Gathering at Tergate

Author: (German) Grass
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: In the mid-17th century, the conflicts between various religious factions, the Holy Roman Emperor, and the princes of Germany were profound, with continuous clashes. After the Thirty Years' War, a group of writers and intellectuals gathered in the small town of Teplitz. They discussed the past and present, speaking freely, while exploring serious academic issues such as poetry and drama, they also lamented their own and their country's fate with deep sorrow. Using literature, they plotted for the unification of their homeland, yet amidst their grand discussions, they also engaged in jokes, used vulgar language, and even had extramarital affairs with maids and shopkeepers, "unconcerned with trivialities." In the end, they even drafted a "peace appeal," but a sudden fire destroyed the gathering place and the "appeal," along with all the writers' noble aspirations. The poets, playwrights, and literary theorists depicted in the novel were all real figures in German history. In the author's portrayal, their shadows hide some of the most important figures in contemporary German literature. The protagonist of the novel, Simon Dach and Grimmelshausen, are respectively the leader of the famous literary group "47 Group" in contemporary Germany, Hans Werner Richter, and the author himself. Using the technique of drawing parallels between the past and the present, the author vividly depicts the activities of the "47 Group" in the 1960s and expresses his deep concern for the nation and its people. This book is one of the author's most successful novels. Published in 1979, it became a bestseller in Germany for a long time.