These selections from the esteemed career of Gottfried Benn-one of the
most significant German poets of the 20th century-showcase his early,
shockingly graphic depictions of human suffering and degradation, as
well as the isolation and fragmentation of the human being adrift in a
nihilistic world found in his later work. Translator David Paisey
presents two selections, of verse and prose respectively, from Benn's
large oeuvre, which are ordered chronologically to enable readers to
perceive the developments of Benn's art and thought. In an important
biographical introduction, Paisey tackles the difficult question of
Benn's compliance with the Nazi regime and its impact on his life and
work.