Synopses & Reviews
Set in Danzig, Germany during World War II and centered on the narrator's vivid recollection of a boyhood scene, this marvelously entertaining, powerful and at times very funny narrative explores the serious undercurrent of what it means to be human in an age of wars and rebellions staged for the world's political theatre. As relevant today as it was when it was first written in 1961, Cat and Mouse was written directly after the publication of Grass's famous work The Tin Drum.
Review
"A brilliantly realized story... At the deepest level, Mr. Grass resumes here the underlying theme of his famous first novel, 'The Tin Drum'--the survival of individual human qualities in this age of wars and state-directed politics." --
The New York Times Book Review"The strongest most inventic writer to have emerged in Germany since 1945. Much of what is active in the Germany of Krupp and the Munich beer halls lies in this man's ribald keeping." Commentary
Synopsis
The setting is Danzig during World War II. The narrator recalls a boyhood scene in which a black cat pounces on his friend Mahlkes “mouse”-his prominent Adams apple. This incident sets off a wild series of events that ultimately leads to Mahlkes becoming a national hero. Translated by Ralph Manheim. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book
About the Author
G�NTER GRASS was born in Danzig, Germany, in 1927. He is the widely acclaimed author of numerous books, including The Tin Drum, My Century, Crabwalk, and Peeling the Onion. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999.