The HothouseA masterpiece by a writer long neglected in America, The Hothouse created a literary stir when it appeared in hardcover. Evoking comparisons to works by James Joyce and Malcolm Lowry, it traces the final two days in the life of a minor German politician, Keetenheuve, a man disillusioned by the corruption of post-World War II German politics and grieving after the sudden death of his wife. With a passionate, despairing voice, Wolfgang Koeppen (1906-1996), whom Gunter Grass once called the "greatest living German writer," creates a portrait of idealism crushed by political and personal compromise. |
Contents
Section 1 | 5 |
Section 2 | 7 |
Section 3 | 9 |
Section 4 | 23 |
Section 5 | 63 |
Section 6 | 93 |
Section 7 | 123 |
Section 8 | 175 |
Section 9 | 218 |
Section 10 | 220 |
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Common terms and phrases
arms beautiful beer belly Berlin Bonn Bundeshaus Bundestag cage called Carlo Schmid Chancellor Dana death Dörflich drank dreams E. E. Cummings Elke Elke's empty everything eyes face feeling flag Frau Pierhelm front Frost-Forestier Führer Gauleiter Gerda German Gert Hofmann ghetto girl Guatemala hand head heart Heineweg and Bierbohm Herr highlife Hitler Hothouse Keetenheuve felt Keetenheuve looked Keetenheuve saw Keetenheuve thought Keetenheuve wanted knew Knurrewahn Koeppen Korodin Lemurs Lena light listened live Mergentheim MICHAEL HOFMANN milk minister mouth Musaeus Nazi never night Nineveh novel old Volksblatt once paper parliament party perhaps playing politics President priest Rhine Salvation Army Sedesaum smell Sophie stood sweat talk thing Timborn took vote Wagalaweia waiting walked walls Wanowski wind window WOLFGANG KOEPPEN writing young youth