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Abdias - Bergkristall (1901)

by Adalbert Stifter(Favorite Author)

3.63 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

S. Fischer

review 1: Rock Crystal by Adalbert Stifter as translated by Elizabeth Mayer and Marianne Moore I must premise this review by saying that I do not generally “like” most German literary works. I often find them harshly worded, opinionated and rather “cold to the touch.” But I also feel qualified via lineage and upbringing to make such potentially inflammatory claims having been squired and raised by a slew of German and Austrian relatives whom were both loving and well loved. That bit of business aside, I readily fell for both Rock Crystal and Adalbert Stifter after reading this tiny book! It holds the magical innocence of a clearly lineated good-versus-evil tale so suited toward teaching children how to make sense of the world. And like every good one we have all been raised... more with, it is ingrained with timeless lessons: Danger is real. With deep faith comes grace and providence. Good shall win over evil in the end. Although the translation offered by Mayer and Moore is not flawless (one otherwise beautiful passage is jolted by a coating of ice being translated as an “ice tissue” ) it is done with a poet’s sensitivity to craft. Stifter is known for his intensely “visual” writing in describing setting--especially natural landforms and sensually immersive environments. At points his description of heavy snowfall makes the reader’s room a little colder, and his wording to show us the towering pines brings forth unexplainable wafts of evergreen into the same space. I could read his visceral settings for days even if the story line never moved an inch. The words are spun out to make a whole world of ink on paper into a reality in under 100 pages. Yes, Rock Crystal is that small. It is a tiny treasure (my own copy is about 4x5 and ends about halfway down page number 78). It was written as a part of a series of works called “Bunte Steine” (Colorful Stones) in the mid 19th century in which each small volume was named after a different rock form. A total of six stones were represented in the series of stories and were published eventually as a two-volumn set in 1853. Rock Crystal is also sometimes translated as “Quartz” or “Mountain Crystal” referring to the clearest form of rock as represented by the ice of the glacial mountains surrounding the setting, and playing a silent lead role in the story. I am disappointed that not all volumes in the set have been translated to English over the years. Myown high school German classes are too far removed for me to pretend to understand one still init’s original written form, and my relatives for whom this was their native tongue have passed on to their reward. Obviously, I enjoyed this little book a lot! As noted above, Rock Crystal is very much like a child’s fairy tale. It is written as a Christmas story about two children, a young boy named Conrad and his younger sister Sanna. They set out across a mountain trail to visit their maternal grandparents at Christmas to collect and exchange modest gifts. It is a simple hike for the children who are accustomed to traveling the pass to and from their valley home in the village of Gschaid. The weather is good as they leave and they are traveling a familiar forrest “road” to the town of Millsdorf. Of course the weather suddenly takes a dark turn as does the course of the tale. I was amazed by the many layers of backstory, meaning, tradition, and symbolism packed into this little volume. As an example, the four “lime” trees in the town square are referred to several times. I was curious about Limes growing in an Alpine climate. In doing a bit of research I found that these trees are not related to the citrus trees we are familiar with. Lime in this usage refers to what we would modernly call a Linden Tree. The noted presence of the trees speaks to the self sufficient capability of the villagers populating Gschaid as well as it’s enduring and eerily perpetual lack of change. Lindens I learned can live for years with their estimated age often noted not by decades, but by centuries. There are a few of the same species documented in England believed to be from the time of Christ still growing today and producing a renewable building and heating fuel source. They are often used as a symbol of truth and righteousness in heraldry and family crests. Also of note is the physical layout of the tiny berg. Those who are most successful, useful, strongest and productive are situated in their homes and their trade toward the village center. Those who are or have become less valued for the by the villagers (the marginalized) are moved along farther from the center of activity and life. This is true of the retired craftsman giving his grand home over to his heirs only to spend his remaining life in a one-room cottage in the large home’s back yard. There is the old cobbler who only repairs lowly mountain shoes now living and working under the elder bushes. Mention is also made of those who are implied as unaccepted loners living in the countryside as far as possible from the more illustrious villagers. The descriptions of the houses and their progression from one generation to the next, the jobs of the villagers and the “outsiderness” of Conrad and Sanna’s mother (who was the reason for their trek across the pass to Millsdorf) all add an incredible adult-level richness to the story. I do not want to trip into a spoiler for this worthy read, but one tender moment is particularly touching. As the children are lost in the dark silence of Christmas Eve on a snowy mountian, a glowing super natural light springs from the night sky at midnight. In place of the church bells beckoning all to midnight mass, the children can only hear a series of three great roars of the ice itself. In the midst of their founded fear and struggle to survive, they dutifully watch in silence as the glowing light fashions itself into a spectral crown shape before fading back into heaven. It isa beautifully described and moving moment not to be quickly forgotten. Rock Crystal will stay on my favorites shelf for a long time. Each time I pick it up I have come to expect another layer discovered. It speaks to the power of purity, of faith, of obedience and changed hearts and ways. Tradition and unquivering change is also lauded and broken case by case. It’s a perfectly woven tale that I will share as a new tradition of the Advent season with my grandchildren for as long as they will listen, or until they begin reading it to their own families!
review 2: This short gem sparkles in its simplicity. Christmas Eve: two children, traveling through the mountains from a visit to their grandparents in the next valley, become lost when they encounter a sudden violent snowstorm. They find shelter for the night, and are found the next day by the villagers and returned to their home.The beauty is in the journey and the waiting through the night's terrible beauty.Stifter's descriptions of the ordinary paths, sculpted by whiteness and magic into an alien landscape, penetrate like the cold wind. The wonder and stillness of the childrens' isolated crystal refuge, the serendipity which keeps them alive in the long cold night, and their futile wanderings as they look for a way down to the recognizable greenery and familiar sounds of home--these are scenes I will not soon forget. less

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