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Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo

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Sie ist heute sechzehn, kam mit zwölf in einem evangelischen Jugendheim zum Haschisch, mit dreizehn in einer Diskothek zum Heroin. Sie wurde süchtig, ging morgens zur Schule und nachmittags mit ihren ebenfalls heroinabhängigen Freunden auf den Kinderstrich am Bahnhof Zoo, um das Geld für die Droge zu beschaffen. Ihre Mutter bemerkte fast zwei Jahre Iang nichts vom Doppelleben ihrer Tochter. Christiane F. berichtet mit minuziösem Erinnerungsvermögen und rückhaltioser Offenheit über Schicksale von Kindern, die von der Öffentlichkeit erst als Drogentote zur Kenntnis genommen werden. Die Geschichte der Christiane F. wiederholt sich in Berlin, in Kleinstädten und Dörfern bereits zehntausendfach.

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Christiane V. Felscherinow

2 books267 followers
DE: Vera Christiane Felscherinow wurde als jugendliche Drogenabhängige zu einer Symbolfigur für die Verbreitung des Drogenmissbrauchs in Deutschland und der damit verbundenen Probleme in der deutschen Gesellschaft. Bekannt wurde sie in der Öffentlichkeit gegen Ende der 1970er-Jahre durch eine Reportage und ein begleitendes Buch der Zeitschrift Stern unter der abgekürzten Namensform „Christiane F.“ Sie hatte eine Karriere als Sängerin unter dem Namen Sentimentale Jugend.

EN: Christiane F. (born Vera Christiane Felscherinow) is a former heroin addict famous for her autobiographical book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo which describes her struggle with drug addiction during her teens. She went on to have a singing career.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,852 reviews
Profile Image for Grada (BoekenTrol).
2,072 reviews3 followers
August 25, 2010
The most impressive book I've read before I was twenty years old. My parents made me read it whe I was 13 or 14 years old and it made ​​a VERY deep impression on me.
It is the story of an ordinary girl that ends up due to circumstances in a group of friends who smoke pot and are drinking. After a while of sticking to these two, she slips further and further down.
Especially the nearly clinical description of her life and the things that happen has always stayed with me.

Since then I've always been afraid to try drugs. I do not like it when I lose control of myself, to be dependent on something.
This book has certainly made ​​sure I never even have been around drugs, in any form whatsoever. So, as a warning it has worked very well for ME.

This book (an oldie, about taped together) is going to be read by my son when he'll be old enough. Hopefully it'll make a terrible impression on him too.
Profile Image for Brixton.
58 reviews34 followers
July 21, 2010
What I learned from this book: How to shoot dope. Also: that 1) seeing David Bowie live; 2) in Berlin in the late 1970's; 3) while high on dope; is the ultimate trifecta and would have been my really, really awesome dream come true. In contrast, by the time I saw David Bowie live (and more than middle-aged), it was: 1) in the Midwestern United States; 2) while in college; 3) sober. So, so wrong. I read Christiane F. when I was 11- or 12-years old, I wanted to grow up and be like her. I thought it sounded very self-destructive, very ugly, very much a true and dirty (therefore genuine, therefore romantic) sort of existence for someone as unnecessary to the world as I. I tried, I failed, I lived. At least 20 punk-rock kids I ran around and grew up with as a teenager tried, too. They succeeded. They died.

Profile Image for M.
87 reviews
December 10, 2007
Living in Rudow and commuting to work through Gropiusstadt, it struck me that I should know the memoir that the neighbourhoods are famous for.

