I am hearing now Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6. I
want to write about that novel, Herztier. Herztier, as it is entitled
originally in German, "The Land of Green Plums" as it is entitled in
its English version. Its Arabic version is entitled: "The Animal of the
Heart". Herta Muller said that the novel was written "in memory of my
Romanian friends who were killed under Ceaucescu regime."
"And when all are asleep, the winds sleep
in the trees." P.42
I took the Arabic version with me to my
worksite and I had no white empty paper to write the notes but the last edition
of "Tatoo", a monthly Iraqi newspaper specialized in art.
Before I went to the room that I share with two
other companions I bought cherry. I didn't know that the word cherry will
repeat itself so much in the novel. I might have a faint unconscious allure to
a link to the word: "plum". I even had called Herta once, in a day
dream: "my plum".
"Dead people don't need the barber, don't
need to cut their nails, and don't lose buttons." P15
Cutting the hair is a repetitive happening in
the novel. Losing bottoms too. As if the protagonists as astonished that their
bodies are still, having some kind of life, in it. In page 164 of the Arabic
edition the writer wrote: "It would be nice if love grows like
grass."
The protagonist is the only unnamed person in
the novel. We know early in the novel that she is a female. Her father was a
soldier in SS. He is proud of his history. After the suicide of a student, the
protagonist found three men (Edgar, Kurt, and George) interested to know more
about what happened. They had a secret place where they hide books. They write
poetry. The protagonist started to spend time with them. All the four were
eager to leave Romania. The protagonist did leave Romania to Germany in page
160 in the Arabic edition. She kept writing about her memory. The most memory
that was stuck in my mind was how the Chief Bele asked her to took her clothes
off and then to sing a national anthem.
The protagonist wrote about her memory of the
days that comes after the suicide of Lola when they were clapping the hands
after the head of the school told them that Lola's deed was a shame and that
she would be not regarded anymore worthy to be as a part of the communist
party. The clapping started to wane after few seconds but few students kept
applauding. Those who stopped thought that they should start again clapping so
that the sound will rise again and that what did happen.
I remembered when I was reading those lines how
we, as students in school, were under the obligation of clapping our hands
furiously every time the name of Saddam Hussein is mentioned. I remembered
Nasif Falaq novel "Khidr-Qad and the Olive-colored Era".
I am still hearing Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
and it is getting little… a little noisy.
I will keep the volume high while just
mentioning that long Iranian film named "Taste of Cherry". The
protagonist was trying to find somebody helping him in his suicide. He found
that old man at last who he, himself, had tried to suicide before. The old man
told him the story and how it was hard to tie a robe on a tree so he decided to
climb it and when he was there, in the tree, trying to tie the robe so that he
can suicide, his hand catched, by accident a cherry. 
He ate one. Then two. Then three.
Then children came and asked him to shake the tree for them. And that was
enough for him to quit his plan. When his wife woke up that morning she was
surprised with a dish full of cherries.
These are the kind of stories that
you can expect from area like, Iraq, Iran, and Romania.
It was 20 minutes since I have
started hearing Tchaikovsky's symphony no. 6, and now the second part had
started. It is an allegro. One of the most beautiful melodies that I have ever
heard.
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