Gushing spring water

Author: (German) Martin Walser
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The novel is set in a small town on the shores of Lake Constance in Germany, narrating the experiences of the protagonist John from the age of 6 to 18, reflecting the dark and barbaric history of Germany from 1932 to 1945. The author was recommended for the Nobel Prize in Literature for several consecutive years.
Wild beasts roamed the land, and the family was poor. At a young age, John helped out in his mother's restaurant, delivered coal to the villagers, but it still couldn't change the family's financial struggles. The business was dire, the market was depressed, bringing endless worries and fears to the whole family. For survival, the virtuous mother had no choice but to join the Nazi Party. The father was a pacifist, always dreaming of unrealistic things. To escape the, he tried to establish a breeding farm, raise silver foxes, and even partnered with friends to produce magnetic therapy devices for healing. His failures and incompetence made him feel guilty toward his family, and he died young.
John grew up, fell in love with the circus performer Anita, and his physical intimacy with the girl made him mature both psychologically and physically. During a Nazi raid on the circus, he bravely stood up for the victims, even breaking ties with his friend Adolf. To visit the girl he loved in a distant place, John skipped school and stayed out all night, even disregarding his mother's worries. The war intensified, and the small town lost its former tranquility, filled with refugees whose hearts were broken. John was forced to pursue his dreams of becoming a singer and poet but joined the army and fought in the flames of war. After a brief period as a prisoner of war, he returned home to reunite with his family, only to find that his brother had died in battle.
With time passing, Anita fell in love with someone else; John finally found his life partner, Lena. The intoxicating love life helped him enter another stage of maturity.