Günter Grass, Katz und Maus [Cat and Mouse]

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Katz und Maus

[

Cat and Mouse

]

is the second book of Günter Grass’s famous

Danzig Trilogy

, which, together with the novels

Die Blechtrommel

[

The Tin Drum,

1959] and

Hundejahre

[

Dog Years,

1963], explores the legacy of National Socialism and the Holocaust. Its publication in 1961, two years after the epic masterpiece

The Tin Drum

, coincided with the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem, an event that brought the Holocaust to the forefront of post-war German consciousness. Intriguingly, the story told in

Cat and Mouse

originally formed part of

DogYears

, with Grass deciding during the writing process that it should become a work in its own right. The resulting narrative has been described as “one of the richest and most fascinating of modern German literature” (Patrick O’Neill).

Cat and Mouse

2333 words

Citation: Hall, Katharina. "Katz und Maus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 August 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4277, accessed 13 October 2024.]

4277 Katz und Maus 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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