Book - 35, The Tin Drum

The Tin Drum (1959)

by 

Günter Grass

Book Read: 22 October - 01 November 2015

Note Written: 10 November 2015

You cannot classify 'The Tin Drum' into a specific category or genre, I believe. Since the story takes place during a war period it is called a war classic. But it's more about the human life than about war and its problems. Oskar (the protagonist) narrates his life to us from a mental institution - sometimes in first person and sometimes in third person. This happens within the same sentence as well. Tin Drum is a great example of an 'unreliable narrator' telling us the story (I recently found out about classification types of narration and all and I was reading up a bit). 

Oskar, who was conscious of his birth moment; Oskar, the boy who wished not to grow up from when he was three years old; Oskar, the who decided not to follow an adult life and succeeded; is every bit as human with inherent flaws as we all are. He is an opportunist, as all of us who would like to be in his/her comfort zone and watch things unfold are, occasionally changing behaviour and thoughts according to convenience, being directly or indirectly responsible for the woes of others. Oskar has no sense of belonging–he wants to belong somewhere, but fails to, almost always. 

The language and style of the novel is unpredictable and strange. The sentences are often poetic in its flow and construction, without much adherence to grammatical structures. Gunter Grass prefers it so and has made the translators follow this as well. The prose is brilliant yet slightly difficult at times with the reader guessing what has happened or finding it only at a later stage, through the course of the narrative. Oskar's tumultous conscience with his follies and strange thoughts could be anybody's, according to the place and time where he/she lives– a true self, a mix of good and evil, the helplessness of being human. I have to watch the Palme D'or winning movie version of it soon. 

The Tin Drum is an outstanding literary and story experience.