Death in Danzig

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Danzig to Gdansk, diaspora and disasters

"We knew for certain that the city would stand forever."

The Anatomy of a Distressed City

Death in Danzig
Stefan Chwin
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0151008051

Book Description

Germans flee the besieged city of Danzig in 1945. Poles driven out of eastern regions controlled by the Russians move into the homes hastily abandoned by their previous inhabitants. In an area of the city graced with beech trees and a stately cathedral, the stories of old and new residents intertwine: Hanemann, a German and a former professor of anatomy, who chooses to stay in Danzig after the mysterious death of his lover; the Polish family of the narrator, driven out of Warsaw; and a young Carpathian woman who no longer has a country, her cheerful nature concealing deep wounds.

Through his brilliantly defined characters, stunning evocation of place, and memorable descriptions of a world that was German but survives in Polish households, Chwin has created a reality that is beyond destruction.

Customer Reviews:

Danzig to Gdansk, diaspora and disasters.......2005-02-18

Why have we been without Chwin for so long? It is embarrasing how few books are tranlslasted and released into the American market. This book is a gem. Chwin deftly portrays life in Danzig toward the end of the Nazi occupation. The hills are alive with the sounds of Soviet artillery. The ethnic Germans are fleeing the advancing army. The air is thick with rumours of atrocities and rape.

Against this backdrop, Chwin presents us with the predicaments of a few chararacters, Hanneman, Hanka, J and the narrator. What makes this book truly amazing, is not the plot, nor the characterizations or the feeling of an impending apocalypse, rather it is the way he presents the physical world. Your eyes travel with the lens as it sweeps through rooms and scenes with a cinematic sensibility. The deadness is manifest as each image is haunted with a melancholic tone.

A great novel and I look forwad to more. If you haven't read The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass yet, do so now as its scope is larger; it also takes place in Danzig/Gdansk.

"We knew for certain that the city would stand forever.".......2005-01-01

Danzig, a city with German roots that go back to the fourteenth century, became a Polish port after World War I. One generation later, however, Hitler invaded Poland to reclaim the city Germany had always considered German. The Russian offensive at the end of World War II drove the Germans out of Gdansk, at the same time that Poles living in the eastern territories came flooding back into the city. Stefan Chwin, a much praised Polish novelist from Gdansk, for whom this is the first novel translated into English, focuses on Danzig/Gdansk as it adapts to the comings and goings of its changing citizenry during the tumult of 1945.

Imbuing the city with the aura of a main character in his darkly impressionistic novel, Chwin shows that no matter who is officially in control, the city somehow survives, a permanent monument to the endurance of the communal spirit and the ability to adapt. Meticulous descriptions of the smallest aspects of daily life--home furnishings, buildings, neighborhoods, and life at the port--turn the city into a living, breathing entity, battered by changes of fortune, perhaps, but still functioning and still providing a home to a changing population.

The characters are finely drawn, unique beings with stories of their own, though many of these stories involve personal secrets which are not fully revealed, even to the reader. Hanemann, a former lecturer at the Anatomy School, has been in love with a young woman who drowned, something that Hanemann discovers when he is asked to perform her autopsy. Piotr, a young Polish boy who becomes the narrator, moves with his family into the empty apartment beneath Hanemann when the previous owners return to Germany. They are joined by Hanka, a young Ukrainian woman, sometimes suicidal as a result of unspeakable atrocities she has apparently endured. Later a mute child moves in. Numerous parallels are drawn between characters, especially lovers, and their destinies and the city and its destiny, and suicide is a constant motif.

Breath-taking in its language, its ability to create vibrant portraits of people and places, and its love and faith in the enduring qualities of the city itself, Death in Danzig is a fascinating, though unusual novel, one in which plot is far less important than the daily lives of those who inhabit it. Leisurely in its development, the novel creates an impressionistic time capsule in which the city becomes the only constant. Mary Whipple

The Anatomy of a Distressed City.......2004-11-23

Stefan Chwin, an acclaimed Polish writer throughout Europe whose work has not previously been translated into English, is a novelist with a microscopic eye. Every scene, every setting is finely detailed with beautifully precise language (translated by Philip Boehm). Death in Danzig begins during the waning days of World War II, as the Russians are approaching the Polish city which will later be known as Gdansk and as Hanneman, a German professor of anatomy, uncovers the day's cadaver to discover the body of his lover. This metaphor, of an illicit lover prepared to be dissected by strangers, serves as an apt metaphor for this besieged city, both during and after the war.

