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The Tin Drum
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
The Tin Drum, one of the great novels of the twentieth century, was published in Ralph Manheim's outstanding translation in 1959. It became a runaway bestseller and catapulted its young author to the forefront of world literature. In this new translation of this classic novel. Breon Mitchell, acclaimed translator and scholar, has drawn from many sources: from a wealth of detailed scholarship; from a wide range of newly-available reference works; and from the author himself. The result is a translation that is more faithful to Grasss style and rhythm, restores omissions, and reflects more fully the complexity of the original work. Since it's publication THE TIN DRUM has, if anything, gained in power and relevance. All of Grasss amazing evocations are still there, and still amazing: Oskar Matzerath, the indomitable drummer; his grandmother, Anna Koljaiczek; his mother, Agnes; Alfred Matzerath and Jan Bronski, his presumptive fathers; Oskars midget friendsBebra, the great circus master and Roswitha Raguna, the famous somnambulist; Sister Scholastica and Sister Agatha, the Right Reverend Father Wiehnke; the Greffs, the Schefflers, Herr Fajngold, all Kashubians, Poles, Germans, and Jewswaiting to be discovered and re-discovered.
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review
Kaag
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Pickpick

Oskar Matzerath is one of the most singular characters in literature, and his unreliability as a narrator leaves one questioning everything that happens. This time around i found his ancestry and childhood fascinating in and of themselves, but the time period (1924-postwar Germany) puts another level of meaning on top of this entertaining read. Those with a knowledge of German folklore will get another layer beyond that.

Kaag Oskar decides to stop growing at age three, he‘s also telling this story as an inmate in a mental hospital. There are many such peculiarities that make The Tin Drum an entertaining read. However, I only truly appreciated the book on a reread. Partially that is due to my concentration level being higher nowadays, and partially because one‘s experience is vastly enhanced by being very familiar with the historical context of the novel. 2y
BarbaraBB I still think about Oskar. Such a great character! 2y
5 likes2 comments
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booksforlife83
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass
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Pickpick

This is one of the best unreliable narrators in literature. Oskar's eccentric nature made this book endearing to me. It's a book about atonement written in such a creative and subtle nature. Osakr's narration is like no other literature character.

BarbaraBB So good! 3y
Schwifty Have you ever read The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford? Sounds similar as in is the narrator clueless or lying? (edited) 3y
booksforlife83 @Schwifty I have not read The Good Soldier but will check it out. By the way I am negotiating for a set of Proust books after seeing your quote 3y
Schwifty Oh, very cool. The thing with Proust is you have to read him very carefully and you can sometimes get lost in long, elaborate sentences. Still one of the all time giants of 20th century literature. 3y
SolaRaynor One of my favorites! 3y
16 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Lcsmcat
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Eggs Perfect 👌🏼🥁👏🏻 4y
30 likes1 stack add1 comment
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vlwelser
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass
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Pickpick

This book is absolutely freaking brilliant. The use of an unreliable narrator is genius. Oskar decides at the age of 3 that he's done growing up. He witnesses some truly amazing things. And he can say whatever he wants about them. The author uses Oskar as a way to give his opinion about events during and surrounding WWII without having to use an overabundance of emotion. It's also pretty comical at times.

#BookSpinBonanza book 6
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Sounds intriguing! 4y
vlwelser @TheAromaofBooks this is my third chunkster. I'm putting 20 picture books on my next list. If we do this again. But seriously, we should do this again. 4y
TheAromaofBooks haha yes, I'm rethinking my list method as well! 😂 I do think we may try it again sometime in the fall - I'm wondering if it would be fun to do it in October when people are already reading a lot for the Halloween shennanigans (well, not me because I'm not a big Halloween person, but it seems like a bit deal on Litsy lol) I also am working on a possible #BookSpinBingo concept for sometime this summer! 4y
43 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Lindy
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Pickpick

Set in Poland and Germany during and after WW2, this long German novel is totally bizarre, yet strangely compelling. The voice of Oskar, a midget sociopath obsessed with drumming, will live long in my imagination, thanks to the #audiobook narrated by Paul Michael Garcia. #translation by Breon Mitchell.

43 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Today I know that all things are watching, that nothing goes unseen, that even wallpaper has a better memory than human beings.

Lcsmcat I‘ve never read this, but saw the movie in the late 70s and it was pretty incomprehensible. Is the book as strange as the movie? 5y
Lindy @Lcsmcat Very.... I‘m 18 hours into the audiobook and taking a little break before embarking on the final 7 hours of Oskar the midget sociopath. 5y
Curiouser_and_curiouser @Lindy 😮😮😮 😆😂🤣 you're game with a ton of patience, must be good 5y
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BarbaraBB This eye.. is it Van Gogh? 5y
Lindy @BarbaraBB Yes, it‘s a close-up of a huge screen hiding construction near the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam (taken a few years ago). 5y
Lindy @Curiouser_and_curiouser There‘s plenty in this novel to reward my patience. 😊 5y
BarbaraBB I‘m glad I recognize him. I‘ve been working for the Van Gogh Museum for years 😅 5y
Lindy @BarbaraBB Ha! Yes, you should know. I think it was in April 2015 that I took this. 5y
37 likes8 comments
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Lindy
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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The tagged novel sent me to an internet rabbit hole, looking for more information about the Kashubian language. Then, I learned there‘s a Pomeranian language. I don‘t know why that surprised me so much. My cousin‘s dogs (pictured above) probably understand it. 😉

