My Century

Rating:
Summary: Absolute Perfection!! Beautiful, Funny,Gut Wrenching....
Review: ..and,despite some reviews here, not at all difficult. In fact, the Amazon.Com Review is flawless, almost exactly what I would say,especially the dialogue between Remarque and Junger..Perhaps inevitably, the first 50 years are more interesting, since they were the times of greater dislocation, war, starvation,general craziness. But the late 60's student battles (mainly verbal), and other periods are fine too. The one common thread seems to be soccer, be it between Germany and it's European rivals,or between the DDR and the Federal Republic later. Mr. Grass really humanizes his nation's recent past, especially in his way of telling 100 unique tales by 100 unique narrators. Simply put, a final crown for the 1999 Nobel Winner. BTW, this is much more accessible than much of this great author's work, too!!

Rating:
Summary: Slightly confusing for us non-Germans; still interesting
Review: 100 chapters; 100 years--that's the premise behind this book. Starting in 1900 and ending in 1999, the chapters chart German history throughout it's most turbulent century. The chapters I found most interesting were those of the meetings between antiwar writer Erich Maria Remarque and militarist drum-beating author Ernst Junger, which covers the period of the Great War. I also found intriguing the chapter 1906, which is narrarated by a fictional character, Captain Sirius: "My creator's name is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, better known as the author of the world-famous Sherlock Holmes novels." Sirius offers that in a prophetic little novel, Doyle inspired the German submarine warfare of the world wars, an attempt to cut England off from resupply. The first half of the book is stronger than the second, in my opinion, perhaps simply because the events of the first half of the twentieth century in Germany were far more momentous than the events of the second half. Plus, I must confess an ignorance of German internal politics of the Post-WWII era. There are the usual themes of East vs. West, student uprisings, reunification. There is an interesting chapter (1986) about family traditions going away, in this case picking edible mushrooms in the woods. They are no longer able to eat the mushrooms, because they have absorbed so much radiation from the Chernobyl disaster. There is no point in picking them, so the family tradition dies out. All in all a very good commentary on OUR century, no matter where you're from.

Rating:
Summary: Caution: take only in small doses!
Review: Do not take up this book while flopping into your favourite easy chair thinking you'll pass a pleasant afternoon with a prize-winning author. Gunter Grass has given us a prime example of why awarding him the Nobel Prize was so appropriate. Germany was the focal point of Western history throughout the last ten decades. This collection of observations might act as a text book for the period [although a supplemental reading list is recommended]. Grass' superb presentation of the people living in each era is an ideal starting point for numerous study topics. An outstanding collection of how people felt and reacted to events, woven tightly with their normal daily lives.

With narrators ranging from Kaiser Wilhelm II through working class ladies suffering the effects of runaway inflation to miners striving for better conditions, Grass presents a spectrum of Central European life. His ability in capturing the attitudes of the narrators, whether male, female, young, old, politically left, centre or right is elegant. There are no flaws in any of the portrayals. He's unrestrained in having each character speak honestly, fluently and fully. And those characters catch the flavour of each era in a faultless economy of words. With such a mob as this, meeting and hearing them a few at a time is best. You want to get to know them well, and reflect on their words and views.

Central to any account of 20th Century Germany are two global conflicts. Relating both world wars through the eyes of novelists and journalists is a master stroke. Only a writer of Grass' ability could convey the outlooks of literary giants Remarque and Junger, and do it through the mind of a modern woman. A war correspondent attends a gathering of journalists where in archetypal fashion, the old battles are re-fought, the old defeats analyzed, the old friends lightly mourned.

History, however, is not made of wars. It's ultimately the result of individuals making decisions about their lives. Grass' multi-faced account provides readers with deep insight into why Germany is so important in the world scene. He takes us into the minds of those who struggled for workers' rights. He shows us middle class men and women not quite attuned to the loss of feudal tradition with the exile of the Kaiser, facing a collapsed economy. American society, still trembling at the spectre of The Great Depression of the 1930s, never experienced spending $2 500 for an apron, or using paper money to close cracks in wallpaper. Nor was there a Western leader exhibiting the aura of redemption He exuded on becoming Chancellor. Even His opponents accepted the promised restoration of stability as a desired end. They couldn't forecast how it would be achieved. Grass takes us through the minds of those who clung to the promise until it was too late.

