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taniplea's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jasmin_alex's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
amurray914's review against another edition
4.0
The Tin Drum by Günter Grass made a big impression on me when I first read it 20 years ago and it’s high on my list of books to reread. Crabwalk is not as good, but is much shorter and plays on familiar Grass themes, namely post war German society and its attitudes. Grass uses the little-know worst maritime disaster in history, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff by a Russian submarine in January 1945, with the loss of over 9,000 lives, as the fulcrum for his story. The narrator is Paul Pokriefke, a washed up writer whose patron pushes him to write a book about the disaster, mainly because Paul was born on the Gustloff the night it sank, before being rescued with his mother Tulla. During the course of his research, Paul comes across a website that glorifies the person for whom the ship was named, a staunch Nazi who was assassinated by a Jewish student in 1936. It turns out the website is run by Paul’s teenage son, Konrad, heavily influenced by grandmother Tulla, who thinks the Gustloff story should be widely told and reminisces about the happy days when it was a cruise ship subsidized by the Nazis. Konrad’s right wing dogma is opposed by the arguments of his chat room rival, a Jew. Their back and forth arguments and interaction contrast the scenes describing the real Gustloff and his Jewish assassin, David Frankfurter.
Grass uses three generations of characters to skillfully paint a picture of German attitudes and where they are going since the war ended. There is Paul’s mother Tulla and his mysterious patron who could be Paul’s father or Grass himself. This generation that lived through the war recognizes the suffering of the German people and want their story told, rather than dwelling on a guilty past and keeping quiet. There is Paul’s generation who have an overwhelming sense of guilt and never want to talk about the war. And there is the next generation who are starting to ask questions, who want to know more. This latter generation’s opinions are driven in two very different directions, fueled by the silence of their parents; the right wing using past guilt and non-recognition of German suffering as a platform for Neo-Nazi doctrine and the left wing who want to take responsibility for Germany’s past and speak openly about it. The two viewpoints are represented by young Konrad and his opponent, who expound both sides of the Gustloff sinking story to further their arguments (the Gustloff was also carrying hundreds of German auxiliary naval personnel, although their numbers were dwarfed by the overwhelming number of civilian refugees on board).
While probably not Grass’s best work, Crabwalk does paint a realistic picture of the gamut of German attitudes towards the war. I've heard the same arguments from German friends. It still remains relevant today 20 years after its publication, even more so with the rise of the political right and anti-immigration movement not only in Germany but in Europe as a whole.
Grass uses three generations of characters to skillfully paint a picture of German attitudes and where they are going since the war ended. There is Paul’s mother Tulla and his mysterious patron who could be Paul’s father or Grass himself. This generation that lived through the war recognizes the suffering of the German people and want their story told, rather than dwelling on a guilty past and keeping quiet. There is Paul’s generation who have an overwhelming sense of guilt and never want to talk about the war. And there is the next generation who are starting to ask questions, who want to know more. This latter generation’s opinions are driven in two very different directions, fueled by the silence of their parents; the right wing using past guilt and non-recognition of German suffering as a platform for Neo-Nazi doctrine and the left wing who want to take responsibility for Germany’s past and speak openly about it. The two viewpoints are represented by young Konrad and his opponent, who expound both sides of the Gustloff sinking story to further their arguments (the Gustloff was also carrying hundreds of German auxiliary naval personnel, although their numbers were dwarfed by the overwhelming number of civilian refugees on board).
While probably not Grass’s best work, Crabwalk does paint a realistic picture of the gamut of German attitudes towards the war. I've heard the same arguments from German friends. It still remains relevant today 20 years after its publication, even more so with the rise of the political right and anti-immigration movement not only in Germany but in Europe as a whole.
mejan0013's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
An absolutely horribly written book.
The author is all over the place, one minute he’s talking about one thing and then *squirrel!* he’s onto a completely different subject.
There is zero organization of thought. I’m surprised this author is a Nobel Prize winner with how crap this book is.
Don’t waste your time.
The author is all over the place, one minute he’s talking about one thing and then *squirrel!* he’s onto a completely different subject.
There is zero organization of thought. I’m surprised this author is a Nobel Prize winner with how crap this book is.
Don’t waste your time.
celina_s's review against another edition
2.0
"Im Krebsgang" war Pflichtlektüre für die Schule und nicht wirklich mein Fall. Die vielen Ausführungen, Hintergrundgeschichten und Details haben mich immer wieder aus dem Lesefluss herausgebracht. Das Thema ist interessant und der Kern der Geschichte auch, zum Ende hin war es wirklich gut, aber der Großteil konnte mich nicht begeistern.
fantastrid's review against another edition
2.0
Wenn ich mich recht erinnere drückte mein Deutschlehrer uns diese Lektüre 2017 auf.
Zunächst begann ich mit Vorfreude vor bzw. im Gegensatz zu allen anderen zu lesen, denn ich war und bin begeisterter Grass Konsument, wenn auch bisher nur die Danziger Trilogie in meinem Regal Platz fand. Doch schnell war ich enttäuscht, da Beschreibungen von U-Booten und weiterem Militär überwiegten. Zudem fiel es mir zum ersten Mal unangenehm schwer mich durch diese nicht unkomplizierten Formulierungen zu wurschteln und mich mit den Figuren auseinanderzusetzen, wozu ich durch den Unterricht nun mal gezwungen war. Kein Wunder, dass eine literaturbegeisterte Freundin nach den ersten Seiten von Grass abgeschreckt war und sich leider bisher keine weiteren Versuch gestartet hat.
Die im Unterricht grob analysierten (mein Kurs sehr unmotiviert und mein Lehrer nahe der Rente...) Aussagen sind allerdings stark, wie gewohnt.
Die schönen dicken Romane haben mir wirklich besser gefallen.
Zunächst begann ich mit Vorfreude vor bzw. im Gegensatz zu allen anderen zu lesen, denn ich war und bin begeisterter Grass Konsument, wenn auch bisher nur die Danziger Trilogie in meinem Regal Platz fand. Doch schnell war ich enttäuscht, da Beschreibungen von U-Booten und weiterem Militär überwiegten. Zudem fiel es mir zum ersten Mal unangenehm schwer mich durch diese nicht unkomplizierten Formulierungen zu wurschteln und mich mit den Figuren auseinanderzusetzen, wozu ich durch den Unterricht nun mal gezwungen war. Kein Wunder, dass eine literaturbegeisterte Freundin nach den ersten Seiten von Grass abgeschreckt war und sich leider bisher keine weiteren Versuch gestartet hat.
Die im Unterricht grob analysierten (mein Kurs sehr unmotiviert und mein Lehrer nahe der Rente...) Aussagen sind allerdings stark, wie gewohnt.
Die schönen dicken Romane haben mir wirklich besser gefallen.
sharlappalachia's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5. Interesting read on inherited trauma and belief and their effects on German politics and crime.
frittolini's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
mxriellx's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0