The Tin Drum
By Günter Grass
Stones From the River
By Ursula Hegi
I decided to combine two books in one review because they
have so much in common. For one, they are both spectacularly
well-written stories, rich in creative imagery and historical
detail – both the characters’ histories and that
of the actual period in which they take place. That, in fact,
is another similarity: they both are set in Germany and span
a multi-generation epoch that precedes and succeeds World
War II. Yet perhaps the most striking similarity is that
the heroes of both novels are short. Oskar Matzerath, in
The Tin Drum, willed himself to stop growing at age three;
while Trudi Montag, in Stones From the River, is a zwerg – a
dwarf. Further, each has a similarly sized mentor who is
a circus or carnival performer (Bebra for Oskar/Pia for Trudi).
Through their eyes and experiences as outsiders, we see the
struggles of post-World War I Germany, the encroaching tyranny
of the Nazi regime, and the shame and uncertainty following
defeat in World War II. If Oskar is somewhat less sympathetic
than Trudi (and much less trustworthy as a narrator than
the omniscient voice of Stones ), he is the more powerful,
confident, and entertaining hero. However, I have to say
that I prefer Trudi, maintaining her decency and dignity
against all odds, as a symbol of a lone light in the darkness.
Jason M. Rubin
©Copyright 2008 Libretto,
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