Specify Books Conducive To Der Untertan (Das Kaiserreich #1)
| Original Title: | Der Untertan |
| ISBN: | 3596136407 (ISBN13: 9783596136407) |
| Edition Language: | German |
| Series: | Das Kaiserreich #1 |
| Characters: | Diederich Heßling |
| Setting: | Netzig,1880(Germany) Berlin,1890(Germany) |
Heinrich Mann
Paperback | Pages: 494 pages Rating: 3.8 | 3025 Users | 74 Reviews
Particularize Of Books Der Untertan (Das Kaiserreich #1)
| Title | : | Der Untertan (Das Kaiserreich #1) |
| Author | : | Heinrich Mann |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 494 pages |
| Published | : | September 7th 1997 by Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag (first published 1918) |
| Categories | : | Classics. European Literature. German Literature. Fiction. Literature |
Narration Concering Books Der Untertan (Das Kaiserreich #1)
"Hurraahhhh!!! Da kommt der Kaiser!!!" Diederich Heßling, ein ewig deutsches Thema. Kurt Tucholsky brachte es wie immer auf den Punkt, als er Heinrich Manns Roman über den Aufstieg eines Erzopportunisten als "Herbarium des deutschen Mannes" bezeichnete. "Hier ist er ganz -- in seiner Religiosität, seiner Erfolgsanbeterei und namenlosen Zivilfeigheit".Der Untertan, die Geschichte Diederich Heßlings, in jungen Jahren von einem drakonisch strafenden Vater und einer saumseligen Mutter großgezogen, anschließend weiter zurechtgeschliffen im Schul- und Militärdrill der wilhelminischen Ära, gerät bei Heinrich Mann zum Fallbeispiel deutscher Katzbuckelei und Tyrannenmentalität, die sich Macht und Gewaltstrukturen unterwirft, um letztlich an ihnen teilhaben zu dürfen. Heßling, vordergründig als Aufsteiger gefeiert, übernimmt die väterliche Papierfabrik und wird zum mächtigsten Bürger der fiktiven Kleinstadt Netzig. In seiner Mimikri geht er dabei soweit, neben der chauvinistischen Phrasendrescherei der Deutschnationalen auch noch das äußere Erscheinungsbild des Kaisers zu imitieren. Eine "Bilderbuchkarriere", wie sie nur durch "ein Sinken der Menschenwürde unter jedes bekannte Maß" zustande kommen konnte, wie Heinrich Mann in einem Brief von 1906 festhielt.
Rating Of Books Der Untertan (Das Kaiserreich #1)
Ratings: 3.8 From 3025 Users | 74 ReviewsPiece Of Books Der Untertan (Das Kaiserreich #1)
Wickedly funny, unflinchingly dark satire. Mann's gift for the telling detail is unerring, and his eye for the tragically absurd is sharp. Among other things, Der Untertan is a delicious parody of the "Bildungsroman," as we follow the protagonist from childhood to maturity and see him become increasingly determined, and increasingly powerful, without becoming less narrow-minded, cowardly, or unconsciously hypocritical. The near-explosive unease of a rigidly structured and rapidly changingA fantastic work of German literature. Prophetic, humorous, sharp-witted.It took me absolute ages to read this but I am nonetheless grateful I persisted (even though there were many times when I got completely lost and didn't understand any references the author was making).
The Child is father to the Man (view spoiler)[https://poets.org/poem/my-heart-leaps (hide spoiler)]The Untertan (view spoiler)[translated with a variety of titles in English because the literal unmeaning of the Subject is a little ambiguous, in this case the main character is chiefly defined by their relationship to the German Emperor that of (view spoiler)[ over? or excessively (hide spoiler)] loyal or devoted subject of the Emperor. This is not a novel about grammar as in verb, subject, object
A searing indictment of Wilhelmine Germany. The German title, Der Untertan, translates literally as "The Subject," and it certainly describes the anti-hero of the piece, Diederich Hessling, who professes total, unthinking loyalty to his sovereign, Kaiser Wilhelm II. Hessling worships Power above all things, and if that power can be made to work toward his material advantage, so much the better. He relishes German military might, bemoans democracy, and wants women to concern themselves only with
I started this book to prepare for my A-levels (I'm german), because from reviews I gathered it would go very well with the revision I had to do for history (german nationalism in the 19./20. century, imperialism, WWI).I did not finish it in time but that was not a problem, because the subject of nationalism and power structures in the Wilhelmine era is present from the very first page to the last and characterizes Diederich (glad we do not name our children like that anymore) throughout his
I would have given this book three and a half stars if I could of. It was a bit slow at times. It was written in 1918. It is the profile of a bougie german who managed to justify doing all sorts of horrible things. And it is a profile of Germany before the wars. Its amazing how little has changed. Still plagued with materialism, militarism, classism, religion, sexism, and reverence for authority. Its like only the fashions have changed in a century.
Stylistically, it is as dry as could be. The novel moves very slowly and there are virtually no likable characters nor are there interesting plot devices. At times it is quite moralistic, though when considering the subject-matter (the Imperial German society that paved the way for Hitler's bureaucratically realized atrocities), I wonder if such an approach is not uncalled for. With regard to content, it is a fascinating look at Wilhelmine society as reflected by the impossibly vain, egotistic
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