The Gunter Grass Reader [Paperback]

Selected from the vast range of his work, the writings included in this anthology trace Günter Grass's development as a writer, and with it the history of a nation coming to terms with its past.
Excerpts from Grass's major novels-from The Tin Drum to Crabwalk-are included, as are numerous short fictions, essays, and poems, many of which have never appeared before in English. Grass's gifts as an observer of and participant in the social and political landscape are justly celebrated, as are his inimitable sense of humor, his consistent defense of the disadvantaged, and his mastery of the forms of expression he has employed over the years.
For readers in search of an introduction to his work or for those familiar primarily with his novels, this diverse collection offers a fresh and stimulating introduction to one of the world's greatest living writers.

PRAISE FOR CRABWALK
This short yet sprawling book serves as a reminder of Grass' myriad writerly gifts. -San Francisco Chronicle
Masterful . . . This is his most powerful book since The Tin Drum. -The Seattle Times
PRAISE FOR TOO FAR AFIELD
It is the work of a seasoned craftsman, certain of what he wants to do, completely in control of his gifts. -The New York Times Book Review

WHEN THE LZ-126 DREW CLOSE
TO NEW YORK

from MY CENTURY (1999)

THE DATE COLUMBUS WEIGHED ANCHOR WAS THE DATE we chose. Columbus set sail from Genoa in 1492, heading for India, though in fact he landed in America; our venture, our more accurate instruments notwithstanding, was every bit as risky. The dirigible was actually ready on the morning of the eleventh: it lay in its open hangar with precisely calculated quantities of fuel for the five Maybach engines and water for ballast on board; the ground crew had ropes in hand. But the LZ-126 refused to float: it was heavy and remained so because a layer of fog and warm air masses had suddenly rolled in and settled over the enl-