Reviews

Katz und Maus by Günter Grass, Widar Lehnemann

jess_mango's review against another edition

3.0

This is the first book that I've read by Günter Grass. The central character in this book is Joachim Mahlke, who we first meet as a teenager. He stands out from his peers due to an overly prominent Adam's Apple. (the mouse) His peers and society in general (the cat) are constantly "chasing" him...teasing, etc. The novel is narrated by one of Mahlke's peers Pilenz who tells the story from his memory so things are often told in a foggy-sort of way. As such, he's an unreliable narrator.

The novel brings us up through the time of WWII. At it's heart, this novel is about the impact of the war and the looming threat of it over society and young men coming of age knowing they will most likely be sent to the front lines.

I rate this somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars.

chris_tyson's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

thymussilvestris's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

pilgrimbookstore89's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

mia_1312's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

dwsampson's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

jjaeyuks's review against another edition

funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

mschrock8's review against another edition

Men and boys tell stories much differently than women, using different language and focusing on different things. Male friendship like the one between two confuse me.

missbookiverse's review against another edition

Seit der Blechtrommel bin ich ja eh extrem schlecht auf Günter Grass zu sprechen, deshalb hab ich von Anfang an erwartet, dass mir Katz und Maus nicht gefallen würde. Dank des Deutschunterrichts musste ich es mir trotzdem zu Gemüte führen, was ich aber (gepriesen sei das Internet) nur teilweise getan habe. Gott sei Dank ist dieser Roman wenigstens um ein Vielfaches dünner als Die Blechtrommel. Spaß gemacht hat's trotzdem nicht. Die ganzen Masturbationsolympiaden u.ä. fand ich abschreckend und eklig beschrieben. Die Symbolik, die hinter jeder Ecke und unter jedem Stein lauert, haben wir in der Schule hoch und runter interpretiert, aber auch die fand ich nicht sonderlich beeindruckend.
Ich werde wohl nie ein Günter Grass Buch komplett lesen, schon gar nicht freiwillig. Der Mann und sein enormer Erfolg bleiben mir nach wie vor ein Rätsel.

daladala's review against another edition

1.0

Ei, ikävä kyllä ei tämäkään Grassin teos iskenyt minuun. Kieli hyppelee niin koreasti että on lähinnä sekavaa ja samalla kirjassa käsitellään monia teemoja, minkä johdosta teoksen jääminen vieraaksi ja kysymyksiä herättäväksi kokonaisuudeksi on varsin johdonmukainen seuraus.