Suet624 😂😂😂 5y
wanderinglynn Those Internet search rabbit holes are so fun! I always learn something new & interesting. 5y
Leftcoastzen My favorite of his is 5y
See All 7 Comments
LeahBergen 😆😆 5y
Lindy @Leftcoastzen I will keep that in mind. I‘m nearly at the midpoint and the absurdity is getting to me. I might give myself a little break from the midget drummer. 5y
Lindy @wanderinglynn Yes, indeed. I love learning new things. 5y
Lindy @Suet624 @LeahBergen Thanks for your gratifying responses. 😁 5y
48 likes7 comments
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Lindy
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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In an effort to read more German books this year, I‘ve been listening to the tagged audiobook while sewing some zippered pouches out of fabric bits that I dyed in a workshop last year. #audiocrafting #readingGermanbooksin2020

llwheeler Those look awesome! 5y
Megabooks Love them! 5y
saresmoore These turned out beautifully! Well done! 5y
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Leftcoastzen Very nice! 5y
Chrissyreadit 😍😍😍 5y
Tanisha_A Beautiful! 5y
Come-read-with-me So pretty! 5y
Lindy @Tanisha_A @Come-read-with-me 🥰 5y
Hooked_on_books I love those! Such wonderful blues. 5y
Lindy @Hooked_on_books Thanks! Those blues are from natural indigo. 5y
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ValerieAndBooks
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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This weekend‘s WSJ mag has an article about Marlon James (who I haven‘t read yet). Of course I scrutinized this photo. I don‘t know for sure if this is his library but found it interesting that there‘s several editions of The Tin Drum (which I read several years ago).

Link w/photo (may need subscription to read?) : https://www.wsj.com/articles/marlon-james-on-writing-black-leopard-red-wolf-1154...

Reggie This library looks comfortable. 6y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie It does!! That reading couch 😍 6y
QuintusMarcus Thanks for posting this link to the interview: somehow I missed it! Reading Black Leopard now - crazy difficult book to get through, but I'm going to stick with it. 6y
CafeMom I could not make it through the Tin Drum. DNF. 6y
72 likes4 comments
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AMVP
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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#criterion #adaptation

I always forget how good this box art is. For the uninitiated, this is one of the first films they show you in college level German classes. Does nothing to refute the old stereotype that Germans are weird.

[11]

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Libby1
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Bailedbailed

Magical realism is my kryptonite.

I struggled through this for ages as I‘m going to Gdańsk, where the book is set, (formerly Danzig) later this month. This book is start of the Danzig Trilogy, and is considered essential 20th century reading.

I fought my way through it, trudging to the beat of the preternaturally young Oskar‘s tin drum, but I now surrender.

Nein danke, Günter Grass.

TrishB You can still enjoy the trip though 😁 6y
Libby1 @TrishB - oh, I intend to! 😃 I just couldn‘t go to Gdańsk/Danzig without at least giving the Danzig Trilogy a try! 6y
LaLecture I didn‘t even know this was a trilogy 😅. It‘s still on my tbr because it‘s famous German literature and he won the Nobel prize etc but everyone tells me it‘s horrible 😂😅. 6y
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CouronneDhiver Oh, I totally understand. I‘m not a fan either. 6y
VioletBramble I read this at University but have no memory of the text at all. Also- I have that same tambourine. 6y
Sapphire I struggled through the first 10 hours of the audiobook and needed a break... 6y
Izai.Amorim It's a tough one. Most of his books are difficult to read. I tried a few because of his importance to post-war German literature but I don't believe you'll miss much if you don't read him. I suggest his opposite: Heinrich Böll. Short books, realism, unpretentious. 6y
RealBooks4ever Sorry you didn't like this one. I find his other books NOT difficult to read. He is one of my favorite authors. Please try him again! Another great book of his is 6y
Libby1 @LaLecture , @CouronneDhiver - this was on my TBR for the same reasons - that and because I‘m going to Gdańsk. I kept giving it the benefit of the doubt but it was awful awful awful. 6y
Libby1 @VioletBramble - I‘m glad I didn‘t HAVE to read this. I‘m a reluctant bailer, and it‘s always a difficult decision for me. How funny about the tambourine. I was wondering if anyone would call me out on the fact that it‘s not a drum in the picture! 6y
Libby1 @Sapphire - it FELT like I read it for 10 hours! I finished about 1/3 of the book, and that seemed to take forever. 6y
Libby1 @Izai.Amorim - thanks for your advice. I really did try, and I‘m not usually a quitter. Difficult books don‘t usually get the better of me. I was looking forward to reading this because of his reputation as well as the book‘s setting. I will happily look into books by Heinrich Böll. Thanks for the advice! 6y
Libby1 @RealBooks4ever - I wouldn‘t be turned off of trying his other books. Thanks for the recommendation! Have you read this particular book, or are you a fan of his writing in general? 6y
RealBooks4ever @Libby1 I've read both Tin Drum and Crabwalk and loved them both for different reasons. Crabwalk is easier to read, and is a fictionalized version of an incident they never taught me in the U.S. schools! 6y
Libby1 @RealBooks4ever - I had never heard of this incident, either. Do you have a particular interest in Germany or German literature? I haven‘t read much, as all I can think of at the moment that I‘ve read is Hans Fallada and Bernhard Schlink! 6y
81 likes15 comments
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Libby1
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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My reading companion wants you to know that this is turning out to be a very odd book. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and I still have a lot of it to read.

