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Sep 15, 2017Maoisdead rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This enduring 20th century classic endures for good reason, by providing both a shocking and at times surreal narrative, and an anatomical dissection of the many layers of complexity of its protagonist, Oskar Matzerath, as seen through the lens of personal and world history. The drum-playing genius, self-serving yet sensitive, and given to the "gratuitous" shattering of glass with his piercing scream, descends into the abyss of paranoid psychosis against the backdrop of WWII and the postwar period in Germany. This novel is not for the faint-of-heart. The labyrinthine syntax and diamond-tipped diction mesh with the intricacies of Oskar's thoughts and observations. Enjoy the multiple unforgettable scenes and descriptions.