John Niven ist immer noch sehr begeistert von seinen Lesetouren durch Deutschland und fasst für seine englischen Leser noch einmal die schönsten Klischees über deutschen Selbsthass, Wurst und Starkbier zusammen, wenn er nicht gerade über das Berliner Ramones-Museum spricht:

“I love Germany. I love the food, the beer, the people. Eating an arm-sized sausage and drinking a 4.5 litre stein of incredibly strong beer while listening to the rapid babble of German? What’s not to like? (But don’t tell Germans you love their country. They won’t believe you. I said as much during a radio interview and the presenter – off-air – said: “Ha! Fuck off!”).

Also due to some strange cultural blip, the author reading is still a pretty respected event in Germany. They’ll take place in a museum, nightclub or cinema – with full PA, lights, dressing room and rider – and you’ll get around 200 people, all listening avidly because they’ve paid 10-15 € to get in. In Britain or America, unless you’re Stephen King or JK Rowling, you’re doing well if you can get 30 or 40 people to wander (for free!) into a fluorescent lit bookshop where you’ll be plonked on a wooden chair by the self-help and (maybe) given a glass of water.
(…)
The morning after the reading (in Berlin, Anm. d. Red.), I wandered the city and, completely by accident, came across the world’s only Ramones museum. Run by a genuinely nice, but clearly monomaniacal, man called Flo it contains hundreds of rare photographs as well as guitars and jeans all belonging to various Ramones. If you’re a fan of either Da Brudders or of personal obsessions taken to insane levels it’s an essential visit.”

(Bestsellerautor John Niven im Q Magazine)

Weiteres:
* John Nivens Erlebnisse bei seiner Leipziger Lesung
* Schmähkritik Nr. 124: John Niven über Scouting For Girls