Bert's disasters
Bert's Catastrophes is a fifteen- volume book series for young people by the Swedish cousins Sören Olsson and Anders Jacobsson about the pubescent Bert Ljung from 12 to 17 years of age. It was published from 1987 to 1999 by Rabén & Sjögren Bokförlag, Stockholm , and from 1990 to 2005 by the Friedrich Oetinger publishing group , Hamburg .
Each book is written as a diary, but it is very narrative , so that sometimes the impression arises that Bert is writing the diary not for himself but for the reader. The language is funny, sometimes ironic , the humor is sometimes rough, sometimes constructed over long periods of time. In Bert's early years, fiction and children's imagination predominated , later his own Swedish and English poetry and song texts with sometimes funny content permeate the diaries.
characters
Bert Ljung
(* February 21, 1976 ) main character and autobiographer of the books. Bert has blond, greasy hair and glasses. He finds himself ugly for a long time. He lives with his somewhat “spoiled” father Fredrik, an optician, his mother, Madeleine, a bus driver, and his turtle Ove in an apartment building in the Swedish city of Öreskoga. Marital problems have characterized his parents' relationship through the years. Bert attends the Beckaschule from 7th grade. He has a Christian and devout, widowed grandmother who influenced him a bit in that regard. His paternal grandparents live on Gotland . Bert often emphasizes that he is one eighth of the Russian. Bert prefers to listen to hard rock music . He plays bass with his friends Arne, Erik and Nicke in a band, the HEMAN HUNTERS. In later years Bert is an anti-alcoholic and also quite poetic. His writing style is sometimes silly at first, funny and self-deprecating the whole time. The female sex always plays a major role in his life, but the priority is physical longing.
Arne Nordin
Bert's best friend. Formerly an enthusiastic worm collector, later a passionate chemist . Definitely crazy. Arne is not too bad for any mischief and is the driving force behind friends to have fun. He's pretty creative and swims against the grain. This makes him a close friend of the headmaster. He is sometimes silly and insensitive, the most childish of friends in terms of behavior. Arne's mother is dead. The fact that his father John has a new girlfriend, Hillevi, is difficult for him at first. He also has a sister, Doris, who is three years younger than him.
Erik Linstett
Erik is Bert and Arne's second best friend. The three form a clique within their somewhat broader school clique. The special thing about Erik is that he is portrayed as a late maturer in the book series. B. still has all milk teeth at the age of 15. He is a weakling and very sensitive. B. when the ice cream falls out of his hand. While his habits are those of a child almost to the end of the series, his behavior is the most adult of the group. Erik's parents Martin and Siv-Gun are health fanatics like their son. Erik's big brother Mats is quite normal compared to Erik.
Nadja Nilsson
Nadja Nilsson is Bert's friend in the first books (5th to 6th grade) and later in "Bert's virginal catastrophes". He has been in love with her for a long time and often, but in the "penultimate catastrophes" there is an alienation because she has a fight with Patricia. Nadja's middle name is Alina and is about the same age as Bert, but she goes to another school, the Jungbergschule, and lives in a different part of the city about four kilometers from Bert's house. She has black hair and dark brown eyes and likes to dress sexy. B. red mini skirts. She has three big brothers who are rockers and always "follow" Bert on their motorcycles. The brothers are called Roffe, Ragge and Reinhold and Bert is initially afraid of them. Nadja also plays the violin and is easily offended if Bert criticizes this or does not come to a concert.
Oreskoga
Öreskoga, the hometown of Bert and the other characters in the Bert books, is a fictional city in Sweden. The name Öreskoga is composed of the hometowns of the two authors (Sören Olsson's hometown Örebro and Anders Jacobsson's hometown Karlskoga).
The books
Bert's collective disasters
Original edition: 1987 ("Berts dagbok"), German edition: 1990; Translation by Anna-Liese Kornitzky ; Drawings by Franziska Becker; 128 pages; ISBN 3-7891-2263-7
January 14 to June 4, 5th grade, 11–12 years. The secret, because male diary writer Bert raves about Rebecka, but it never comes of it. After falling in love with Nadja at the school disco, he only calls her under the pseudonym Arne and learns that she loves a Bert. Despite his fear of her three big brothers, Bert manages to get in touch with Nadja. On a date in the city park, the two kiss.
The love for Nadja changes the child Bert, who develops from elementary school student to early adolescent during the book. The humor in this book is comparatively silly, love is not yet as important as it was later in relation to school and friends. In the first book the clique emerges from the later books, Bert's family and neighbors are introduced. "Bert's Collected Disasters" functions as an exposure in the book series.
