Crabwalk günter grass books

Crabwalk by gunter grass the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff. Gunter grass is a skilled writer, that is beyond dispute. Literature, history, politics by julian preece 2001 movies from books. Crabwalk was the first book in which grass dealt with the touchy issue of german refugees from the eastern european regions of what is now poland. He was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1999. Born in danzig, germany in 1927, gunter grass is the widely acclaimed author of plays, essays, poems, and numerous novels. Grass uses the littleknow worst maritime disaster in history, the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff by a russian submarine in. When a russian submarine torpedoed the wilhelm gustloff on january 30, 1945, narrator paul pokriefke was still in his unmarried teenaged mothers womb. Paul pokriefke is a mediocre journalist in his fifties, when he begins his written crabwalk through past and present events connected to the nazi martyr wilhelm gustloff who was shot by a jewish student in switzerland in 1936 and the ship named after him that was torpedoed on 30. Crabwalk by gunter grass is the story of a man who is searching for information about the boat that sank the night he was born. In my german book group we decided to read a novel of his to mark his. In my german book group we decided to read a novel of his to mark his death and for reasons of brevity and accessibility went for im krebsgang.

Born to an unwed mother on a lifeboat the night of the attack, paul pokriefke is a middleaged journalist trying to piece together the tragic events. Some nine thousand people went down in the baltic sea, making it the deadliest maritime disaster of all time. The gustloff, a german cruise ship turned refugee carrier, was attacked by a soviet submarine in january 1945. Gunter grass, one of the most important writers in post war germany. Gunter grass s rather bleak new novel centres on the sinking in 1945 of the wilhelm gustloff, a german ship crowded with refugees. How do each of the novels three primary characterspaul, tulla, and konnyregard the idea of destiny. The incident at the center of this book is not well known i learned about it only recently in the pages of max hastings excellent armageddon, the battle for germany, 19441945. As is usually the case in gunter grass novels, grass personalizes the history. Crabwalk by gunter grass meet your next favorite book. Gunter grass 19272015 crabwalk, by gunter grass gunter grass im krebsgang appeared in 2002, a late work, but one of the best grass ever wrote. But whether everything he wrote has to be compared with his masterpiece tin drum is open to question. Crabwalk was the first book in which grass dealt with the touchy. Thousands went down with the ship, but tulla pokriefke was rescued and gave birth on a torpedo boat. As in earlier works, grass concerns himself with the effects of the past on the present.

In late january, 1945, the six million man red army had. Michael hofmann reads gunter grasss latest attempt to probe the fur ball of modern german history, crabwalk. His research opens his eyes to both truths about his family and the. A german cruise ship turned refugee carrier, it was attacked by a soviet submarine in january 1945. Excerpts from grasss major novelsfrom the tin drum to crabwalkare included, as are numerous short fictions, essays, and poems, many of which have. Crabwalk, published in germany in 2002 as im krebsgang, is a novel by danzigborn german author gunter grass. Please include your name and country in your reply. As a group, explore the inevitability that permeates this novel.

Nobel prizewinning author gunter grass has been wrestling with germanys past for decades now, but no book since the tin drum has. Discuss the key role played by fate or the hand of providence in crabwalk. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A german cruise ship turned refugee carrier, it was attacked by. In fact, the book appeared during a period of debate in germany after w. Crabwalk is not as good, but is much shorter and plays on familiar grass themes, namely post war german society and its attitudes. In crabwalk, a woman named tulla gives birth to the novels. Gunter grass has been wrestling with germanys past for decades now, but. The tale of wilhelm gustloff the nazi martyr killed by a young jewish activist david frankfurter in 1937,the ship dedicated to his memory and used for the strength through joy. Gnter grass has been wrestling with germanys past for decades now, but no book since the tin drum has generated as much excitement as this engrossing account of the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff. There has been a pattern in gunter grass s career of little scraps of books following on the heels of bigger. Gunter grass has been wrestling with germanys past for decades now, but no book since the tin drum has generated as much excitement as this engrossing account of the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff.

Crabwalk is at once a captivating tale of a tragedy at sea and a critical meditation on germanys struggle with its past. Crabwalk, published in germany in 2002 as im krebsgang, is a novel by danzig born german author gunter grass. Sebalds 1997 warning that germans silence about their own suffering had given the right free rein to use it for its own purposes. Gunter grass has been wrestling with germanys past for decades now, but no book since the tin drum has generated as much excitement as this engrossing.

The tin drum, became the literary spokesman for the german generation that grew up in the nazi era and survived the war. Krishna winston neal ascherson plunges into the murky waters of postwar german history as. Crabwalk by gunter grass paperback book for sale online ebay. Gunter grass, one of germanys most significant postwar authors, passed. Krishna winston the author of the tin drum takes on the worst maritime disaster in history, the sinking of a german cruise ship packed with refugees by a soviet sub, a disaster that killed nine thousand people. Grass said that he wrote crabwalk at least partly to wrest the gustloff from the hands of the right. Some 9,000 people went down in the baltic sea, making it the deadliest maritime disaster of all time.