced TV hosts, members of the royal family, or government officials, regardless of age, all speak with the same naive tone as the protagonist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The story itself is like a mix between \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d and \u201cGermany\u2019s Next Topmodel,\u201d combining the best of both shows: makeovers, catfights, \u201che\u2019s-already-had-two-single-dates-with-her-but-not-one-with-me\u201d arguments, and a weekly, highly popular TV show. In its simple straightforwardness, and with these elements of reality TV, it\u2019s just fun to read. The author uses all the narrative devices that make literature engaging: she builds empathy with the main character, satisfies the reader\u2019s longing for romance through the flirtations between America and the prince, fulfills the craving for gossip through the rivalries among contestants, and appeals to our desire for justice through the obviously unfair social structure. In many ways, she creates emotional deficits in the reader, who then longs for their resolution \u2014 a technique that works just as well in soap operas as in many literary classics. I was actually surprised that the reader is never given any extra knowledge beyond the protagonist \u2014 one of the simplest and most popular ways of building suspense. The author also doesn\u2019t shy away from clich\u00e9s: the heroine collapses in tears in the palace garden, only to be comforted by the strong and compassionate prince; the plain girl suddenly has her big moment in a flowing gown; and, of course, there\u2019s the tried-and-true Cinderella motif \u2014 the talented, modest, yet beautiful girl destined for something greater, who merely needs to be awakened by love (and of course, she will be).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I\u2019ll be honest: I\u2019m a sucker for this kind of thing. In books, I enjoy a bit of melodrama \u2014 pulling out all the stops. Of course, I also appreciate other literary techniques; there are books that reject such clich\u00e9s yet are still incredibly captivating. But you don\u2019t always want to watch an epic drama or only light comedies. It\u2019s simply fun to read this book, to follow America\u2019s story, to swoon with her, and to chuckle at some of the corny parts. Without going to extremes, but always with a touch of tension, this book is entertaining and in every sense a relaxing read. I just like love stories \u2014 especially when they repackage old elements in new ways. To put it more precisely: I absolutely need the next two volumes, for the same reason you turn the TV back on after two episodes of \u201cThe Bachelor.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Conclusion:<\/strong> Despite its clear weaknesses in plot, background, and language, this book is still a recommendation. It\u2019s simply fun to follow America in this colorful spectacle that strongly resembles reality TV shows like \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d or \u201cGermany\u2019s Next Topmodel.\u201d A relaxing read that, while not thrilling, kept me entertained from start to finish. I\u2019ll definitely be reading the next two installments \u2014 after all, I want to know whether America finds her Mr. Right.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Book information: <\/strong>The Selection<\/em> \u2022 Kiera Cass \u2022 Fischer Sauerl\u00e4nder \u2022 368 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783737361880<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was really pleased to read this book, since up until now, young adult novels hadn\u2019t really been on my radar. I had already written something in the past about an interesting feature on the Bildungsroman in Arte\u2019s Bits Magazine, and even though the discussion criticized its lack of literary precision, the bigger question \u2014 … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Selection \u2022 Kiera Cass”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Selection \u2022 Kiera Cass - lesestunden","description":"Dieses Buch zu lesen hat mich sehr gefreut, denn bisher hatte ich Jugendb\u00fccher so gar nicht auf meiner Liste. Zu einem interessanten Beitrag zum Thema Bild"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,20],"tags":[47],"class_list":["post-864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-young-adult","category-reviews","tag-kiera-cass"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/cass_selection.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}