The book, put together from interviews with Christiane F., a teenaged heroin addict, her mother, and authorities working to fight drug use in West Berlin in the 1970s, follows Christiane from her early childhood, when she was abused by her father, who was an alcoholic, to her teenage years, when, desperately hoping for acceptance and love, she sank deeper and deeper into the club scene around the Ku'damm, with all the associated drug problems. By the time Christiane figured out that addiction doesn't make you cool, she was hooked, selling herself for 40 marks a go at the Bahnhof Zoo to maintain her habit. Christiane doesn't romanticize or preach (which distinguishes this book from others of its kind), but lets her experiences serve as a warning in themselves. Though I found it impossible to sympathise with her, I found the book completely riveting.
Profile Image for Luís.
2,187 reviews1,035 followers
October 8, 2023
It is a challenging book telling the adolescence of a young girl who, after starting by smoking her first joint, lets herself be dragged into the hell of drugs. Then, after having tasted harder drugs, she quickly becomes "addicted" and even comes to prostitute herself to obtain "her doses." Her mother, meanwhile, watches helplessly as her daughter self-destructs. It is a poignant book from which we cannot come out unscathed because, unfortunately, it is still a topical subject against which we try to fight but on which we do not always have control! To read!
Profile Image for Ania.
211 reviews2,189 followers
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January 8, 2023
Ponownie książka bez oceny.
Przerażające, że ludzie potrafią skończyć w taki sposób,
w jakże młodym wieku.
Profile Image for Elena.
904 reviews342 followers
March 17, 2021
Bis zu ihrem 6. Lebensjahr wächst Christiane behütet in der Nähe von Hamburg auf dem Land auf. Dieses Behütet-Sein endet schlagartig, als Christiane mit ihren Eltern nach Berlin zieht, in die Gropiusstadt. Dort wohnt sie in einem Hochhaus im 11. Stock, spielende Kinder scheinen der Haus- und Stadtverwaltung eher ein Dorn im Auge zu sein, ihr Vater schlägt sie und Christiane scheint nirgendwo wirklich dazuzugehören. In der Schule merkt Christiane schnell, dass sie keine Schwäche zeigen darf und eine der Härtesten sein muss. Nach und nach zieht es sie zu den "coolen" Kindern, in die Szene und in die Clubs. Was Anfangs noch harmlos erscheint, entpuppt sich als Katastrophe, als Christiane anfängt, Drogen zu konsumieren.

Dicht gedrängt, teilweise fast minutiös schildert Christiane F. in diesem Buch, das von Kai Hermann und Horst Rieck aus Tonbandaufnahmen transkribiert wurde, ihren Weg in die Drogenszene Berlins. Sie berichtet von den Anfängen (mit 13 Jahren), in denen sie "nur" leichte Drogen wie Hasch im evangelischen Jugendclub konsumierte, sie erzählt davon, wie sie und ihre Freunde zum Heroin kamen, wie sie auf dem Kinderstrich am Bahnhof Zoo landete - und von ihren zahlreichen Versuchen, einen Entzug durchzuführen und vom Heroin loszukommen.

"Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" ist kein sprachliches Meisterwerk. Es besticht nicht durch seinen besonderen Schreibstil oder durch eine wunderbar ausgeklügelte Geschichte. "Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" ist roh und ungeschönt, es schockiert und schreckt ab - und genau das macht dieses Buch aus. Christiane F. teilt ihre Kindheit und Jugend mit uns Leser*innen, sie gibt einen Einblick in eine Szene, die doch häufig unbekannt gerade von jungen Menschen fast romantisiert und bewundert wird. Ich habe großen Respekt vor der Offenheit von Christiane F. und bin davon überzeugt, dass dieser Bericht Teil einer sehr guten Drogenprävention sein kann.

Mich hat das Buch extrem verstört und mitgenommen. Ich denke andauernd an Christiane F. und ihre Freunde, die im Buch entweder verstorben sind oder auf dem Strich und im Gefängnis landeten. Dieser Klassiker ist nicht leicht zu lesen, trotzdem sollten in das Buch wohl vor allem Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene ihre Nasen reinstecken. Leseempfehlung!
Profile Image for bookhaus.
155 reviews2,899 followers
April 27, 2023
Książka z rodzaju których nie powinno się oceniać. Jednak jeśli chodzi o styl pisania to czytało mi się ją bardzo płynnie i byłam zaciekawiona wszystkim co się działo. Przeczytanie „My, dzieci z Dworca Zoo” bardzo na mnie wpłynęło.
Profile Image for Elliot A.
646 reviews41 followers
June 2, 2019
I had to prepare a presentation on Bydlowska’s Drunk Mom in my creative non-fiction course and this book (titled Station Zoo in English) was mentioned by the author. I was curious about it, since growing up in Berlin I kept hearing it mentioned, yet I never knew what it was really about.

Whatever somebody could have told me about it would not have been enough to caution me on the journey I was about to embark upon.

