The The Epic Worlds of Alfred Doblin

Of the three great German word-artists of the first half of the 20th century, Alfred Doeblin remains the least known. The other two are Thomas Mann, whose attitude towards Doeblin ranged from cautious admiration to violent rage; and Berthold Brecht, who learned much from the ideas of his friend Doeblin. Anglophone readers have almost no source of information about Doeblin, or about the few works already translated into English (Berlin Alexanderplatz perhaps excepted).

In Germany, reliable editions of Doeblin trickled out between the 1980s (decades after his death in 1957!) and the 2010s. Academic lit. crit. scholars enjoy tackling aspects of his life and output in ways attractive to other scholars. But little has been done to promote Doeblin to a wider pool of readers.

For the first time, Adventurous Reader's Guide provides the inquisitive reader with a map, compass and rations to sustain them as they proceed through the vividly imagined exotic landscapes of his epic novels. Doeblin famously declared: 'If a novel can't be cut up into ten pieces like a worm, and each piece lives by itself, it is worthless'. The seventy-two excerpts presented in this book show how he put this maxim into practice. Each deserves close reading, for each brings to life its own vivid world.

The excerpts were chosen (from many possible candidates) for their power to entertain, provoke, amuse, cause shudders, and showcase Doeblin's mastery of styles, moods, and expressive possibilities. After reading through the selection, or even just dipping in, you should be well prepared to tackle a whole epic novel.