She describes herself as unusual, which is true in some ways, with Doris certainly finding ways to stand out from the crowd. But I want to write like films, then that’s how my life is and will be even more so. I’m not thinking of a diary – that’s ridiculous for a girl of eighteen and not really the done thing, anyway. Aber ich will schreiben wie Film, denn so ist mein Leben und wird noch mehr so sein.Īnd I think it’s a good idea if I describe everything, because I’m an unusual person. Ich denke nicht an Tagebuch – das ist lächerlich für ein Mädchen von achtzehn und auch sonst auf der Höhe. Und ich denke, daß es gut ist, wenn ich alles beschreibe, weil ich ein ungewöhnlicher Mensch bin. After being relegated to the shadows for a good while, the writer’s novel were rediscovered decades later, and there seems to have been a recent boom in the Anglosphere as well.Īs you’d expect, the novel is all about the intrepid Doris, and is actually told by the young woman, too, in her own words: Das kunstseidene Mädchen was a huge success on publication, but shortly after, Keun’s work became one of many victims of the Nazis and their book burning (which, of course, makes it compulsory reading!). Keun’s novel is one I’ve seen many people mention over the years, a fun romp through pre-Hitler Berlin.

The problem is that given her background, will any man she really wants want her – and will she be satisfied once she’s found him? This is just the start of a rollercoaster ride for our artificial silk girl as she does her best to pass herself off as the real deal, hoping to find a man willing to pay her way. The artful young woman decides that this is where she needs to be, and she begins work on making a name for herself, scouting out all the best places to be seen and to find men to care for her and her needs. Still, despite being slightly closer to her dreams of riches and fame, the acting life doesn’t quite work out either, and after a couple of unfortunate incidents, she’s compelled to make a quick exit, eventually landing in Berlin. She’s an ambitious soul, if slightly lazy, and it isn’t long before she throws in her job, next finding herself as an extra in a stage production.

Irmgard Keun’s Das kunstseidene Mädchen (The Artificial Silk Girl) is the story of Doris, an eighteen-year-old secretary living somewhere in Germany in 1931. Let’s take a trip to Berlin, then, to meet a young woman hoping to strike it lucky in the big city – and prepared to do almost anything to do so. Next time out, I’ll be returning to an old favourite, but today I’m trying a new (old) writer – although I suspect that for once, many of my readers will have got there well before me.

The first few weeks of this year’s German Literature Month have been dominated by male writers, but fortunately I did get around to buying a couple of books by women a while back, and they’ll be the focus this week.

Gilgi, eine von uns by Irmgard Keun