The book resonated with me on a very personal note, because part of Christiane F.’s story took place in Gropiusstadt, a neighbourhood in the district of Neukölln in Berlin; my old neighbourhood. I was born in the hospital just 3 km from my old apartment house; from my bedroom window I could see the roof of one hospital wing.

Whenever the narrator mentioned a place in Berlin especially in my old neighbourhood, I knew exactly where she referring to. It gave me an odd sense of nostalgia, but also brought back a lot of the same frustration Christane F. talks about.

It reminded me of the endless rules and regulations that made living in Berlin almost unbearable. I don’t mean rules kids have to follow so that they don’t get run over by a car or accidentally put themselves in harm’s way. I mean rules that were applied to the playground, such as the one just downstairs from my apartment. The rules were listed as follows: no playing between 1pm – 4pm, a helmet must be worn at all times, no running, no yelling, no dogs, no bikes, no roller skates, no climbing, no swinging on the swings too high. It was extremely hypocritical, since we found tons of cigarette butts in the sand, along with cat shit; young adults were screaming and laughing until well past midnight and kids were sexually assaulted or having their first sodomizing experience in the bushes that bordered the playground.

I understand the narrator’s point that it certainly felt like kids were viewed as the problem, even though they were the victims and just looking for a place to belong.

That was exactly what she was trying to do; try and find a place where she felt accepted and belonged.

The narrator also went to the same school I went. A school that prided themselves of being one of a kind, yet it failed to properly educate their students. A mentality of competing, of being better than everybody else was nurtured.

It was no surprise to see some of my classmates showing up for Latin class smelling like booze and meeting friends of friends that were so high all they could do was shout “moonface” at everyone.
The pressure got too much, and all teachers and other grown ups could do was tell them that once they get into the “real world” they are just a number, they should have it better than the previous generation. It is almost hilarious to see how they blindly they spoke and acted.

During my research I came across a few newspaper articles that reported on the residents of Gropiusstadt still harbouring sour feelings about Christiane F.’s book giving the neighbourhood a bad reputation. It is curious that Station Zoo is part of the German literature curriculum in high schools throughout Germany, except the schools belonging to the Gropiusstadt school district.

Overall, I sympathized with the narrator’s struggles, made me extremely thankful for life I have now. I only wish I had read it sooner. I would definitely recommend it to everyone, although I have yet to find an English copy.

ElliotScribbles
Profile Image for Steffi.
285 reviews17 followers
December 18, 2022
Das klassische Buch in der Schule. Das Buch, dass dich mit dem Thema Drogen aufklären soll. Ja sicher. Gut geschrieben. Sicher so geschrieben dass man danach sagt: Drogen sind nicht gut.

Soweit so gut.

Was mich hierbei beschäftigt ist die Person die dahinter steht. Auf der einen Seite ist natürlich jeder dankbar, dass sie einem das alles so schamlos in einem Buch präsentiert.
Aber auf der anderen Seite schreibt sie jeder als kleines dummes Mädchen ab dass sich nicht unter Kontrolle hat.
Bei ihr kam es später in ihrem Leben auch zum Rückfall und sie war wieder abhängig. Ich find das so schlimm wie breit dieses Thema getreten wird. Wie sie mit Aussagen konfrontiert wird: Einmal abhängig immer abhängig, was sagen Sie dazu?
Und nach diesem in die Schublade stecken ohne ihre Hintergründe zu kennen, kommen sich die Moderatoren auch noch toll vor. Stürzen sich die Medien noch auf sie. Genau das ist doch auch ein Verhalten das anderen in Süchte treibt? Wieso sieht sie jeder als das dumme Drogenopfer und hörr sie nicht ernsthaft an?
Das macht mich nachdenklich ohne Ende.

Das ist das, was mich traurig macht. Die Thematik und die Art und Weise wie mit der Person dahinter umgegangen wird. Sie hat das Thema sehr gut geschildert und gut erzählt. Was aus diesem Coming out geworden ist und wie die Menschheit mit ihr umgeht find ich nicht ok.

Freue mich auch ihr zweites Buch bei Zeit zu lesen.

Danke für die Offenheit und dieses Buch!

