Dog Years (novel)
Author | Günter Grass |
---|---|
Original title | Hundejahre |
Translator | Ralph Manheim |
Cover artist | Günter Grass |
Country | Germany |
Language | German |
Series | Danzig Trilogy |
Genre | Novel |
Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and World |
Publication date | 1965 |
Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
Pages | 570 pp |
Dog Years (German: Hundejahre) is a novel by Günter Grass. It was first published in Germany in 1963. Its English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was first published in 1965.[1][2] It is the third and last volume of his Danzig Trilogy, the other two being The Tin Drum and Cat and Mouse. The novel consists of three different chronological parts, from the 1920s to the 1950s.[1] The main characters are Walter Matern and Eduard Amsel.
Plot
Walter Matern and Eduard Amsel are friends.
The story in the second part of the book is narrated by Harry Liebenau, and consists of letters from him addressed to his cousin Tulla.[3] This part of the story occurs during the war period, when Amsel collects vast numbers of S.A. uniforms, and dresses his scarecrows in them.[2] He also persuades his childhood friend Walter to become a member of the S.A., in order to help him obtain the uniforms.[2] But since the confusion in this country has reached its maximum at this point in time, it is inevitable that the two friends end up on a collision course. At one point Walter denounces Amsel as a Jew, hits him in the face and knocks out all of his teeth.[2][3]
The last part of the novel is narrated by Walter and takes place after he has found his new friend Prinz. They leave on a journey in the postwar West Germany, where they systematically attack former Nazis who are now posing as respectable officials throughout the country.[2]
Discussion
Grass's style frequently parodies
References
- ^ a b "Dog Years (The Danzig Trilogy #3)". GoodReads.com. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Spender, Stephen (23 May 1965). "Scarecrows and Swastikas". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d Enright, D. J. (3 June 1965). "Casting Out Demons". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 20 April 2015.