Consumption plays an undeniably important role in today’s society. At some point, each of us is confronted with the question of how to get rid of clutter or regretted purchases. It tends to be a lot harder to part with objects than to acquire them. In her new book “Das Stammeln der Wahrsagerin: Unglaubliche Geschichten hinter Kleinanzeigen”, Sarah Khan tells stories of letting go with wit and sensitivity. Since having renovated a former Brandenburg schoolhouse, Kahn has been obsessively studying classified ads on eBay Kleinanzeigen. Along the way, she’s encountered advertisers such as Mr Stein, who was giving away an old designer couch which he admitted he would have rather hacked up with an axe. Or the motivated Mrs Hauswald, who tried to secure her old-age pension by selling her collection of horse books. It’s fascinating to read what the things people buy, inherit or collect say about who they are, and to encounter the burst dreams that reveal themselves through these stories. (Text: Helen von der Höden)
Sarah Khan “Das Stammeln der Wahrsagerin. Unglaubliche Geschichten hinter Kleinanzeigen”, Suhrkamp / Insel Verlag (in German)