___________________

Nach dem zweiten Mal lesen:

Das Buch wühlt mich ja immer noch wahnsinnig innerlich auf. Es ist und bleibt ein gutes Buch, das einen wirklich tiefe Einblicke in die harte Szene der Drogen von damals gibt.
Mich macht das Buch immer noch traurig, weil Christiane ein so faszinierender Mensch für mich ist. Ich mag ihre Sicht auf die Dinge und mich beeindruckt ihre Entwicklung und ihr Leben so unwahrscheinlich.
Mir schnürts immer noch den Hals zu und es macht mich alles immer noch so wahnsinnig nachdenklich und traurig.
Ich kann das so oft lesen, wie ich möchte, ich gewöhn mich offensichtlich nicht an ihre Geschichte.
Was aber echt auch am Buch selber liegt. Es wurd echt sooo gut geschrieben.
Profile Image for Jana.
1,122 reviews491 followers
September 21, 2015
''We Children from train station Zoo'' were children hooked on heroine in West Berlin during the 70s. They used to 'mingle' on the Zoo station to sell sex to buy heroine. This book is based on a true story of 14 years old Christine F., prostitute and a junkie.

As kids, my friends and I were dealing this book like a drug. It was shocking and spectacular, as Christine didn't tell us (imitating Mr. Mackey from South Park): ''Don't use drugs, drugs are bad, mmm kay.'', but she really poured things like they were – brutal, real and scary.

It’s not really right thing to say that this book maybe saved some lives, or that it made few people addicted to drugs, as I don’t know that, but I can definitely say that I loved it.

Generations of us loved it.

It was a window to a different world, as in that time I didn’t realize that Christine's world is all around. Not maybe as dark and cruel like hers, but all around yes. But that realization came with growing up.
Profile Image for daniel.
65 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2012
Interessante aggiornamento sull'attuale situazione di Christiane, da wikipedia:
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Sia nell'intervista del 2007 che in quella del 2008, Christiane dichiara di avere ancora contatti con gli amici del giro della droga (che adesso si è spostato a Kottbusser Tor), ma di non fare più uso di sostanze stupefacenti. La scelta di allontanarsi dalle droghe sarebbe stata anche determinata dalla nascita di suo figlio e dalla necessità di occuparsi di lui.

Tuttavia, a contraddire le sue dichiarazioni, è apparsa sul tabloid berlinese Bild-Zeitung del 10 agosto 2008 la notizia secondo cui le autorità berlinesi le avrebbero sottratto la custodia del figlio a causa di una sua ricaduta nella tossicodipendenza. Christiane avrebbe provato a trasferirsi per un periodo con il figlio ed il suo nuovo compagno a vivere in Olanda, dove avrebbe condotto una vita da tossicomane. Al ritorno in Germania le è stata sottratta la custodia di Jan Niklas.

Quest'ultima notizia è confermata dal breve reportage dello Spiegel del 2008, in cui, per la prima volta in assoluto, viene intervistata la madre di Christiane, la quale dichiara che il successo determinato dal libro e dal film è stato la rovina della figlia. Avendo infatti disponibilità finanziarie, Christiane sarebbe rapidamente tornata nel tunnel della tossicodipendenza appena dopo il ritorno a Berlino da Amburgo. La madre di Christiane afferma infatti che, dai 18 anni in poi, la figlia non è mai stata realmente lontana dal mondo della droga.

Sempre sul tabloid berlinese Bild-Zeitung del 21 novembre 2009 è apparsa un'altra breve intervista alla madre di Christiane. La donna dichiara che la figlia sta nuovamente seguendo un programma di disintossicazione a base di metadone e che questo le ha permesso di incontrare Jan Niklas ogni fine settimana nella casa famiglia nel Brandeburgo alla quale è stato affidato. Il figlio avrebbe anche passato con la madre le ferie autunnali. Secondo la madre di Christiane la figlia, a fronte di un autentico superamento della tossicodipendenza, potrebbe riottenere l'affidamento del figlio.

