Review: The houses in Germany, in Berlin, lie nestled together as close as two lovers. Their multi-storied structures overlook the sidewalks on which pedestrians pass from home to work or to school or to the market and back again. Neighborhoods are filled with friends who call out to each other, who joke, and who share the day over similar chores or chance encounters. It is here, on these sidewalks, that fifteen year-old Michael Berg nearly collapses as he fights an illness and is rescued by Frau Schmitz. It is there, in her home, fresh from vomiting that the seeds of passion are planted. He falls in love with her, a woman twice his age. Read the rest of this entry »