From the Diary of a Snail (Harvest Book; Hb 330) - Softcover

Grass, Günter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0156339501 ISBN 13: 9780156339506

Publisher: Harpervia, 2001

Synopsis

Gunter Grass, Germany's most famous literary figure, is also known in his country as a political speaker. In 1969 Grass gave close to one hundred election speeches for Willy Brandt's party, the Social Democrats. His family saw him only intermittently. In his snail's diary, he purports to explain, imaginatively as well as factually, why he felt impelled to devote himself to politics.

Along with his report on the election campaign, Grass tells the story of the persecution and exile of the Jews of Danzig, his childhood city. He also invents a fictional Jew -- a school teacher nicknamed "Doubt, " a collector of snails -- who becomes a brilliantly bizarre metaphor for his own political philosophy. "What's progress?" Grass asks, "Being a little quicker than the snail ... and never getting there, children."

About this title

Review:

"A pungent stew of a book using every ingredient to hand: nourishing but full of strange, grisly lumps and bitter flavours" (Guardian)

"Grass is one of the master fabulists or our age and perhaps its supreme dramatist of metaphor" (The Times)

"Shrewd, moving and funny" (New Statesman)

"Grass is one of the few great writers in Europe today" (Daily Telegraph)

Book Description:

'Actual factual elements are fused with imagined, created things, curt yet marvellously explosive observations: the result is a difficult, dynamic book, like no other... certainly an event in the reader's life and possibly in literature's history' - Sunday Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpervia
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0156339501
• ISBN 13: 9780156339506
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 310