---
È tristemeste ironico che questo libro è stato per l'autrice il successo e la rovina al tempo stesso.
Altrettanto sorprendente, è che l'unico del giro della droga di Christiane realmente riuscito a superare la tossico-dipendenza negli anni a venire sia stato Deltlef.
Profile Image for Snow White.
178 reviews
August 1, 2018
Harsh, compelling, brutally honest. The true story of a young girl addicted to heroin in the 70's. Love books that grant me a glimpse into a completely different world. Read this!
Profile Image for Mette.
15 reviews
February 9, 2012
When I read this book the first time, I was 14 and I remember that for some reason it made me want to become a drug-addict, which I don't believe is the influence that the writers where hoping to have on kids with this book. I guess i thought that there was something fascinating, almost romantic to that way of living. But from everyone I have talked to about the book I seem to have been the only one having this strange reaction, so i think it is safe to let your children read it (: It is a great book which i recently re-read (at the age of 18) and still thought was a deep and powerful book. And I can definitely also recommend the movie.
Profile Image for Nood-Lesse.
370 reviews245 followers
September 16, 2022
-Non avrai altro Dio all'infuori di me-

Se qualcuno avesse la mia stessa abitudine di leggere i libri evitando prologhi e prefazioni, lo avverto che Noi, i ragazzi dello zoo di Berlino è lo sbobinamento di varie ore d’intervista a Christiane F. che iniziò a farsi d’eroina a tredici anni, nel 1976.
Il dato anagrafico mi ha sconcertato. Quando vidi il film in tv ero più o meno coetaneo della protagonista, ma non me ne resi conto, mi sembrò che lei e i suoi amici fossero dei giovani adulti, perché un tredicenne (o forse solo io tredicenne?) ritiene adulti tutti coloro che sembrino maggiorenni.
Christiane F. di anni ne aveva dodici quando iniziò a fumare l’hascisc, la sua discesa nel mondo della droga fu tanto rapida quanto devastante. Ho voluto precisare che il libro non è scritto da lei, perché sia più comprensibile il modo in cui è tradotto. La prosa è chiara, non è quella di una tredicenne, salvo per l’uso di alcuni termini in slang e per la parziale abolizione del congiuntivo. Sapendo che si tratta di una sbobinatura, non sorprenderanno i capitoli dedicati al punto di vista della madre e di alcuni operatori coinvolti nella vicenda.
Evitando la prefazione ho letto Christiane che andava a passo regolare senza fremiti o anticipazioni, dando alla prima sbornia e alla prima fumata di hascisc la stessa rilevanza data alla passeggiata con l’amato alano Ajax. Il delicato doppio passaggio infanzia-pubertà / pubertà-adolescenza è trattato con descrizioni appropriate e semplici, finché non arriva l’eroina e niente sarà più com’era prima.
Una volta lessi che il nome Eroina deriverebbe dal fatto che essa vinceva la dipendenza dalla morfina; peccato che ne generasse una propria, cinque volte superiore. Se ci fosse qualcuno tuttora sedotto dal nome della sostanza, leggendo il libro capirà il livello di abbruttimento a cui essa conduce:
Gli chiesi: «Ma perché t’ha preso così la fissa del valium?». Lui ripetè che voleva assolutamente tornare indietro. Appena lo guardai più attentamente ebbi un lampo: le sue mani tremavano. Stava quasi a rota.
«Stare a rota» viene dalla ruota della tortura ed è quello che succede ai vecchi bucomani come manifestazione della crisi di astinenza che si ha quando passa l’effetto della pera.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppliz...

Fedele solo al buco lei (come gli altri bucomani) tradisce, ruba, mente e batte.
- Non avrai altro Dio all'infuori di me - quando si parla del buco, è una formula così appropriata da farla sembrare più vera di quella spirituale. Dopo il primo tentativo di disintossicazione di Christiane, ne seguono un numero imprecisato e si perde la speranza, anche in qualità di lettori, di vederla uscire dalla dipendenza.
Christiane pensa ci ricadrò, il lettore pensa ci ricadrà e l’ultimo quarto di libro scorre con la disperazione sempre più acuta di sua madre e i tentativi maldestri di suo padre di recluderla per farla smettere. (i suoi genitori erano separati)

L’ultima parte mette in evidenza anche l’impotenza delle istituzioni nel combattere il fenomeno dilagante alla fine degli anni ’70. Come in ogni ambito in cui venga subodorata la possibilità di fare soldi, nascono associazioni private che promettono ausilio nella disintossicazione, in realtà puntano solo alla retta anticipata versata dai genitori disperati dei bucomani. Un reportage davvero interessante a cui aggiungo questo articolo per coloro che fossero interessati al destino della protagonista
https://www.lavocedeltrentino.it/2022...

