Kinderszenen - Softcover

Rymkiewicz, Jaroslaw Marek

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1639821503 ISBN 13: 9781639821501

Publisher: Slant Books, 2023

Synopsis

An old man-poet, playwright, essayist, and scholar-sifts through the broken fragments of his memory as he recounts what it was like to grow up in Warsaw during the German occupation of World War II. The result is Kinderszenen, a searing and controversial memoir by a major post-war Polish writer that has evoked both debate and praise, now translated into English for the first time.

The book's title comes from the suite of piano pieces by Robert Schumann which evoke the innocence and joy of childhood-thus providing a wrenching counterpoint to the violence, destruction, and madness that characterize Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz's coming of age.

While the scenes of his youth are depicted in vivid detail, from his boyish encounters with cats, horses, and turtles up to the shocking brutality of murder and mayhem witnessed at first hand, what really sets Kinderszenen apart is its extended meditation on the nature of war, oppression, and fanatical nationalism, and the possibility-however doomed it may seem-of human resistance to those forces. Here is an enduring testimony that remains starkly relevant to our own time. 

About this title

About the Author

Jaroslaw Marek Rymkiewicz (1935-2022) was a Polish poet, essayist, dramatist, translator, and literary critic. Among his many books The Final Station: Umschlagplatz and The Hangings have been translated into English. In 2003 he received the Nike Award, Poland's most important literary prize.

Edition details

• Publisher: Slant Books
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1639821503
• ISBN 13: 9781639821501
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 228