I could have said no

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the film of the same name based on the novel, see I could have said no (film)

I could have said no (original title: Sanning eller konsekvens ) is a book for young people by the Swedish author Annika Thor , which was published in 1997. In Sweden the book was awarded the August Prize. The book was published in German in a translation by Angelika Kutsch ; Jutta Bauer designed the cover picture .

content

The central theme of the novel is bullying in school . Nora, the protagonist , doesn't come to school until a week after the summer vacation because of chickenpox. Sabina, formerly her best friend, is now part of Fanny and her clique. In her endeavor to be accepted into her clique, Nora is annoyed by the outsider Karin's advances . Disappointment, jealousy and group pressure create aggression in her, which Karin is able to discharge. At the same time she mentions unspoken feelings for her: "We could have been friends, real friends." However, Nora does not dare to complete such thoughts, even out of fear of being cast out herself.

Above all, she worries about her image in the school class and shows occasional sympathy for Karin, for example when she is teased by the entire class. Finally, Nora supports the constant attacks against Karin, which mainly relate to her noticeably pronounced bust. Spin the bottle is played at a party attended by everyone involved , and Karin is made to bare herself under cover of darkness. When the light is switched on, she stands half-naked in the bright light. The ashamed girl runs away crying and Nora realizes that she could have said "no" to some things. Karin eventually leaves school; Whether Nora and Sabina will resume their friendship remains open.

The story is told chronologically, but repeatedly interrupted by internal monologues in which Nora's feelings, fears and torments of conscience are reflected. The consequences of her inaction, with which she gives her tacit consent to the tortures and humiliations of the outsider by the clique, her complicity in the bullying of the classmate, are shown to the reader in this way.

reception

The book is recommended as school reading on various occasions . The Bavarian State Institute for School Quality and Educational Research called the book “valuable” because the story “also stimulates a discussion about the role of victim and perpetrator through a differentiated presentation”. The author shows "different, also humiliating forms of peer pressure and a lack of moral courage ".

Nikola Hahn commented on the readable internet portal of the department for reading research and children's and youth media at the University of Cologne that the author succeeded “without psychological explanations in making human weaknesses understandable. In this way, she gives children room to find unspoken explanations themselves. ”The conflicts of childhood and puberty are“ dense and multi-layered ”. It is an "emotionally charged book that motivates readers to think about personal responsibility and the courage to self-determination."

filming

In 1997, the movie I could have said no was released, directed by Christina Olofson .

expenditure

• Annika Thor: I could have said no . From the Swed. trans. by Angelika Kutsch. First edition 1998. Stuttgart 7th edition 2011. ISBN 978-3-407-74104-2

literature

• Nadine Zapf: “I could have said no” in class. Teacher's manual for the youth novel by Annika Thor (grades 5-7). Weinheim, Beltz 2006, ISBN 3-407-62562-6 .
• Melanie Grade: Literature Project: I could have said no . Kempen, Buch-Verlag Kempen 2005, ISBN 978-3-936577-28-0 .

Web links

• Reviews at Perlentaucher
• Review on the reading bar of the University of Cologne

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated August 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ Information on and about socialization and upbringing ( memento of the original from September 26, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on November 28, 2011 (doc format; 35 kB) 
3. ↑ Where are you at? ( Memento of the original from August 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Nikola Hahn at lesebar.uni-koeln.de, accessed on November 29, 2011  
4. ↑ cinema.de