Il dramma dì Christiane F. è diventato in Germania un caso esemplare (è entrato addirittura nelle antologie scolastiche): un testo discusso da medici, insegnanti, operatori sociali, e che ha coinvolto profondamente anche il grande pubblico attraverso le immagini del film che ne è stato tratto.

E ora è giunto il momento di rivedere il film!

EDIT
Mai rivedere i film che ci colpirono durante l’adolescenza: dopo “I guerrieri della notte” cade il mito de “I ragazzi dello zoo di Berlino”
Profile Image for Georgiana.
225 reviews42 followers
July 9, 2023
Orice tânăr trebuie să citească cartea aceasta.
Hașiș, LSD, heroină, prostituție, abuz�� experimentate de către niște tineri de 13-16 ani, pe fondul istoric al Germaniei Occidentale ai anilor ‘70.

Cartea asta m-a distrus, mă puneam la somn și mă trezeam cu gândul la ea.. și sunt sigură că nu mi-o voi putea scoate din minte prea curând.
Povestea Christianei e foarte dură, de neimaginat, dar mărturisirea sa e și foarte reală, am fost alături de ea, pe parcursul fiecărei trăiri; încă nu îmi vine să cred că sunt copiii care trec prin lucrurile acestea și rămân neobservați, neajutorați.. am încercat să nu-i judec pe părinții săi, sau să nu fac comparații cu felul în care eu am crescut, dar a fost destul de greu.
Probabil că sunt prea ignorantă, dar nu am mai citit niciodată o astfel de poveste, nu am știut că aceste lucruri se întâmplau acum 45 de ani în țările evoluate, fără prea mari măsuri luate din partea organelor de apărare și justiție, m-a mișcat tot ceea ce am citit...

“Uram când oamenii vorbeau de parcă ar fi vrut să mă salveze… Și în tot acest timp ei știau foarte bine că erau acolo doar pentru a privi de sus la mizeria noastră, la mizeria dependenților, pentru a-și satisface propriile dorințe”

“Nici măcar nu au mai anunțat-o pe mama. Pentru ei, nu eram decât unul dintre multele cazuri fără speranță…”
Profile Image for Natascha.
692 reviews100 followers
April 30, 2019
Überraschenderweise bin ich durch meine Schulzeit gekommen ohne jemals Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo gelesen zu haben und ehrlich gesagt bin ich im Nachhinein sehr dankbar dafür, denn ich bezweifele stark, dass ich es damals zu Ende gelesen hätte.

Die Geschichte von Christiane F. ist schrecklich und hat während des lesen bei mir des Öfteren absolute Fassungslosigkeit und pures Grauen ausgelöst. Es ist brutal diesen Verfall eines Kindes mit zu verfolgen und zu sehen wie die Menschen in ihrer Umgebung nicht fähig sind ihr zu helfen.

Allerdings ist auch der Stil für mich nur schwer zu ertragen gewesen. Ich weiß, dass es sich dabei um Tonbandaufzeichnungen von Christiane F. handelt und diesen merkt man eben ganz deutlich an, dass es die Erzählungen eines Teenagers sind. Auf der einen Seite erzeugt dies natürlich viel mehr Intensität, besonders wenn man sich bewusst macht wie offen sie über all die furchtbaren Dinge spricht die sie erlebt hat, wobei man hier aber auch immer wieder auf so etwas wie Romantisierung der Drogenszene trifft. Auf der anderen Seite kommt es dadurch zu vielen Wiederholungen und in die Länge gezogenen Passagen. Zum Ende hin führte das für mich sogar so weit, dass ich abstumpfte und mich dieser ständige Ryhtmus von Entzug und Rückfall fast schon langweilte. Diese Entwicklung hat mich selbst überrascht, denn ich wollte so nicht über diese wahre Geschichte denken, doch schlussendlich war es genau das was es bei mir bewirkt hat.

