Das Trottelbuch

Jung, Franz, 1888-1963Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 100K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Das Trottelbuch by Franz JungAuthor: Jung, Franz, 1888-1963,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jul 12, 2011

Editor's review

Das Trottelbuch is a work published around 1912 by the German writer Franz Jung; the title may be rendered literally as "The Book of the Idiot," and it carries the provocative spirit of early Expressionism. It consists of a series of short, fragmented pieces, with abrupt language and sharp satire, offering a cold-eyed observation of bourgeois social order and the individual's predicament. Jung was later closely associated with the Berlin Dada circle and left-wing politics, and this book can be seen as a slice of his formative period. It is not a plot-driven novel but rather a collage of moods and gestures, suited to readers interested in German modernism and Expressionist literature as a historical document—to be read with some knowledge of the era's background and an appreciation of its linguistic experimentation, rather than for a complete story.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lovers and scholars of German modernism and Expressionist literature
Readers interested in early twentieth-century German society and intellectual atmosphere
Learners with some German who wish to engage with non-mainstream classic texts
Experimental readers who enjoy fragmentary, satirical short pieces rather than complete narratives

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a traditional plot-driven novel with a complete beginning and end
Readers with no German who do not intend to use a translation or reference tools
General casual readers who tire easily of experimental, fragmented prose

Reading tips

Learn about 1910s German Expressionism and the Berlin avant-garde before diving into the text
Read the short chapters in batches, a few at a time, leaving time to absorb the style
Note recurring images and tones as you read, grasping the book's overall stance rather than its plot

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What story does this book tell?

It has no complete storyline in the traditional sense; it consists of a series of short fragments and satirical writings, closer to a collage of moods and gestures. The focus is on language style and cold-eyed observation of bourgeois society, not on following characters' fates or plot development.

What level of German is needed to read the original?

The language is abrupt and the syntax unconventional, posing a barrier for non-native readers. Intermediate German reading ability or above is recommended, along with a dictionary and background materials; if your German is limited, you can first use a translation to grasp the content, then compare it with the original to appreciate its linguistic experimentation.

Who was the author Franz Jung?

Franz Jung (1888–1963) was a German writer who took part in Expressionist literary activities early on and later had ties to the Berlin Dada circle and left-wing politics. Das Trottelbuch belongs to his early work and can be seen as a slice of his stylistic formation, though it should not be taken as representative of his entire output.

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About the author

Jung, Franz, 1888-1963 Author · Austrian · 1888–1963

Franz Jung (Jung, Franz, 1888–1963) was an Austrian writer and anarchist, listed as one of the representatives of Expressionism and proletarian literature. His work spans both Expressionism and proletarian literature, and his writings often carry a clear stance of social criticism and an anarchist coloring. Two of his works are held in the collection, Das Trottelbuch and Gnadenreiche, unsere Königin, which reflect the features and thematic concerns of his early writing. Publicly available information on his upbringing, education, and specific literary activities is limited, so the existing introduction is based mainly on his identity as a writer, his political leanings, and his literary affiliation. Overall, Jung occupies a place in the tradition of social protest in early twentieth-century German-language literature, and his work serves as a reference for understanding the transition from Expressionism to proletarian literature.