The audiobook *Feuchtgebiete* by Charlotte Roche is the perfect complement to the book by the TV host and provocateur. When the author’s debut work was published in February 2008, it sent shockwaves through society. Is a woman allowed to write so candidly about sexuality in all its facets? Is a woman allowed to break all sexual taboos? Where does sexuality end and disgust begin? According to Charlotte Roche herself, 70% of the book is autobiographical. Public opinion on Charlotte Roche’s unabridged audiobook *Feuchtgebiete*—as well as on the printed version —is widely divided. The novel polarizes like no other. On the one hand, the way it deals with social taboos is respected and praised. The media response was enormous, and the book immediately reached number one on *Der Spiegel*’s bestseller list. Critics, however, fault the crude narrative style and the shallow plot. Nevertheless, the book was named the bestseller of 2008 and was the topic of conversation for months across all social classes in Europe. Charlotte Roche wanted to shine a spotlight on the themes of sexuality and excessive notions of cleanliness, and she succeeded in doing so with the story centered on the main character, Helen Memel.
Anyone expecting eroticism in this novel by Grimm Prize winner Charlotte Roche will be disappointed. The audiobook of Charlotte Roche’s *Feuchtgebiete* is anything but erotic. It’s brimming with sexuality and depictions of bodily fluids and practices, but the narrative style is sober and matter-of-fact.
What is "Wetlands" about?
The entire story takes place in the hospital, where the protagonist, Helen Memel, is admitted after a botched attempt at intimate shaving. Now she has to deal with an anal fissure, and one thing leads to another. Her body becomes the young woman’s main preoccupation. Deep down, she wants her divorced parents to reconcile, so she drags out her hospital stay. In the process, she recounts in great detail her personal experiences with masturbation, various bodily fluids, and her sexual encounters to date. A reconciliation between her parents seems increasingly out of reach, and ultimately she flees her familiar life.
Audiobook *Wetlands* by Charlotte Roche
The author herself reads her work and takes listeners on a journey—a journey that seems to know no taboos and whose messages are often off-putting. Charlotte Roche’s audiobook, *Feuchtgebiete*, represents a direct continuation of the 1968 movement and aims to encourage women to take a step forward toward even greater equality. A positive relationship with oneself and one’s own body is the top priority.