Chwin follows the lives of Hanneman, his new neighbors (and the narrator) who claim the apartment above him after the war, and a mysterious young woman named Hanka who is rumored to have endured unspeakable horrors during the war. For most of the novel, the conflict is slight - more of a general, internal uneasiness than anything sharply defined - with occasional flashes of intensity, such as when Hanneman is questioned by the Communist authorities about a letter he receives. Chwin favors description over scenic development, often diverting the narrative momentum to divulge a catalogue of what is in the room, but readers who delight in turns of phrase will be charmed with the exactitude of the author's imagination. The city of Danzig/Gdansk is as much a character as its human counterparts. The final pages of this otherwise quiet novel are breathtaking, both in danger and in language.

Death in Danzig is a difficult read because of the relatively static plot and the interior, detailed nature of the prose; however, dedicated readers of literary and international fiction will appreciate Chwin's skill in evoking a city and its inhabitants as they struggle to maintain normalcy.

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Death Dealer
Glen Danzig
Manufacturer: VEROTIK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1885730497

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Death Dealer #1 First Print Cover B
GLENN DANZIG
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000PHMX94

Product Description

1st print edition

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Death Dealer (The New Covenant, #2)
Frank Frazetta Glenn Danzig
Manufacturer: Verotik
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1885730241

Product Description

oversize square bound comic book with color illustrations.

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Death Dealer (The New Covenant, #4)
Suydam, Frazetta Danzig
Manufacturer: Verotik
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1885730691

Product Description

Square bound stiff wrap comic book with color illustrations. Unpaged.

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Death in Danzig
Stefan Chwin
Manufacturer: Harcourt Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UF9AXS

Book Description

In the tradition of Jean Auel's famous Clan of the Cave Bear, Song of the Axe is about the rich panorama of prehistoric life spread out on an epic canvas, and the origin of myth in historical events. Song of the Axe is the story of two lovers, Agon and Eena, and their family, who lived 30,000 years ago. Agon is a great warrior, a master of the deadly axe song, the music of his weapon. Eena, beloved of Mother Earth, can fight like a man and cast a spear better than anyone. They and their tribe live by the banks of a huge, glacier-fed river at a time near the end of an Ice Age, when fearsome invaders threaten their lives.

Customer Reviews:

Epic Tale of The Past.......2006-04-25

As a big fan of prehistory novels, I held off reading this book for a long time because of the reviews here, so I was surprised to be so enthralled by it.

The story is quite epic, spanning the heroes' lifetime, and it's told with a lot of emotion and imagery. The main characters are deep and attaching, and the violent tribe of Ka seemed very realistic to me. The scenary is brought to life with a lot of skill, the landscape and atmostphere wonderfully described... I could see it, hear it, smell it, as if I were there -- a wonderful trip. I'm now greatly looking forward to reading Dann's new book, Song Of The Earth.

To those who rely on reviews before deciding whether to read a book or not, give this one a chance, it's worth it!

Very engrossing.......2004-07-03

I enjoyed this book and was shocked at the bad reviews. I expected to see a rating of at least 4 stars.

This book was a prehistoric generational soap opera in the best sense of the genre. There were surprises and twists and turns in the plot. Wonderful yet not over long descriptions of the natural world and what pre-historic life was like. There were characters you love and characters you loathe. There was mystery, magic, warlocks and totems.

One reviewer was upset because of Eena's quick recovery after being raped by the savage hunter Ka. I had no problem with Eena being raped and yet able to make love with Agon. It was only possible because she was healed and cleansed by the magic of the Earth Mother and to her that "magic" was utterly real. Someone wrote there was too much dependence on "magic" in the book. News flash. The book was about magic. And the interesting thing the author did is make you think that perhaps back then magic was real. Very, very real.

One reviewer commented that it was not sensible that a 3 year old boy would hate his father and want to kill him and take his mother away from his father. That shows she did not understand what she was reading. The boy had an evil spirit because of who his father really was.

I truly enjoyed this book. I would love to see it made into a mini-series! I hope the author does not get discourage by the dumb reviews of the naysayers. If he writes another book I will be sure to read it.

You have got to be kidding me!.......2003-12-30

I found one too many familiar themes in this book from several of my favorate authors but one stood out above all others. The reluctant boy shaman "Animal Man" has his upper thigh mauled by a cave lion as he was trying to fit into a crack in a cave wall.
I have read a lot of historical fiction and no one ever came close to putting that into their works.

What were the first words out of that kids mouth?.......2003-07-29

Could they have been, I am going to kill you while you sleep? Also, I don't believe that a woman who has been raped will fall into the arms of another man in so little time.
This book could have filled the big void that waiting for Mrs. Auel's next book, but it didn't.