Grass' portrayal of modern times loses nothing in comparison to the more distant historical view given earlier. He's fully conversant with all the major issues arising at the end of the century. Americans who resent "foreign interference" in their affairs have tended to ignore the protests against Viet Nam taking place in Germany in the 1960s. The workers' unrest of the 1920s is replaced by the broader social and political upheavals of the 1970s. How many countries can match the rise of Germany's Green Party to a position of national power? Even Dolly, the cloned Scottish ewe, scampers into our view; Grass delves deeply into questions most of us comprehend poorly. Each vignette brings fresh surprises, delivered subtly but goading our need to reflect on what they describe and why he offered it to us.

This book has more levels of value than we can address here. Considering history is but a surface element in this book. Attitudes, their expression and derivation, is Grass' special talent. We need to read him for the conditions he lived through and presents for our reflection. Don't buy this book because Grass wrote it; don't buy it for its history of Germany and the 20th Century. Buy it to learn more about yourself.

Rating:
Summary: exploring time
Review: Gunters Grass's My Century is a Mann-version-ran-amuck, that had been sieved from the leitmotifs, or the moralizing, contemplating characters who are sank in reverie, or the dramatic events, but it had only been extracted for its trenchant tales of reality and destiny.

At first glance, this historical narrative, told by people who are less historical themselves (but are the true victims and victors of history) is ambiguous as they are told from different perspectives of experience. More often than not, this gigantic work of serious fiction would get down to a surprising cerebral exercise on German history and Gunter Grass's recalcitrant philosophies, nevertheless once you can muster enough reason out from the chunk of tales, the narratives will plod into cyclical, and amazingly connected events. My Century purveys some alternatively fresh ideas on history, and art and science as well as states of mind in a particularly curious age.

This surely is a heavy masterpiece, like a map of more than fuzzy neural networks of our significant history. Don't beef if this major and ambitious work wont give a too pleasurable read, because it wont until you have all the time and taste to explore what are under those Grass-inflicted details.

Rating:
Summary: exploring time in a novel perspective
Review: Gunters Grass's My Century is a Mann-version-ran-amuck, where it has been sieved from the leitmotifs, or the moralizing, contemplating characters who are sank in reverie, nor the dramatic events, but it has only been extracted for its trenchant tales of reality and destiny.

At first glance, this historical narrative, told by people who are less historical themselves (but are the true victims and victors of history) are ambiguous as they are told from different perspectives of experience. More often than not, this gigantic work of serious fiction would get down to a surprising cerebral exercise on Germany and Gunter Grass's recalcitrant philosophies, nevertheless once you can muster enough reason out from the chunk of tales, the narratives will plod into cyclical, and amazingly connected events. It purveys some alternatively fresh ideas on history, and art and science as well as states of mind in a particularly curious age.

This surely is a heavy masterpiece, like mapping a more than fuzzy neural networks of our significant history. Don't beef if this major and ambitious work wont give a too pleasurable read, because it wont until you have all the time to explore what are under those Grass-inflicted details.

Rating:
Summary: exploring time in a novel perspective
Review: Gunters Grass's My Century is a Mann-version-ran-amuck, where it has been sieved from the leitmotifs, or the moralizing, contemplating characters who are sank in reverie, nor the dramatic events, but it has only been extracted for its trenchant tales of reality and destiny.

At first glance, this historical narrative, told by people who are less historical themselves (but are the true victims and victors of history) are ambiguous as they are told from different perspectives of experience. More often than not, this gigantic work of serious fiction would get down to a surprising cerebral exercise on Germany and Gunter Grass's recalcitrant philosophies, nevertheless once you can muster enough reason out from the chunk of tales, the narratives will plod into cyclical, and amazingly connected events. It purveys some alternatively fresh ideas on history, and art and science as well as states of mind in a particularly curious age.

This surely is a heavy masterpiece, like mapping a more than fuzzy neural networks of our significant history. Don't beef if this major and ambitious work wont give a too pleasurable read, because it wont until you have all the time to explore what are under those Grass-inflicted details.