Bert's intimate disasters
Original edition: 1990 ("Berts första betraktelser"); German edition: 1992; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Franziska Becker; 158 pages; ISBN 3-7891-3902-5
1st January to 30th April, 6th grade, 12/13 years. The relationship between Bert and Nadja wanes more and more, while Bert gradually falls in love with Paulina. On 2.3. he breaks up with Nadja. Later, at the insistence of his aunt, he enrolls in Paulina's ballet school to be near her.
Bert's development as a teenager and his exposure in Bert's world are continued in this book. At first he hides behind a second identity, as in the first volume, instead of Treb Walker, his pseudonym from the first volume, now behind the Stone Age man Milton, whom he blames for all embarrassing incidents. However, as the book progresses, he matures and becomes more experienced with girls. The structure of his diary entries also makes the "intimate catastrophes" more similar to the following books.
Bert's romantic disasters
Original edition: 1990 ("Berts vidare betraktelser"); German edition: 1993; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 154 pages; ISBN 3-7891-3904-1
May 2 to August 31, 6th grade / summer vacation, 13 years. During a trip to the school camp , Bert experiences his first French kiss with Paulina, who then keeps a clear distance from him. Paulina forms her relationship with Bert's Kummer on a purely friendly basis, only 4 months later she hugs him while nude bathing. Bert goes on vacation to New York and Jamaica with his parents , where he wants to get to know the Jamaican women from below while snorkeling. In fact, however, he is very lonely in the romantic Caribbean summer. At the end of the summer Bert will be in 7th grade and thus in secondary school, which will require quite a change from him.
The Bert series really begins with the "romantic catastrophes". The previous two volumes differ significantly from the books from this work, also optically: So are the drawings from this book by Sonja Härdin, who has a more naturalistic drawing style. The age recommendation of the Oetinger-Verlag is now 4 points (youth book), no longer 3. Bert's sex life awakens in this volume, together with his sexual experiences. The love and heartache in relation to Paulina are much more mature than the relationship with Nadja. Bert has given up his childish, silly writing style and found the language he will use from now on.
Bert's heartbreak
Original edition: 1991 ("Berts ytterligare betraktelser"); German edition: 1994; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 159 pages; ISBN 3-7891-3902-5
September 1 to December 31, 7th grade, 13 years. Bert is settling in at his new school. Paulina is finally history since she had a boyfriend he hated. Bert raves about the older Ida, but the only one who shows interest is her ugly friend Mona. Towards the end of the book, he begins to love Emilia.
"Bert's Herzenskatastrophen" can be considered exemplary for the series. Instead of a lot of plot, the characters and their relationships to one another are described, a painting of Bert's life. The book describes an intermediate phase between Bert's first intense love experience Paulina and his great love Emilia.
Bert's unrestrained catastrophes
Original edition: 1991 ("Berts bravader"); German edition: 1995; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 144 pages; ISBN 3-7891-3907-6
January 2nd to January 1st, 7/8 Class, 13/14 years. This band is the Emilia band. It describes how Bert and Emilia find each other after love letters and other signs of his feelings. When bathing with the clique, it finally happens: Emilia sunbathes on or on Bert's side and the two finally kiss. From then on they are a couple and Bert experiences petting . This summer Bert also has a summer job in the café, which he writes a lot about.
Compared to the "heart catastrophes" this band is a bit more grown up again. Bert's increasingly experienced dealings with girls and the more mature behavior of his clique contribute to this impression, but so does Bert himself, who feels grown up at 14 and now thinks of stout beer, mopeds and a growing beard.
Bert's secret disasters
Original edition: 1992 ("Berts bekännelser"); German edition: 1996; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 150 pages; ISBN 3-7891-4403-7
January 15 to June 7, 8th grade, 14/15 years. While Bert is busy planning his first time with Emilia, he fails to see how obviously she is drawn to his best friend. When she finally cheats on him with Arne, Bert falls not only into lovesickness, but also into a personality crisis. For several weeks, the feeling of being ugly determines his only thinking. In the end, Emilia survived the friendship between Arne and Bert. When Bert and Arne place an ad for Erik, Bert meets Gabriella, who is two years younger than those who respond. However, due to the age difference, he rules out a relationship with her.
The book is still pretty similar to its predecessor, but it's not that cheerful. The turning point in Bert's personality, which brought about the abrupt end of the relationship with Emilia, is visible.
Bert's megacastrophes
Original edition: 1994 ("Berts bekymmer"); German edition: 1997; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 160 pages; ISBN 3-7891-4405-3
Summer through Christmas, 9th grade, 15 years. "Everything is a single tragedy - the autumn, the mold, the darkness, the love, Björna and my parents." - The book is pretty poor in action. Bert doesn't seem as depressed throughout the book as in the quote, but he does seem so bored. Bert still raves about Gabriella, but nothing happens beyond their flirtation; Bert still thinks that a relationship with an "inexperienced child" is not morally acceptable. His friend Björna gets cancer.
