TIN DRUM: REFINED VERSION

From Günter Grass’ novel a part has been left out in the translation published by Európa Publishing House.

Günter Grass’ famous novel, Die Blechtrümmel (The Tin Drum) in a recent Hungarian tranlation appeared in a mutilated version: the Hungarian readers are ’spared’ from the description of Soviet soldiers looting Danzig. The Nobel-prize winner author, who has been the guest of the Budapest Bookfair recently, might be puzzled by this ’political correctness’ or sheer censorship practised by Európa Publishing House, though in fact he warned Hungary to protect democracy and avoid the pitfalls of censorship surviving in every age.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó