Cat and Mouse
Günter Grass · 1927–2015 · Germany
Originally Katz und Maus (German)
Why it matters
A boy with an oversized Adam's apple becomes his Danzig schoolmates' obsession and, later, a desperate war hero seeking approval. The second panel of Grass's Danzig Trilogy, sharp and compact where The Tin Drum sprawls.
At a glance
war novelbildungsroman
Difficulty 6/10medium pace189 pagesDense, symbol-laden prose compressed into a much shorter frame than The Tin Drum.