Overall, the book describes a life without love, in which Bert and Gabriella only satisfy his urge for love and sexuality in his imagination. The book deepens the trio Bert, Arne, Erik and reports on their joint ventures instead of describing a development in Bert's personality. It is thus a quieter bond that continues the intermediate phase between the love with Emilia and the later with Nadja that began in the "secret catastrophes".
Bert's virgin disasters
Original edition: 1995 ("Berts bryderier"); German edition: 1997; Translation u. a. by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 144 pages; ISBN 3-7891-4409-6
December 25th to February 13th, 9th grade, 15 years. Björna is recovering from cancer. Bert has almost his first time with a one-night stand . But before that happens, he comes to the conclusion that he doesn't want non-committal sex without at least a loose relationship. Arne meets his girlfriend, the deaf-mute photo model Celine, at a party. Bert feels drawn to Nadja again and spreads mean rumors about her boyfriend in order to divide the two. Then he comforts Nadja. He confesses his action and his love to her. However, the two are not yet a stable couple.
The long and many song texts and poems of Bert make up a large part of the book. Volume 8 is similar in content and form to its predecessor, but the mood is a bit more optimistic, not least because of the feelings for Nadja. Bert's thoughts are mostly about sex now.
Bert's hair-raising catastrophes
Original edition: 1996 ("Berts befrielse"); German edition: 1998; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 176 pages; ISBN 3-7891-4415-0
February 14th to April 14th, 9th grade, 15/16 years. While Arne's relationship with Celine fails, Bert has an erotic relationship with Nadja. Just before they want to sleep together for the first time, Bert falls in love with Nolina during a performance by his band in the youth prison. He no longer feels anything for Nadja, there is no sex. In addition, the friendship with Erik goes through a crisis because Arne and Bert treated Erik condescendingly.
In terms of character, the book ties in well with the "virgin catastrophes".
Bert's penultimate disasters
Original edition: 1997 ("Berts och beundrarinnorna"); German edition: 2000; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 159 pages; ISBN 3-7891-4417-7
April 15 to June 14, 9th grade, 16 years. Bert has to bury his love for Nolina again as soon as he learns that she has been moved to another prison. As a result, there is temporarily no one in Bert's life for whom he has feelings. Still, many people like him: Arne's 12-year-old sister Doris, two soccer fans of the same age, three admirers from the seventh and a boy named Mikael. Even Erik is sexually better than Bert, as Erik has his first time with a drunken 35-year-old. Bert is pretty lonely until his relationship with Patricia, which he previously thought was just a good buddy, turns into mutual love.
The penultimate volume is more mature than the previous ones in terms of language and content. Even at the beginning you can see a noticeable development in Bert, because he is no longer as crazy about sex as he was before.
Bert's very last disasters
Original edition: 1999 ("Berts bokslut"); German edition: 2000; Translation by Birgitta Kicherer; Drawings by Sonja Härdin; 144 pages; ISBN 3-7891-4422-3 publisher; Oetinger
July 10th to August 12th, summer vacation between 9th grade and high school, 16 years. In the last Bert band, Bert, Arne and Erik go on a tour of Europe while their parents think they are traveling through Sweden . Before that, Patricia Bert suggests an engagement. The three friends travel to Copenhagen , Hamburg , Salzburg , Vienna , Budapest , Lake Balaton and Rimini . Bert meets Rebecca there. The two fall in love and Rebecca travels after the group to Venice and eventually even to Spain , where the friends go on a beach holiday before continuing to Murcia . In Paris they help a seriously ill homeless man. Then they meet their parents, who quickly found out about the trip to Europe. You stay in Paris for a while. Patricia breaks up with Bert at home.
The last book is very different from the others because it is a tour, not a normal life. As a result, love takes a back seat, but Bert realizes: Patricia is not the right person either, the search continues, even beyond the book series. Olsson and Jacobsson manage to create more humorous elements than usual thanks to the changed framework, so that the book is more entertaining than its predecessor. The character Bert is also deepened, you learn a lot about his now very mature and grown-up worldview.
Further volumes
There were also: "Bert and the bacilli", "Bert and the bad brothers" and "Bert and the cool boys", which all play in his twelfth year (with Nadja), as well as "Bert Babyface", that in the three weeks between the 'penultimate' and the 'very last catastrophes' and is about Bert's trip to New York to see his uncle Janne. There are also "Bert's Best Disasters", "Bert's Greatest Disasters", "Bert's Most Embarrassing Disasters" and "Bert's Best Family Disasters" (Best Episodes).