“Ich lasse ihn plappern. Der Seemann ist der Schönste aller Sprünge. Weil er so schlicht wirkt. Keinerlei Bemühungen, die Sekunden des Sturzes mit Artistik zu füllen. kein Salto, keine Schraube, nicht einmal eine Arschbombe, für die man immerhin die Beine anziehen muss. Nein, der Seemann kennt überhaupt gar keine Verrenkung. Im Grunde ist es ein simpler Kopfsprung, nur mit den Armen hinter dem Rücken. Genau das macht Ihn aber kniffliger, als er aussieht.”*
“Seemann vom Siebener” by Arno Frank is set on a last hot summer’s day in a public pool in the provinces. The novel tells moving stories of the place and lives lived through the eyes of six pool patrons whose lives intertwine on this day.
The title of the novel refers to the “sailor”, a jump from the 7-meter diving platform – which, however, has been closed for a long time. Throughout the novel, we learn why the diving platform is closed and what significance it has for some of the protagonists.
For me, “Seemann vom Siebener” is a novel that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure and tells the story of so much more than just a day at the outdoor pool. That’s enough to make it trickier than it first appears.
Frank, Arno. Seemann vom Siebener (Tropen, 2023)
*”I’ll let him babble. The sailor is the most beautiful of all jumps. Because it looks so simple. No effort to fill the seconds of the fall with artistry. No somersault, no twist, not even an ass bomb, for which you have to tighten your legs. No, the sailor knows no contortion at all. Basically, it’s a simple head jump, only with the arms behind the back. But that’s exactly what makes it trickier than it looks.” (p. 101-2)
Thoughts?