Waste of time!!.......2003-02-04

Comparing this book to Jean's Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear is an insult. The gruesome details of the people of Ka's brutality and hatred were a real turn off. It's also hard to believe Eena and Agon's 3 year old son could be so consumed with hate for his father that he vows to kill him. And all those similar names! I lost track of who the characters were. I forced myself to finish the book because I kept thinking it might get better. I was wrong.

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A one-armed warrior wanders with his nephew

The Song of the Axe
Paul O. Williams
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345316584
Release Date: 1984-06-12

Customer Reviews:

A one-armed warrior wanders with his nephew.......2004-03-14

"The Song of the Axe" is book six (of seven) in Paul O. Williams' "The Pelbar Cycle."
Unlike the others in the series, in this volume Stel Westrun is not the main character, but merely a minor one, as this is the story of Tor, one of the last "Axemen" of the Shumai tribe, and his nephew Tristal. Although the position of axeman, leader of one of the hunting bands of the Shumai, is fading as the new peace of the Heart River Federation causes them to move away from hunting and gathering toward a more agricultural lifestyle, Tor hopes to teach Tristal the principles of leadership once essential to the title. In spite of having lost his hand in the opening of the Dome of the ancients (see "The Dome in the Forest," book three in the series), Tor is still a warrior, but he has become both more introspective and more aware of the bigger picture of the land that is once more being reunited after being shattered by the "Time of Fire" a thousand years before. He leads Tristal on a quest toward a seemingly trivial objective, to see the walls of ice to the northwest described by a group of wanderers they had met a few years earlier, but in the process he is hoping to pass on the ability to listen to the subtleties of life around him that makes an axeman a great leader, because he sees in Tristal the potential to bridge the gap between the old ways and the new.
Successfully making their way to the glaciers, and beyond them to the "Shining Sea of the West" (that Stel had set out to see but never reached in book two, "The Ends of the Circle"), Tor and Tristal sometimes find their master/student relationship more troublesome than the hostile peoples they encounter on the way. Indeed, it takes something unexpected in the usual "coming of age" quest before Tristal finds the Axeman in himself.

From the back cover:
"Spring - and Civilization - were bringing new life to the valley of the Heart River. But the Old Ways of Urstadge's nomads were dying.

So Tor, last of the great Shumai Axemen, took his nephew Tristal on a last run to teach the boy the Way of the Axeman.

But TristaI would have to survive deadly encounters, endure a seductive captivity, and even suffer enslavement before he learned that there was more to the Axeman's skill than just a sound arm and a handy opponent."

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Song of the Axe
N.C. McDonald
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0345026314

Axe Against an Elm/Covenant Songs: Two Collections of Poems Selected from the Works of Jack Lewis

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Challenging viewpoint from young man's heart.

Axe Against an Elm/Covenant Songs: Two Collections of Poems Selected from the Works of Jack Lewis
Jack Lewis
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0595205429

Book Description

"Questioning, pushing the envelope, questing for more and more truth at the core of what we take for granted, the poetry you hold in your hands will make you think. Whether you agree with it, whether you devour it eagerly or turn away in disgust, it will alter in some small way the way you think. Truly a member of the revelatory school of poetry, the author is able to conceptualize and encapsulate elusive thoughts and feelings, and is able to present them in such a way as to lead the reader to not only understand them, but also to feel them."

Customer Reviews:

Challenging viewpoint from young man's heart........2007-01-10

His sonnets are wonders as if from another age, another time. Yet they flow from his pen with clarity and perfection. Interspersed are free verse poems that somehow seem to belong right as rain with this old world perfection. If he protects his meaning sometimes, for he writes without the foolish sob of angst, the verses will always conjure up an emotion personal to your own heart. He is an undiscovered genius.

J. George

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Song About a Girl
David Axe
Manufacturer: Waiver Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Song of the Axe
John R. Dann
Manufacturer: Forge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTP36I

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Song of the axe
N. C. McDonald
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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First 6 Titles in Pelbar Cycle - The Breaking of Northwall - Ends of the Circle - Dome in the Forest - Fall of the Shell - Ambush of Shadows - Song of the Axe

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First 6 Titles in Pelbar Cycle - The Breaking of Northwall - Ends of the Circle - Dome in the Forest - Fall of the Shell - Ambush of Shadows - Song of the Axe
Paul O. Williams
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000QFQ1WK

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

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Song of the Axe
Random House
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0345226313
Release Date: 1972-03-12

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Song of the Broad-Axe
Walt with Illustrations by Wharton H. Esherick Whitman
Manufacturer: The Centaur Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RKGI68

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The Absolute Best Mid-Level Buddhist Studies Text

Excellent resource for novice or expert reader

The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations (Religious Life in History Series)
John S. Strong
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0534541755

Book Description

This comprehensive anthology provides translations of texts illustrative of Buddhist philosophy and doctrine as well as descriptive, concrete accounts of Buddhist practices, rituals, experiences and life situations. This approach does not neglect one dimension of the religion in favor of another and allows instructors to choose what they wish to emphasize in the classroom. The book also covers the development of Buddhism in a wide variety of geographical and cultural areas (India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, and Japan), and gives a sense of the historical evolution of the tradition in these areas.