Wenn ich nun die Wirkung auf mich als erwachsene Frau betrachte, frage ich mich doch, wie die Geschichte auf Jugendliche wirkt. Schreckt sie wirklich ab oder weckt sie vielleicht doch eine gewisse Faszination?
Profile Image for Irena Bučić.
20 reviews24 followers
Read
February 13, 2017
Ovo je jedina knjiga kojoj ne znam koliko bi zvijezdica dala zato što je to potresna istinita priča i toliko me zgrozila činjenica da se nešto takvo moglo događati 70-ih, 80-ih godina i to još djeci od 13-16 godina. Tako je detaljno opisano da me taj pakao droge šokirao i da sam ovakve stvari očekivala u današnjem malo modernijem dobu.
Ovu sam knjigu pročitala jer čitam knjige po jednom izazovu i kategorija je "knjiga koju vaša majka voli" i ona je stalno spominjala ovu knjigu. Kad god bi ja još kao dijete uzela neku knjigu za čitati ona bi uvijek spominjala ovu knjigu kako joj je baš najdraža bila i kako ju je nekom dala i više je nikad nije vidjela. Ja se nikad nisam potrudila da vidim o čemu se radi o toj knjizi sve donedavno kad me opis zaintrigirao. Isto mislim, da sam ja ovo čitala ko manja ne znam bi li u potpunosti shvatila ovu njezinu i općenito njihovu tugu, bol i život droge.
Profile Image for Maria Lago.
469 reviews123 followers
January 6, 2020
Fue hace por lo menos 15 o 16 años que leí estas memorias, publicadas por Círculo de lectores para su colección... ¡juvenil! Pues eso.
Christiane fue una víctima modélica, toda ella. Incluso tuvo la fuerza suficiente para darle la vuelta a la tortilla y conseguir su final semi-feliz.
Y, como dice mi buena amiga Pitinglis: enseñad a vuestros hijos a amar los libros y nunca tendrán dinero para drogas.
Profile Image for Anto M..
1,078 reviews91 followers
August 25, 2022
Uno di quei libri che è ben saldo nella memoria, nonostante dalla lettura siano passati trent'anni.
Alcuni libri li identifico con i colori e, per me, questo libro è sempre stato grigio. Grigio come il cielo di Berlino di quegli anni, grigio come i palazzi e la stazione che fanno da sfondo alla storia, dove i quattordicenni degli anni 70 si prostituivano per una dose d'eroina, grigio come la pelle di quei ragazzi che si buttavano via per pochi attimi di sballo.

"Essere bucomani vuol dire essere l'ultima merda. Ma chi spinge all'infelicità quanti arrivano al mondo giovani, pieni di voglia di vivere? Questa vuole essere una lettera di ammonimento per tutti quelli che si trovano di fronte a questa decisione: che faccio, ci provo? Stupidi: guardate me."<

A quei tempi fece parecchia presa sulla me adolescente, dandomi la giusta dose di timore, tanto che ripetevo in loop nella mia mente, che mai e poi mai avrei ceduto al richiamo delle droghe; oggi rileggendo qualche pagina, prima di passarlo a mia figlia, mi ha suscitato ansia, quell'ansia da genitrice che teme le amicizie sbagliate, teme il senso di insoddisfazione perenne dei ragazzi di oggi e che potrebbero essere tentati.

“Non pensavo a niente. Non mi accorgevo di niente. Qualche volta non sapevo neppure se ero ancora in vita.”

