“And so it began, with the cat and the mouse, and with the boy who couldn’t keep his hands off his Adam’s apple.” Chapter 1: The Incident at […]
German literature
The Road Back
“We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces.” Chapter 1: Return from the Front The novel […]
Russian literature
The Return
“A man returns home, but home is no longer the same—nor is he.” Chapter 1: The Homecoming Alexei Ivanov, a Soviet soldier, returns to his village after years […]
French literature
The Great Swindle
“The war had turned them into thieves, liars, and killers. Now peace would make them something worse.” Chapter 1: The Aftermath of War The novel opens in 1918, […]
French literature
Journey to the End of the Night
“Travel is useful, it exercises the imagination. All the rest is disappointment and fatigue. Our journey is entirely imaginary. That is its strength.” Part 1: War and Disillusionment […]