Customer Reviews:

The Absolute Best Mid-Level Buddhist Studies Text.......2002-06-10

John Strong's "The Experience of Buddhism" obviously borrows heavily in idea and form from Stephen Beyer's 1970s text "The Buddhist Experience," and it's been updated a bit to include new texts on developing trends in Buddhist thought. "TEOB" is a collection of primary texts with commentaries, some dating back to the early CE, some from the 1200s and 1300s, and some from modern times. This allows the reader to get an even and fair sample of Buddhist thought from the Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajriyana (Tibetan) schools, although Tibetan is less emphasized here than it is elsewhere (which makes sense, since it's a much smaller school in the Buddhist world, despite its overrepresentation in American pop culture).

Readers will be able to pick up on many important Buddhist concepts, including the basics (Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path, etc) and more advanced ideas, like the differences in cosmology between T and M Buddhism (the Arhat and the Bodhisattva, for example). Beware, though: this is Buddhism as it has historically been practiced, and is still practiced in Asian cultures today. It is NOT the feel-good, distilled tripe that passes for Buddhism on the spirituality shelf, next to the books on Wicca and similar religions. There are graphic descriptions of acolytes being beaten, abused, and even killed by monks. It touches on some of the wars that have erupted over Buddhism, not only in Tibet, but the bloody civil war that has torn Sri Lanka (Ceylon) apart. Those looking to reaffirm preconceptions about a perfect religion that allows the practitioner to do "whatever" will want to look elsewhere - this is Buddhism as it IS, as it is PRACTICED, and as it HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY. It's a great study tool, and imperative for anyone seriously considering calling himself or herself a Buddhist (and, some would argue, to do so is contrary to the Buddha's teachings anyway). That isn't to say that Buddhism is painted as a horrible religion - quite the contrary - but neither is it sugar-coated, because it CAN be a difficult pill to swallow.

Although Strong's book touches with far greater depth on Buddhist ideas than many others, it doesn't delve as deep as others into some of the theological debates that have taken place over the last 2500 years. It's one step above an "introductory" text, and to go any deeper, you would have to dig out some serious college-level textbooks. Thankfully, this is still accessible to readers of almost any level, although "TEOB" presupposes at least some experience with Buddhist thought. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in historical Buddhism, a deeper exploration of Buddhist cosmology, or the practice of Buddhism today.

Final Grade: A

Excellent resource for novice or expert reader.......2000-04-18

The presentation of primary texts combined with commentary is an excellent presentation of Buddhist thought. Several historical and philosophical strands can be followed easily with this book. The organization and topical layouts allow the reader to move easily through the texts and focus in on areas of interest. Strong maintains acceptable historical objectivity within the context of a sympathetic presentation, allowing the reader to draw independent conclusions. Any student of Buddhism will benefit from this book.

The Buddhist Experience: Sources and Interpretations (Religious Life of Man Series)

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Beyer's Buddhist Introduction.
Beyer's Buddhist Introduction.

The Buddhist Experience: Sources and Interpretations (Religious Life of Man Series)

Manufacturer: Dickenson Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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General | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0822101270

Customer Reviews:

Beyer's Buddhist Introduction........2004-11-01

"The Buddhist Experience: Sources and Interpretations" was first introduced to me through an older sibling's Religious Studies course. When I went on to take the course I used and still have her textbooks. Beyer's survey is primarily Mahayana-leaning but it is an excellent collection of stories, sutras and short excerpts from Buddhist texts. Very comprehensive and engaging for the layman interested in Buddhist studies.

(As a denoument, I am now a Buddhist Studies scholar.)

Beyer's Buddhist Introduction........2004-11-01

The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations. (book reviews): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society

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The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations. (book reviews): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society
Herbert V. Guenther
Manufacturer: American Oriental Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00096NJ2Q
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by American Oriental Society on January 1, 1996. The length of the article is 508 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations. (book reviews)
Author: Herbert V. Guenther
Publication: The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1996
Publisher: American Oriental Society
Volume: v116 Issue: n1 Page: p181(1)

Article Type: Book Review

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