[
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 Mouseoriginally 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.]