A Heiner Muller Reader: Plays, Poetry, Prose (PAJ Books)

A Heiner Muller Reader: Plays, Poetry, Prose (PAJ Books) by Muller, Heiner. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780801865787.

Heiner Müller lived through Germanys tumultuous history from Hitlers rise through Soviet occupation to the building and eventual demolition of the Berlin Wall. One of his earliest memories was of his father being beaten by Brownshirts and taken away to a concentration camp; later, Müller chose to stay in the Soviet Zone even when his father defected to the West. His work presents a phantasmagoric vision of culture and history. Though a committed Marxist, Müller loathed the East German government, and his works were often censured for their caustic portrait of a Germany whose history was an unending act of division and violence. This new anthology traces the multifaceted evolution of Müller the playwright, poet, and eloquent observer of his centurys violent trajectory. The writings collected here range from Müllers earliest work, including short stories and early poems from the 1950s, to some of his last works, including Germania 3 Ghosts at Dead Man. Translator and editor Carl Weber provides helpful introductions to each of the selections.