Show Your Tongue

But later over tea, language did treason,
the boy went wrong on me,
became a terrible angel.

This is an intriguing diary/travelogue from one of the masters chronicling a six month stay in Calcutta in 1987-88. The account is larded with sketches by Grass. These afford a haunting atmosphere to the prose descriptions of poverty and merciless weather. There are two occasions when the author and his wife meet other westerners, instantly it doesn't matter whether the counterparts are Italian or Russian: the four together are European---united in the midst of this subcontinental chaos. That made me ponder my own travel experiences with my wife. The lens of prejudice could be something you can't leave behind. It is easy to compare this account show more with the one by Naipaul I read earlier this year. There is much sifting to be considered.

Herr Grass weaves German politics and history into his description. The 19C author Theodor Fontane becomes a companion--as he will again later in Too Far Afield. It is likely the details which will linger. Grass buys some stationary upon which he sketches. A subtle touch indicates that the paper costs a few days wages for many of those he encounters. All the while the author stands gape mouthed at the crowding and the soaring birth rate. This reminded me of Klaus Mann recalling how the literary publication The Dial brought relative prosperity to his family during the years following The Great War. These asides to a grander canvas are appreciated, as is the constant configuring of the Indian goddess Kali into an approach to a geo-political reality. I imagine some could regard that as racist, a new Orientalism, or one with a new press release anyway. Perhaps the scandal of his teen conscription into the SS has undermined the general appreciation for this master. I am curious about the future regard for Gruppe 47. show less

Grass describes in drawings and words his 6 months stay in Kolkata. Strong bold drawings in black ink; Grass does not hide his criticism :
“I want him to explain the diffuse Bengali longing for a Führer figure and also why, at the same time, Gandi’s ideas are neglected. […] The English, he says, […] had found a long-established system of control and exploitation, which they took over […] and – once they had thoroughly plundered the vast colony – passed the system on to the ruling (still ruling) Congress Party. […] The middle and upper classes – barely a quarter of the population – were trying very hard to write off the rest …”(50-51) – What’s new? –

Two texts (there must be many others) give a context:
show more Kalkutta - Die Unergründliche (Süddeutsche Zeitung 17. Mai 2010) written with reference to Grass journey, and an outline of the legends and worship surrounding the fierce godess Kālī .

The design and binding of this first US edition (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) is exemplary except in one – vital – point: the book is glued, not sewn, with the result that one cannot open the pages properly and the images covering both pages (all of them) are cut in the middle. Why does the publishing house make a big effort and then decides to skimp here? (II-14) show less