Crazy - Hardcover

Lebert, Benjamin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375409130 ISBN 13: 9780375409134

Publisher: Knopf, 2000

Synopsis

An amazing debut: a fast, funny, wry autobiographical coming-of-age novel by a sixteen-year-old — a runaway bestseller in Germany that is causing excitement everywhere.

"Hi folks, my name is Benjamin Lebert, I'm sixteen, and I'm a cripple."

This is the narrator introducing himself to his class on his first day at a remedial boarding school (he's been thrown out of four schools already), where he's trying to pass ninth grade and maybe even graduate from high school. However, most of his education takes place after hours: with five other kids who rapidly become a gang of friends, Benni is hot on the trail of the Secret of Life — which involves everything from raids on the girls' dorm, booze, first sex, and rock 'n' roll to going out on the sly to a Munich strip club.

Fresh, full of energy, unsparingly self-aware, here is a teenager learning about what friends are, what girls are, how you make the best of the hand you've been dealt, and how you find your way in a crazy world by just being your crazy self.

About this title

About the Author

Benjamin Lebert was born in Freiburg in 1982 and has lived in Munich since he was eight. He writes articles for the young-adult supplement of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich's leading newspaper.

From the Inside Flap

An amazing debut: a fast, funny, wry autobiographical coming-of-age novel by a sixteen-year-old — a runaway bestseller in Germany that is causing excitement everywhere.<br><br>"Hi folks, my name is Benjamin Lebert, I'm sixteen, and I'm a cripple."<br><br>This is the narrator introducing himself to his class on his first day at a remedial boarding school (he's been thrown out of four schools already), where he's trying to pass ninth grade and maybe even graduate from high school. However, most of his education takes place after hours: with five other kids who rapidly become a gang of friends, Benni is hot on the trail of the Secret of Life — which involves everything from raids on the girls' dorm, booze, first sex, and rock 'n' roll to going out on the sly to a Munich strip club. <br><br>Fresh, full of energy, unsparingly self-aware, here is a teenager learning about what friends are, what girls are, how you make the best of the hand you've been dealt, and how you find your way in a crazy world by just being your crazy self.

Reviews

Shades of Holden Caulfield in the wicked city, on the lam from Pencey Prep. That's pretty much the story of this already famous first novel by a German teenager (born in 1982 yet), which has inexplicably been hailed in his country's press as ``a thoroughly amazing and wonderful book'' (Der Spiegel). It isn't. It's the first-person tale (narrated in present tense and in short, punchy sentences and sentence fragments) of a 16-year-old disabled boy named ``Benjamin Lebert'' who is partially paralyzedand, hence, understandably enough, an academic underachiever who is sent to boarding school (ostensibly to repeat ninth grade; actually to be protected from the spectacle of his parents' marriage collapsing). Benjamin might be a more engaging character if he and his schoolmates (including Fat Felix, depressive Troy, and Benjamin's romantic-fool roommate, Janosch) were less generic and their ``adventures'' less derivative. A hopeful visit to a sex therapist, for example, falls woefully flat. A raid on the girls' dorm is both attenuated and thinly described (though Benjamin does lose his virginity). A willfully ``crazy'' after-hours trip to nearby Munichwhere Benjamin and his pals bond with a clean old man who gets them admitted (quite unbelievably) to a strip jointnever manages to be as madcap as Lebert seemingly intends, because the boys' moony animadversions on the subjects of Life, God, and Sex are unfortunately both redundant and banal. Only very occasionally does an impudent insight rear its head (``Life's too complicated.''/``Yes, . . . but girls are hot''). If you keep reminding yourself its author is barely 18, Crazy becomes, barely, tolerable. The novel simply traverses ground we've been over too many times already and makes far too little of its protagonist's potential uniqueness. Salinger's Catcher remains the gold standard. Crazy is only another imitation. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

