Breakdown of Die Kritiker schreiben, der Roman ist fesselnd.
sein
to be
schreiben
to write
der Roman
the novel
der Kritiker
the critic
fesselnd
gripping
Questions & Answers about Die Kritiker schreiben, der Roman ist fesselnd.
Why isn't the verb at the end of the second clause?
Because the word dass (that) has been dropped. When you leave out dass after verbs of saying or thinking like schreiben, the subordinate clause acts like a normal main clause. This means it uses regular Verb-Second (V2) word order, placing ist right after the subject der Roman. If you used dass, it would be: ... dass der Roman fesselnd ist.
Since we are reporting what the critics said, shouldn't this use Konjunktiv I (sei instead of ist)?
You are absolutely right that formal written German, especially journalism, prefers Konjunktiv I here to indicate indirect speech: Die Kritiker schreiben, der Roman sei fesselnd. However, using the regular indicative (ist) is completely acceptable and very common in everyday spoken German and informal writing.
Does Roman mean a romance novel?
Not necessarily! The word Roman is a classic false friend. It simply means novel in general, regardless of the genre. If you specifically want to talk about a romance book, you would say Liebesroman.
Where does the word fesselnd come from?
It is the present participle of the verb fesseln, which literally means to tie up or to shackle. Used as an adjective, fesselnd is a figurative way to say gripping, captivating, or absorbing—the book ties your attention down so you can't put it away!
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