Grass, Gunter Wilhelm

Grass, Gunter Wilhelm
▪ 1996

      In 1995 Günter Grass, Germany's best-known living author, published Ein weites Feld ("A Broad Field"), an ambitious novel dealing with German reunification. The work became an instant best-seller, as much for the fierce controversy surrounding the author's view that reunification was a mistake as for its literary interest.

      Grass was born on Oct. 16, 1927, in Danzig (now Gdansk), Poland. The son of a small grocery owner, he observed the process of Nazification among the people of Danzig, and at age 16, during World War II, he was drafted and made a tank gunner. He was wounded and became a prisoner of war. After the war Grass embarked on art studies but, encouraged by the association Gruppe 47, began to write poems and plays. His literary reputation was established with his first novel, Die Blechtrommel (1959; The Tin Drum, 1959), regarded by many to be his most important work. An imaginative re-creation of his experiences in Danzig during the war, Die Blechtrommel condemned Germany's Nazi experience and led to the author's becoming known as the "conscience of his generation."

      A prolific writer, Grass soon published Katz und Maus (1961; Cat and Mouse, 1963) and Hundejahre (1963; Dog Years, 1963), completing a trilogy set in Danzig. His later books treated both social and political themes. These include, among many others, Örtlich Betäubt (1969; Local Anaesthetic, 1969), a protest against the Vietnam War; Der Butt (1977; The Flounder, 1978), an interpretation of the relationship between the sexes throughout history; Die Rättin (1986; The Rat, 1986), a vision of the end of the human race that expressed Grass's fear of nuclear holocaust and environmental disaster; and Unkenrufe (1992; The Call of the Toad, 1992), an examination of German-Polish relations.

      Ein weites Feld was one of the first major novels to tackle the issue of German reunification. The work was highly anticipated, but when it appeared in August, many of Germany's leading critics vehemently attacked it, denouncing Grass's portrayal of reunification as "misconstrued" and "unreadable." Grass, whose leftist political views were often not well received, was outspoken in his belief that Germany lacked "the politically organized power to renew itself," and in his novel he portrayed a country quickly and carelessly thrown together. Partly because of the controversy surrounding Ein weites Feld, public interest in the novel was intense. (SHERMAN HOLLAR)

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Grass, Günter (Wilhelm) — (n. 16 oct. 1927, Danzig, Polonia). Novelista, poeta y dramaturgo alemán. Grass participó en la juventud hitleriana, se alistó a los 16 años y, herido en combate, fue hecho prisionero de guerra. Su extraordinaria primera novela, El tambor de… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Grass, Günter (Wilhelm) — born Oct. 16, 1927, Danzig German novelist, poet, and playwright. Grass was involved in the Hitler Youth, was drafted at age 16 and wounded in battle, and became a prisoner of war. His extraordinary first novel, The Tin Drum (1959), brought him… …   Universalium

  • Grass, Günter — ▪ German writer in full  Günter Wilhelm Grass  born Oct. 16, 1927, Danzig [now Gdańsk, Pol.]    German poet, novelist, playwright, sculptor, and printmaker who, with his extraordinary first novel Die Blechtrommel (1959; The Tin Drum), became the… …   Universalium

  • Gunter Wilhelm Grass — noun German writer of novels and poetry and plays (born 1927) • Syn: ↑Grass, ↑Gunter Grass • Instance Hypernyms: ↑writer, ↑author …   Useful english dictionary

  • Gunter Grass — Günter Grass Pour les articles homonymes, voir Grass. Günter Wilhelm Grass …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Günter Grass — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Grass. Günter Wilhelm Grass Günter Grass à …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Günter Grass — Infobox Writer name = Günter Grass birthname = Günter Wilhelm Grass birthdate = birth date and age|df=yes|1927|10|16 birthplace = Danzig Langfuhr, Free City of Danzig deathdate = deathplace = occupation = Novelist nationality = German period =… …   Wikipedia

  • Grass — /grahs/; Ger. /grddahs/, n. Günter (Wilhelm) /goon teuhr wil helm/; Ger. /gyuun teuhrdd vil helm/, born 1927, German novelist, poet, and playwright. * * * I Any of many low, green, nonwoody plants that make up the families Poaceae (or Gramineae) …   Universalium

  • grass — grassless, adj. grasslike, adj. grassward, grasswards, adv. adj. /gras, grahs/, n. 1. any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains. Cf. grass family. 2. such plants collectively, as when… …   Universalium

  • Wilhelm — /wil helm/; Ger. /vil helm/, n. a male given name, German form of William. * * * (as used in expressions) Bach Wilhelm Friedemann Baeyer Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Bessel Friedrich Wilhelm Hermann Wilhelm Brandt Bunsen Robert Wilhelm… …   Universalium

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