YA-The young protagonist is shuffled between boarding schools supposedly for poor grades in math and German (his native language), but more likely because of his inability to mesh with the image the administrators have about the students who attend their schools. Benni is partially paralyzed on his right side, a condition that seems to have more of an effect on the adults around him than on his peers, and he forms a natural clique with a group of fellow outcasts. Benni, Fat Felix, Skinny Felix, Janosch the ringleader, Troy the bed wetter, and Florian aka Girl go in search of an existential experience, which includes sex but also encompasses finding the meaning of life with a capital L. The boys develop a philosophy of the soul that includes keeping yourself spiritually alive into adulthood and doing the crazy things that enable life to speak through you, in all its hard, crappy glory. The obvious comparison to Holden Caulfield is misplaced here; the adults who surround these students are not phonies or actively evil, but presented as minor obstacles to the experience of real life, when they appear in the boys' consciousness at all. The novel is nearly over before an adult assists the runaways by buying them tickets to Munich and introducing them to adult entertainment. Comparisons of the teen novelist to S. E. Hinton are somewhat obvious, but what is more important than outcast status and the bonding of family in this novel is the ability to create a family among people far from home, with only one another to draw on.
Sheryl Fowler, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Boarding school antics and teenage epiphanies fuel this slim but entertaining runaway German bestseller (more than 200,00 copies sold), an autobiographical debut by Lebert, who's 16. Benjamin, the novel's protagonist, is also 16, a misfit who must struggle against a near-paralysis of his left side and a chronic lack of academic aptitude to merely get through life. Having flunked out of four schools before the novel's beginning, he comes to Neuseelen, his fifth, where he must graduate from ninth grade or else. He quickly befriends a set of similarly maladjusted teens; together, they search the school grounds for excitement. When such limited pleasures as after-hours booze and raunchy teen sex wear thin, they head for Munich, where they are guided by a wise old man (who claims to sing "the song of life") to a strip club for a night of drink and debauchery. As the book moves toward its end, Benjamin flunks out yet again and is sent home, without any sign that school or life have taught him anything. Lebert's knowing yet ingenuous voice and the flatness of his exposition give character to his tale, but the action revolves around the cliches of adolescent life. Although the characters are likable and also quite believable, they don't grow substantially from their coming of age. Ultimately most interesting as a publishing phenomenon--Lebert's insights into human psychology, society and development are understandably limited--the novel moves along at a good clip, and what it lacks in depth it does make up for in animation and verve. Rights sold in Denmark, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Italy, the U.K., France, Spain, Norway, Finland, Slovenia, Estonia, Croatia, Brazil, Greece, Taiwan, Portugal, Poland, Sweden; Turkey, Israel, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Written by a 16-year-old, this first novel, a sensation in Germany, chronicles the adventures of a boy (the same age as the author) at boarding school. The narrator is also named Benjamin Lebert, which muddies the distance between fiction and embellished fact. Either way, it is a fun, introspective coming-of-age tale. Because of Benjamin's low grades in school, his parents decide to send the boy to Castle Neuseelen (which translates to "New Souls") Boarding School. Benjamin, who suffers from a partial paralysis on the left side of his body, isn't happy to be leaving his family and is skeptical about the possibility of his grades improving. But once he meets his charismatic roommate, Janosch, and his group of friends, Benjamin starts to feel like he fits in. The group includes the orphan Florian, also known as "the Girl" because of his frailty; the quiet, brooding Troy, whose beloved older brother is dying; and the two opposites, Fat Felix and Skinny Felix. The six friends partake in forbidden adventures, such as trips to the girls' dorm and an escapade to Munich. All the while, they are learning about and trying to interpret life. Every once in a while, the philosophizing seems forced, but Lebert is at his best when he is writing about the everyday aspects of a 16-year-old's life, such as missing his family, adjusting to life at boarding school, and mourning the death of his dog. Lebert's voice is enticing from the first page, and his witty but simple observations make this book an impressive first novel from a talented young writer. Kristine Huntley

Holden Caulfield at a German boarding school? Not quite, but in this debut novel six teenagers confront issues of spirituality, sexuality, bereavement, family discord, and all the other ills that the flesh is heir to. Crazy was a best seller in Germany, and Lebert was 16 at its first publication, which no doubt contributed to the book's popularity. Yet Crazy isn't only a literary phenomenon; it is a tart and moving book. The boys are supportive of one another in ways one would not expect, and their search for the meaning of life--the meaning of Hemingway, any sort of meaning--is vividly and cinematically portrayed. Suitable for both adult and YA collections, but selectors should be aware that there is one graphic, although decidedly unerotic, scene of sexual initiation.
---Judith Kicinski, Sarah Lawrence Coll. Lib., Bronxville, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Concerning my son, Benjamin Lebert's, partial paralysis, it says on it. How many times have I pushed this envelope into a teacher's hand? A dozen at least. Now I get to do it again. Jörg Richter reaches hastily for the envelope. His eyes glint with curiosity. He opens the letter. To my horror he reads it out loud. His voice is clear and full of understanding:Dear Mr. Richter,

