Games for Grown-ups

Günter Kunert's new book is a tragi-comical report on his "German" life. Born into a so-called "mixed marriage" in Berlin, he witnesses the deportation of his Jewish mother's family to the concentration camps. As a rebellious young artist he sees the lofty ideals of socialism supplanted by an oppressive, bureaucratic regime. As an adult he is forced to leave the country after being declared persona non grata by East German officials. With telling irony and sarcasm, Kunert looks back on the stages of his personal history. It is the story of a resilient pessimist who has lived and defended his life courageously.