Rating:
Summary: A Poignant Glimpse of the Past Century
Review: I began reading this book not knowing much of what it was about or where it would lead me. The brief yearly vignettes that Grass paints are just enough for the reader to gain a sense of time, place, and emotion. As a progressive work, the chapters unfold year by year to yield a personalized account - individual by individual - of what the twentieth century was like in Germany. Having studied the language and worked in Stuttgart, I was familiar with many of the references to cities, events, and jargon that the casual reader might miss. I would recommend the work as a quality introduction (albeit not a historical factbook or almanac) to Germany's recent history. In its historical fiction it reads like a novel - intricate, yet accessible. A worthwhile read from a highly talented writer.

Rating:
Summary: A Poignant Glimpse of the Past Century
Review: I began reading this book not knowing much of what it was about or where it would lead me. The brief yearly vignettes that Grass paints are just enough for the reader to gain a sense of time, place, and emotion. As a progressive work, the chapters unfold year by year to yield a personalized account - individual by individual - of what the twentieth century was like in Germany. Having studied the language and worked in Stuttgart, I was familiar with many of the references to cities, events, and jargon that the casual reader might miss. I would recommend the work as a quality introduction (albeit not a historical factbook or almanac) to Germany's recent history. In its historical fiction it reads like a novel - intricate, yet accessible. A worthwhile read from a highly talented writer.

Rating:
Summary: Germany's Past Century in the Foem of Short Stories
Review: If you don't know German history, you probably won't enjoy this book. However if you do know the history of twentieth century Germany this book is worth the read. Some chapters are better than others. I guess it depends on one's interests. The chapter 1912 describes a young naval officer on a torpedo boot who describes the U-boots he sees. Is this officer Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz? It certainly is later in 1981. For myself, 1914-1918 were the best. They describe a conversation between Ernst Juenger and Erich Maria Remarque. Two famous German authors each with their own individual perspectives on the great war. Absolutely fascinating! Bottom line its an interesting book.

Rating:
Summary: Also sprach Gunter Grass
Review: My growing up in the Netherlands in the sixties has not necessarily been the best way towards a longtime love affair with Germany, the Germans and their culture. In addition, I was one among many students to find out that becoming a German language teacher was not often the first career choice for many an aspiring educator, resulting in an anti-German attitude further enhanced by ignorance.

In 1985 I spent some time around Frankfurt, finally learned the language and decided to start reading Grass after enjoying the level of indignation that the writer's frankness about the taboo of his country's modern past aroused in his fellow country (wo)men.

This book is in many respects a further exploration, analysis and critique of the 20th century history of Germany. Moreover, the literary form of one chapter per year and the choice of many different voices, subjects and accents, turns reading this book in the opposite of dragging oneself through a stuffy academic history book. Thanks to his truly titanic literary abilities Grass not only shows the reader what happened, but more importantly what it felt like.

Justifiably, both World Wars feature prominently among the chapters. Deviating from the general method of a different voice for each year, the years of both wars are dealt with in "chapter style" and contain discussions between writers/journalists looking back at the wars from distant perspectives. Thus Grass provides the reader with the central themes, that many German readers/critics failed/ignored to recognize: what happened, why did it happen, what did it teach us, and how can we apply this knowledge that we acquired at such a high price. I can't help but think that a lot of the criticism that this book received in Germany was another expression of the current dogma "that was in the past, enough about that already", replacing the dogma that I heard growing up next door "we didn't know about it and we didn't want it (to start with)".

I greatly enjoyed this masterpiece, it's honesty, it's heart, it's intellect, it's humor and it's uncanny virtuosity. While I do agree that a thorough knowledge of recent German history adds an extra dimension to the appreciation of this book, I would recommend it to anyone interested in great literature.

I read this book in German (get it at the German Amazon site) and ran into a copy of this translation in a sidewalk sale. Grass' language can be best described as German to the nth degree, just like JS Bach's counterpoint to the nth degree. English and German are simply too different to allow an effective translation of Grass' language. Even a decent translation like this one cannot give you more than about 50% of the original. Yet, with a writer like Gunter Grass that still amounts to a very full glass.

The unification of Germany has resulted in a confrontation with and atonement for the past that is genuine and impressive. I hope that books like this one may further help in us outsiders in further changing our attitude to he country/nation that did not only give us Faust, but more importantly, Goethe.