How fitting that one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and author of arguably its finest novel, The Tin Drum (1959), should set out to tell the story of those 100 years with a tale allotted to each unit of time. Grass has never been less than ambitious and this daring variation of The Thousand and One Nights is thoughtful and varied. Although the stories are not narratively connected, there are thematic links and with them, an offbeat coherence. Many of the images are those of war. The past, particularly Germany's, dominates his inventive fabulist polemics. This is a book of voices. Ordinary men and women of all ages describe their experiences. A strong sense of Germany, its various regions and cultures emerges, East and West now united and more divided than ever. Grass the artist has always been cast in the role of unhappy, and - in Germany - often unpopular, prophet. Less dazzling than his masterworks, this lively performance is a feat of storytelling from an artist possessing a realist's vision.
