Definitely one of the strangest stories I ever read. I had a really hard time at first keeping up with who was talking until I realized it didn’t matter. Once you step back and understand that the story flows much easier. ( )

Even a minor work by a master is worth an afternoon. Very self-referential but still moving ride along the uncertain landscapes of family and memory. ( )

One of the more creative re-inventions of memoir I've read, both in concept and execution. Likeable - and that's not just damning with faint praise. ( )

Muddled and dull, but had some brief moments where Grass was at top form. ( )

This is an odd book that didn't really capture me. It's a semi-autobiography written from the perspective of the author's 6 adult children and 2 step-children, The author asked them to have a series of taped conversations as a gift for his 80th birthday. This is an unusual but creative way to write an autobiography. It gets rather strange because much of the conversation has to do with photos taken by a family friend (possibly author's lover) which visually capture a deeper truth such as seeing the hopes of the subject, or the history of the place or foretelling the future. I wasn't wild about the book but I imagine I'll think about it for a while. ( )