Mr. Theodore Mundstock

by Ladislav Fuks

Book Overview

As the elderly protagonist awaits capture by Nazis, he conjures fantasies to fill his agonizing moments and acknowledges the attempts of his desperate fellow Jews to deny that anything is happening.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006BU0RQ
• Release Date: January 1968
• Publisher: Orion Press
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Story of one Jewish man's preparation for concentration camp

This is the story of Mr. Mundstock and his attempt to come to grips with the inevitable summons for the concentration camps during the Nazi occupation of Prague. While many Jewish families and individuals around hime cope in manners such as nervous breakdowns, denial, and even suicide, Mr. Mundstock attempts to mentally and physically prepare himself by turning his lonely apartment into a mini concentration camp barracks. The preparation takes the reader through Mundstock's mind's misperceptions, denial, and fear while the novel's other characters see Mr. Mundstock as a fearless man in his later years who is more prepared than anyone else for the nightmare they are all going to face. This is a worthwhile read, especially if you're interested in WWII or Slavic culture, and at just over 200 pages, it's a quick read. The novel has a pscychological bent, much like fellow Czech author Franz Kafka. This was written during the last few years of the author's 70+ year life