Just before Christmas, there was a surprise.
Unannounced, Alex Gräbeldinger's new book landed in my mailbox.
Alex Gräbeldinger... wasn't there something about him?
Yes, exactly, he was the one with books like “A Vomited Fine Ribbed Undershirt is the Dress Code for My Life Feeling“ and “The World is Ending Soon, Please Pass It On!“.
There is also a review of “The World is Ending Soon, Please Pass It On!“ at ramtatta.de, which can be read at the following link:
https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/3880/
It has been 13 years since I read “The World is Ending Soon, Please Pass It On!“, and in the meantime, Gräbeldinger has not been idle. More books, audiobooks, and even a play have emerged from his pen.
Now, Alex Gräbeldinger's latest work is here: “Let's Take a Step Back and Admire the Chaos We've Created“. A long title, it sounds like drawing a conclusion or observing the situation from the outside.
The book consists of 157 pages of short and longer dialogues that date back to 2017 and/or served as the basis for the play, which was performed eight times in Cologne in 2018.
One could say that old stories are being reheated here, and while that cannot be entirely dismissed, it is important to note that even though the written words are not the newest, they are not outdated.
Many dialogues describe life between chat and SMS communication. They are everyday dialogues in which more or less profound insights emerge. In the everyday life of trivialities or highly philosophical everyday life?
The book is very entertaining. Literally so. It reads well, you find yourself here and there, smile, grin, laugh, shake your head, and realize that Alex Gräbeldinger is no different from you and me.
What a striking realization!
Is Alex simply someone who captures everyday life more and holds up a mirror of our own trivialities with this book? Our own narrow-mindedness?
Or is it rather a confirmation, yes, an endorsement of one's own life, because one finds oneself in what is written in the book?
Am I reading too much into this?
These and other questions can be answered by each person for themselves.
Life is a mystery.