My son Benjamin has had a partial paralysis of the left side of the body since birth. This means that the functioning of the left side of his body, particularly the arm and the leg, is limited. In practical terms, this means that he either cannot perform or has difficulty performing such fine motor tasks as tying his shoes, using a knife and fork, drawing geometrical figures, using a pair of scissors. In addition, he has problems with sports, cannot ride a bicycle, and has difficulty with any movement that involves a sense of balance. I hope you will give him your support by taking note of these things. Many thanks. Warm regards,

Jutta LebertAs the last word is read out, I shut my eyes. I want to be somewhere else, where explanations are superfluous. I slowly go back to my parents. They are standing by the wall, holding hands. You can see they're glad to have explained things. Jörg Richter looks up. He nods. "We will pay attention to Benjamin's handicap," he says. No questions.

We go up to my room. It's on the second floor, not far away. You go down a long wooden corridor that opens onto a long wooden staircase. The walls are snow white. We follow the headmaster upstairs. I hold my father's hand. Soon we reach another corridor.

"From now on you're at home here," says Jörg Richter. The walls are no longer white but yellow. It's meant to be an appealing yellow, but it misses. The floor is covered in gray linoleum. It doesn't go with the yellow walls. The corridor is empty. The other kids aren't back yet from winter vacation. Beside one of the windows is a plaque: THE TEACHER IN CHARGE OF THIS CORRIDOR IS LUKAS LANDORF, it says. ALL REQUESTS FOR MONEY FOR SHOPPING IN THE VILLAGE, ALL ISSUING OF POCKET MONEY, ALL REGULATION OF BEDTIMES AND AUTHORIZATIONS OF ANY KIND ARE HANDLED BY HIM. LUKAS LANDORF IS IN ROOM 219.

Mr. Richter points at the plaque. He twinkles. "Lukas Landorf will be your teacher, too. You'll like him. He's new here himself. Unfortunately, he won't be back from vacation for another couple of hours, but I know you'll have plenty of time to get to know him."

I look around for my father. He's standing behind me. He cuts a large figure. All strength. I don't want to see him go.

My mother is already inside. I follow her. It's a small room; it looked quite different in the brochure. The pale parquet floor is cracked and you can see holes in it. There's a bed squashed against each long wall. Both beds are old farmhouse style. In the middle there's a big flat desk with two chairs. One of them has a cushion with the eagle on it. Two cupboards for clothes against the wall. One of them's locked -- the other must be for me. In addition, two nightstands and two storage cupboards, which seem to be meant to function as bookcases. Walls white. The only posters are above the bed on the left. Most of them fall into the category of sports or computer games. My roommate, who presumably put them up, isn't here yet. My father and Mr. Richter follow us into the room. Three suitcases and a bag are put down on the floor. I think about the secretary, Mrs. Lerch. Thirty years in this dump. Richter pulls open a drawer in the desk and fishes out a little plaque, four thumbtacks, and a hammer. He leaves the room and fixes the plaque to the door. Later I read: ROOM 211, JANOSCH ALEXANDER SCHWARZE (10TH GRADE) AND BENJAMIN LEBERT (9TH GRADE).

So now it's official. I'm stuck here. Possibly till I graduate. My parents are leaving. We say goodbye. I watch them go back down the corridor. Hear the doors creak. The footsteps on the wooden floors. The staircase. Mr. Richter goes with them. He has promised to be back soon. He has to talk over finances with my parents. Not my place. Hope I see them again soon. I take a bag and begin to unpack. Underwear, sweatshirts, sweaters, jeans. Where the hell is my checked shirt?



Janosch says the food is lousy. As in lousy.

As in seven days in the week. He's standing in the bathroom, washing his feet. I'm waiting. All the washbasins are in use. It's a big bathroom. Six washbasins, four showers. All tiled. All in use. Another five kids are waiting with me. The rest are asleep.

The floor is awash. No shower curtains. My feet are getting wet. With luck it'll be my turn soon. But things drag on. Janosch squeezes a pimple. Then washes his hands. When I get to the front of the line, I can't see a thing. The mirror's all fogged up -- from the showers. Nice. Janosch waits for me. I decide I'd better be quick. I hastily brush my teeth and wash my face, then dry my hands. We leave the bathroom. It's only ten yards from our room. We go down the hall. Apparently it's known as Tarts' Alley, or Landorf Lane, after the teacher in charge. Sixteen kids live along here, all ages thirteen to nineteen. They're divided three to a room or two to a room, and there's one single room. This is for a particularly rough character called Troy -- I can't remember his last name. Janosch talks about him a lot. Apparently he's weird, and he's been here a long time. A long time.