Una lettura che mi ha trasmesso angoscia allora e che ha risvegliato questa sensazione ancora oggi.
Profile Image for Titi Coolda.
201 reviews95 followers
April 11, 2023
Bulversantă mărturie a unei daviste de 13 ani din Berlinul anilor '70. Iată că după 50 de ani ne confruntăm și noi cu aceste probleme, droguri, violență, prostituție infantilă, nu doar în școlile marilor orașe. Plaga s-a extins și-n cele mai ascunse cătune. O carte greu de citit dar obligatorie pentru a înțelege cum funcționează această lume marginalizată, blamată, lăsată de izbeliște.
1 review
May 15, 2023
‘’Zoo Station: The Story of Christiane F.’’ is a memoir written by Christiane F. and Kai Hermann. Originally published in 1978, it recounts the excruciating and compelling story of Christiane F’s life as a young drug addict in 1970s Berlin. The book fell into my hands thanks to my mother, who had the opportunity to read it in her youth. At first, I was reluctant and skeptical about it, as in my opinion it could not be interesting and probably the same as other autobiographies of drug addicts- and here I was wrong. I definitely did not expect such emotions while reading. Disbelief, shock and horror.
The story begins with a thirteen-year-old Christiane struggling with family issues and feelings of disconnection from society. While she was trying to find any sense in her life and adventure, she met a young group of drug users and quickly fell into a terrifying heroin world in Bahnhof Zoo (Zoo Station). The book portraits a world of teenage drug addiction, prostitution and a fight to survive. It also shows the deep relationships between her friends and lovers.
The book is special for so many reasons. It is based on a real-life experience of young Christiane F who struggled with drug addiction most of her teenage years, it gives an extra layer of authenticity. What is more the story is brutally honest, the author does not shy away from the harsh and brutal realities of her obsession, prostitution and how far she was willing to go to feed her awful habit. “Zoo Station” also offers an insight into the youth culture of 1970s West Berlin. She describes the popularity of drugs, the influence of music and subcultures on young people. It shows how many of them were involved in hard drugs, and their sacrifice they were willing to take to get them, no matter of the consequences.
All the reasons why the book is special are also advantages of it. While “Zoo Station” is unquestionably a powerful memoir, it can be problematic for some readers due to its graphic description of drug use, prostitution and overall Christiane F’s experiences. Some people may find the content disturbing. It also can be triggering for individuals who have struggled with addiction or had a traumatic experience relating to drug abuse.
Overall, “Zoo Station: The story of Christiane F.” undeniably stands out. I think everyone should read this book, there are still many young people who do not realize how drugs can ruin their life. It usually starts with casual smoking of marijuana, but most of the time it gives people the courage to go for hard drugs. I strongly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Lavinia.
750 reviews973 followers
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September 4, 2022
This was such an emotional rollercoaster, I’m torn between Christiane’s perspective and her mom’s. And it’s not just a story of heroine addiction (well, it is, and it punches you in the gut), but West Berlin in the 70s is so vividly depicted that it somehow turns into a character itself.

Nothing against the TV series, really, (watched 3 episodes) but it’s way too glamorous and far from Christiane’s real story.
Profile Image for amelia.
52 reviews13 followers
October 21, 2022
ja przez całe swoje życie mówiłam, że żadna książka nie wywoła na mnie traumy. i tak było, dopóki nie zetknęłam się z tą.
głupio mi to powiedzieć, tak samo jak głupio było mi w ogóle ocenić te książkę, ale jest to jedna z najlepszych rzeczy jakie kiedykolwiek czytałam. a czemu głupio? bo jest to prawdziwa historia 15 letniej narkomanki, której całej życie opierało się na heroinie - dziwnie mi oceniać coś takiego.
książka jest ciężka, przerażająca i traumatyzująca, ale mam wrażenie, że jest to coś co powinno przeczytać większość osób, bo daje dużo do myślenia. za szybko nie wyjdzie mi ta historia z głowy
szczerze polecam
Profile Image for Emilija.
146 reviews7 followers
August 18, 2018
Smatram da bi svaki teenager pre ulaska u srednju skolu trebao da procita ovu knjigu ( ili barem pogleda film ) . Skidanje sa droge je veoma , veoma tesko . Potrebni su meseci , nekad cak i godine da bi neko bio potpuno cist . Knjiga je odlicna , bas mi se svidela . Na neke momente sam delila Kristijanina osecanja posto sam i sama na neki nacin bila zavisnik od koka kole i znam koliko je tesko kad dobrovoljno zelis da se skines , a ne ide . Naterala me je da zamislim svoj zivot u 70im i verujem da bi mi bilo lepo . Dop naravno nisam i ne zelim da probam , a ova knjiga je jos vise ubila moju zelju za njim . Najvise su mi se dopali delovi iz perspektive Kristijanine majke , uradila je sve sto je mogla da joj pomogne i da je vrati na pravi put bez dopa , sto je i uspela .
Profile Image for cyannie.
491 reviews62 followers
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August 15, 2023
książka przerażająca od początku do końca, ale to ostatnie strony po prostu mnie złamały. zbyt personalne
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