This book reminds me of Midnight‘s Children by Salman Rushdie. Has anyone else read both of them?

I‘m going to Gdańsk this month, and wanted to read The Tin Drum as the book is set there. 🥁

Which books have you read to prepare for a trip - or am I the only person who does this?

TrishB I do too 👍🏻 when we went to Paris last year I did this! 6y
MommyWantsToReadHerBook Hmmm I've read Midnight's children and seen the movie of Tin Drum, dont remember similarities but it's been a while. I found the movie of Tin Drum so horrible I decided i would never read the book 🙄 6y
Libby1 @TrishB - I knew I wasn‘t alone! 6y
Libby1 @MommyWantsToReadHerBook - I think the beginning of this book reminded me of Midnight‘s Children as it was very much a story of the main character‘s origins - that went on, and on. And. On. I ended up bailing 6y
92 likes5 comments
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andrew61
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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#MayLovesClassics #chunksteryouread
This was a book where the film actually lived up to the novel - it's years since i read it but feel it is time for a reread and repeat viewing, particularly given the state of the world at the moment.

ValerieAndBooks Yes to both for me — at least 30 years ago! I‘d need to hunt down a copy to re-read — don‘t have mine anymore. 6y
32 likes1 comment
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Ruthiella
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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“I search on my drum for the land of the Poles and drum: lost, not yet lost, lost once more, lost to whom, lost too soon,lost by now, Poland‘s lost, all is lost, Poland is not yet lost.”

Kaye Welcome and thanks for the follow. 🙂 7y
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Karin1
Tin Drum | Gnter Grass
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Tough moments ;)

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BarbaraBB
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Oskar decides never to grow up and he retains the stature of a child while living through WWII and its aftermath. All the time he is inseperable from his tin drum; he is willing to commit violence to retain it.
This summary doesn‘t do the book right, it is a real masterpiece!!

#rhythminside #decdays #1001books

batsy Always wondered if I should read it, and since you say it's a masterpiece ... Stacked! 7y
shawnmooney Me too! 7y
Cinfhen Love this clever response!! I'm waiting to see how @shawnmooney likes this one 😍 7y
Kalalalatja Stacked! 7y
52 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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Matt4
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Working my way through this marathon, one page at a time.

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kmcallion
Tin Drum | Gnter Grass
Pickpick

Probably my favourite book. Opened my eyes to a totally new way of writing. Little Oskar, like Grass himself, lived through the most tumultuous and horrific spell in history and this groundbreaking book brings it to vivid life. Imaginative, funny and often harrowing, I've never read anything quite like it. Genius

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Ande
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Pickpick

Perfect explanation for why Germany is like it is now. Wonderful moment of clarity in the 'Zwiebelkeller'.

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hmhbooks
Tin Drum | Gnter Grass
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Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass rose to fame with THE TIN DRUM, a fanciful novel that turned a critical eye on Germany in the 20th century. While Grass‘ relationship with the public has been controversial, his posthumous work, OF ALL THAT ENDS, relays all that we admire in his writing: a commitment to examining the social and political actions of a nation.

read_diverse_books Fascinating. How have I not heard of these!? 8y
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Wilkie
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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Quite possibly the best #childprotagonist ever written. Oskar Matzerath, a boy so willful that when he found out, at age 4, that he was expected to become a grocer he decided to stop growing. #photoadaynov16

Sapphire This has been on my tbr forever. Moving it up. Thanks! 8y
Wilkie @Sapphire I hope you like it😊 8y
Ole Definitely! It's a great book! 8y
33 likes3 comments
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GoneFishing
Tin Drum | Gnter Grass

Granted: I AM an inmate of a mental hospital; my keeper is watching me, he never lets me out of his sight; there's a peep-hole in the door, and my keeper's eye is the shade of brown that can never see through a blue-eyed type like me.

Sapphire This has been on my tbr for two decades. I wonder why I never seem to get to it. 8y
20 likes7 stack adds1 comment
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12parsecs
The Tin Drum | Gnter Grass, Steidl Verlag
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A day late on the #augustphotochallenge , but do translations count for the #faveauthorcollab ? This was the first translated book I ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart 💘✨