Our teacher in charge, Lukas Landorf, comes down Tarts' Alley. Not exactly a standout. A mop of black hair hanging down into his eyes. Old-fashioned glasses. He's a little taller than I am but not much. Janosch says Landorf never changes his green sweater. Apparently he's cheap -- cheap as a Scot, according to Janosch -- but otherwise a nice guy. Not too strict. Notices nothing. Even lets girls into the rooms. Human Valium. Some of the other teachers in charge are a lot more wide awake.

Lukas Landorf comes over to us. Smiles. He's got a young face. Can't be much more than thirty.

"So? Has Janosch shown you everything?"

"Yes," I say, "everything."

"Except the library," says Janosch. "We missed that. Can I show it to him now?"

"No you can't. Heavy day tomorrow. You guys have to get to bed." As he says that, he moves on. Looks a little wobbly on his feet. Must be missing his vacation already. Me too. Just a couple of days in South Tirol this time -- that was it. Including a minor run-in with my older sister, Paula. But it was paradise, as I can see now.

We go into our room. Janosch wants to talk. It's this girl he's fallen in love with. Bonding seems to be a pretty quick process around this place. I've been here seven hours, and we're into girls already. Not my thing.

It's not just because I'm disabled. I've had about as much luck with girls thus far as I've had in school, i.e., zip. The only thing I've been good at is eyeing them while the other guys nailed the ones I'd fallen for. I really had that down. Janosch talks and talks. I really feel sorry for the guy. He talks about flowers, blinding lights, and big tits. I can picture the whole thing and I'm with him all the way. A girl like that is something else. I sit down on the bed. My left leg aches, the way it does in the evening. It's been doing it for sixteen years. My bad leg. I can't count the times I've just wanted to amputate it and throw it away, along with my left arm. Why do I need either of them anyway? All they tell me is what I can't do -- can't run, can't jump, can't be happy. But I've never actually done it -- amputation, I mean. Maybe I need them to figure out math.

Or to fuck. If I want to fuck, I probably need my fucking left leg. Janosch by now is on to another subject -- his childhood. He's saying that life used to be so great and it isn't anymore. And he says how cool it would be just to get out of this place and take off. Because it's about being free.

Janosch says the most important thing is being free. I know better than to say anything. First of all, I've only just got here. I'd like to take off too. No question -- take off and run, and keep running. We smoke cigarettes. Against the rules, apparently, but so what.

Janosch lit mine with a match. I can't do it on my own -- takes two hands. If Lukas Landorf turns up, we'll throw them out the window. We're both sitting where we can do this. The window is wide open. Janosch looks at me. He's obviously tired. His eyes are deep blue and they look wet. The top of his bleach-blond head keeps nodding down toward the bedclothes. He gets up, stubs out the cigarette on the windowsill, and throws it out into the darkness of the parking lot. Just a few hours ago I was standing down there. Now I'm standing up above. In the center of things. Perhaps it's for the best. I throw my cigarette out too. Then we go to sleep. Or, rather, we try. Janosch talks about Malen, his girl. "She's unbelievably special." I'm impressed. Most kids I know say something else about their girls. Janosch just says she's special. That's it. It's great. I wish him luck with Malen. The night sky is clear and there's no moon. I sit at the window, the way I usually do.



I push myself up in bed, tired. It was an exhausting night. Not much sleep. A lot of sitting and waiting. Outside the sky is lightening. Maybe a sign. Then again, maybe not. Who knows.



The alarm clock goes off. A horrible noise that says first day of school. It also says math. It's also probably saying you scored 6 again. But I don't hear that yet. I turn it off. My black jeans and white pink floyd -- the wall T-shirt are ready. I put them on my side of the desk last night. My mother packed them both for me, right on top, next to my schoolbooks. What a surprise! I get dressed. I know where to go. Janosch showed me. He's still asleep. Maybe I should wake him. There are stiff punishments for sleeping in, apparently, but I know he knows this himself. I find a piece of paper i...

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0375409130
• ISBN 13: 9780375409134
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192