Peeling the Onion
A memoir of a writer's journey through war and creativity
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:5th Jun '08
Should be back in stock very soon
This memoir recounts the author's life, from his Danzig childhood to becoming a renowned writer, including the creation of The Tin Drum.
In Peeling the Onion, Günter Grass offers a deeply personal narrative that reflects on his life from a modest upbringing in Danzig to the complexities of adulthood. He candidly shares his experiences as a boy soldier during World War II, revealing the harsh realities of war and its impact on his formative years. Through his vivid storytelling, Grass captures the innocence of youth overshadowed by the grim realities of conflict, providing readers with a unique perspective on a tumultuous period in history.
The memoir also delves into Grass's journey as a writer, particularly focusing on the creation of his acclaimed novel, The Tin Drum. He takes readers behind the scenes of his creative process, sharing the struggles and triumphs he faced while crafting this literary masterpiece in Paris. Grass's reflections on his artistic development are both insightful and thought-provoking, offering a glimpse into the mind of one of Germany's most celebrated authors.
Ultimately, Peeling the Onion is more than just an autobiography; it is a profound exploration of identity, memory, and the complexities of human experience. Grass’s unflinching honesty and lyrical prose make this work a significant contribution to contemporary literature, showcasing the depth of his talent and the richness of his life story.
An exquisitely constructed narrative... Peeling the Onion is a genuine masterpiece * Independent on Sunday *
A memoir of rare literary beauty * New Yorker *
As a writer, his influence still looms large, and Peeling the Onion is a reminder why. It has that same imaginative accuracy that made The Tin Drum a bestseller * The Times *
An ingenious but treacherous text that glides constantly between past and present, first and third person, memory and imagination * Evening Standard *
This subtle and expertly written book is really a memoir about forgetting -- Sebastian Faulks * Sunday Times *
Grass's profound and moving memoir [has] an unforgettable power, and it is not just the significance of his experiences, but the virtuosity of his writing which elevates Peeling the Onion over any memoir published in recent years * Daily Telegraph *
As a demonstration of a literary will, the novelist's last testament, it is in many ways a masterpiece * Observer *
A compelling memoir. The emotions unleashed are raw... It is with extreme eloquence that he can finally excavate the silences at the heart of his life -- Anita Sethi * New Statesman *
He peels his particular onion with the candour and irony that have shaped his fabulist fiction for close on 50 years and this beautifully gruff, no-nonsense account of his early life is direct and conversational, though not without jolts of profoundly human remorse * Irish Times *
A wonderful book, full of life, full of love, vibrant and uncompromising and as picaresque and varied as all his finest works... As a portrait of a young boy and young man alive in Germany through its most devastating decades, it will stand as a factual masterpiece... an astonishing tour de force -- Carmen Callil
ISBN: 9780099507598
Dimensions: 200mm x 121mm x 31mm
Weight: 351g
432 pages