Die Blechtrommel

Roman.

No cover

Günter Grass: Die Blechtrommel (German language, 1964, H. Luchterhand)

736 pages

German language

Published Nov. 7, 1964 by H. Luchterhand.

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5 stars (5 reviews)

Set against the backcloth of National Socialism, [this novel] is told in the first person by the central figure, Oskar Matzerath, tracing Oskar's history, beginning with his grandparents, and finishing at his thirtieth birthday (1954). Oskar is a dwarf, whose passion is his tin drum, which exercises some of the power of the Pied Piper's pipe, and he possesses a voice which is capable of breaking glass of all kinds at considerable range. The magic of Oskar's voice is matched by his ability to arrest his growth, but here, as elsewhere, the book moves on two planes, for the adult burgher world believes that his failure to develop is due to a fall. The grotesque figure of Oskar is accompanied by a grotesque series of happenings throughout his life, especially the eccentric deaths of those around him ... Oskar is finally condemned for a murder he has not committed and …

37 editions

Review of 'The Tin Drum' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

What a strange book. I first started reading it four years ago and eventually got half-way through. I restarted with the new translation three months ago, reading on and off. I would often read a chapter or so and then need to put it down, either because it was disturbing or tiresome.

And yet, I kept coming back, sometimes after ten minutes, often after a day, sometimes more than a week. It was certainly good. I’ll say genius, though expect it to be controversial. I’d have a hard time recommending it, other than to someone interested in writing---it was certainly innovative and interesting as craft, but not compelling as a novel.

As for the content, it was interesting to read this while watching TV and movies that were of the more traditional plot- and emotion-driven sort. I’ve been trained to expect a clean narrative plot unfolding through a lens of …

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