German authors re-define mid-life crisis

By Jin Yu-young

As we age, many of us will experience a “mid-life crisis”: coming into the latter half of life causes us to reflect on our choices in regards to marriage, career and self-care among other things.

The hormone-fluctuations that our bodies undergo at this time take in the form of menopause in both men and women and can cause stress, anxiety, and even depression.

To put those at ease who may be encountering this, German authors Maxim Leo and Jochen Gutsch put a humorous spin to the mid-life crisis in their book, “Es Ist Nur Eine Phase, Hase,” or tentatively titled “It's Just a Phase, Honey Bunny”.

The book received massive popularity for its witty style and essay-formatted anecdotes, leadings to its No.1 spot as a Best Seller on Amazon in Germany in the genres of comfort, humor, health, and family. The book was recently translated into Korean by Won Sung-chul.

“Es Ist Nur Eine Phase, Hase” by Maxim Leo and Jochen Gutsch

Each chapter illustrates a moment in the narrator's life that encompasses the “mid-life crisis experience.” For example, he tells of the time that his young neighbors threw a house party, disrupting his and his wife's sleep.

He calls the police, who come to the scene and handle the situation. In this moment, the author recalls his sentiments in becoming a stereotypical middle-aged neighbor that reports noise complaints to the local police station.

In another excerpt, the author tells readers of his sudden change from being a stoic man into an emotional one. While watching a movie with his children about an injured baby antelope, he suddenly bursts into tears, confusing both his children and wife. His continued emotional volatility leads to his wife, who at first asked him to be more expressive, to tease him about crying.

As a final example, the narrator recounts when his wife and some of their friends arrange for a night out on the town: they had planned to party at several local clubs and had decided to meet at his home first for drinks.

Ultimately, they end up staying inside playing board games the entire night, as one member of the group fell asleep and it began to rain outside. Their anticipated exciting night out became another calm night typical of their age group.

Through these humorous and relatable anecdotes, the authors reassure readers that menopause is simply another phase of life. By sharing the mid-life crisis through the eyes of a middle-aged man, the authors normalize this critical turning point that we all have or will encounter. As a realistic fiction novel, Es Ist Nur Eine Phase, Hase uses raw and honest humor to de-stigmatize and debunk the infamous mid-life crisis.

Jin Yu-young is a Korea Times intern.