The Frankfurt Files: Tales of an American in Germany by David Conte

★★★½

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that this book was written by a former high school classmate of mine, so I might not be entirely unbiased in my review.

This is a charming collection of short essays - though maybe "essay" is too formal. Each piece is a few pages long, so maybe they're more like vignettes. (The author based this book on a blog he wrote while living as an ex-pat in Germany, so presumably each piece was originally a blog post.) The author mixes humor with cynicism, and I like his writing style. I also like his choice of words, e.g., the "ignominious photography contest" of which he was the sole participant, in "Horses and Mojitos".

Rather than being ordered chronologically, the essays are arranged by theme, though they are presented in such a way that you imagine they might be a good representation of the author's overall attitude over time. They start out harmless and entertaining enough as the author first gets accustomed to living in Germany. While some of the stories keep German culture in the background, other essays are explicitly about some aspect of German culture (e.g., spas).

Gradually, as the author begins to air his cultural grievances, you start to feel like he's got some kind of chip on his shoulder, or else he's cranky from being perpetually hungry. Still, he is clearly self-aware, he keeps his sense of humor, and he is sufficiently self-deprecrating that you're pretty sure he's not really as big of a jerk as he makes himself out to be. Any American ex-pat who has been frustrated by the ways of his adopted homeland, or who has tried (in vain) to celebrate American holidays while abroad, would find some validation in these pages.

In chapter five - aptly titled "Coming to Terms?" - the author seems to be coming to terms with Germany, and German culture is more center-stage. Here the book has an upswing, and the author is downright happy in chapter six! In chapter seven, the author writes about his first time visiting other European cities, and his excitement is contagious - despite an almost obligatory run-in with petty crime in Italy. (The bureaucratic miracle that follows is enough to restore one's faith in humanity!) These are the stories that fellow travelers to Europe would appreciate.

What made this collection particularly delightful was its in-the-background depiction of the author's relationship with his then-girlfriend/now-wife. It's a storybook romance - boy follows girl to Europe, boy and girl make a great team, boy and girl have spats, boy ups his romantic ante, boy and girl live happily ever after. What's not to like?!

The only thing missing was photos! I sort of wished I could see some of those horse photos from that ignominious photography contest.