Published in 1929, Alfred Döblin’s BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, considered one of the great novels of the 20th century, exposes the seedier side of the vibrant cultural tableau of Weimar Republic Berlin. It’s like nothing we have ever read-- frenetic, profane, dizzying and dark, almost hallucinatory and dream-like, a novel with a unique narrative rhythm all its own, enhanced by the use of colloquial slang, working class vernacular, and German idioms. It is as much a novel about a big, modern city, an urban Babylon (murder, prostitution, theft, drunkenness, poverty, crippledom), as it is the story of Franz Biberkopf, one of modern literature’s most unlikable characters, hero-as antihero-as-victim, a murderer, pimp, and petty thief. Give yourself a little patience and time to adjust to the rhythm and flow of the language, the beautiful montage of passages, and the novel’s experimental style, in order to appreciate Döblin’s portrayal of modern life in all its shocking splendor and horror. We were mesmerized by this remarkable tale of fate and redemption. Much love! ❤️✨ #unabridgedbookoftheweek #alfreddoblin #nyrb (at Unabridged Bookstore)
