The latest addition to my website is Hans Henny Jahnn‘s Das Holzschiff (The Ship). This is the first book in an incomplete trilogy, with the second book, meant only to provide a tenth chapter to the first one, ending up as 1600 pages. Only this one has been translated into English. Though long since out of print (in both German and English), the English version is to be republished in December 2013. It tells the story of a large, three-masted sailing ship (which, as the German title but, for some reason, not the English one, states) is made out of wood. The ship arrives in a port where it appears to be carrying some mysterious goods which no-one, not even the crew, knows what they are. The captain plans to have his daughter, Ellena, accompany him on the journey but, at the last minute, her fiancé, Gustav, stows away. Gustav and Ellena discover secret passages on the ship and even suspect that the owner may also be stowing away. The strange supercargo adds to the mystery though first Ellena and then Gustav get to know him better. When Ellena disappears, Gustav finds even more peculiar goings-on, all of which upset the crew. It is certainly an interesting book though some of the mysteries are not really explained till the second volume.
Thanks for this short piece on this very strange, devastating, great book. I hope one day a publisher will make it available in English (and not only the first part of it). My own review: http://www.mytwostotinki.com/?p=592
I can’t believe that the rest of the book will ever be translated, sadly, but will be very happy to be proved wrong. I enjoyed your to-be-read list. Some very interesting books there.