It is thanks to last’s year’s German Literature Month during which I read Sebald’s On the Natural History of Destruction that I discovered Gert Ledig’s The Stalin Front – Die Stalinorgel (1955).
In this novel Ledig depicts the atrocities of the Eastern Front. The fact that he is so explicit about the horrors and destruction is, according to Sebald, the reason why Ledig was forgotten and only rediscovered thanks to Sebald’s lectures and later book.
Here’s what is written about the book on the nyrb site
Gert Ledig (1921–1999) was born in Leipzig and grew up in Vienna. At the age of eighteen he volunteered for the army and was wounded at the battle of Leningrad in 1942. He reworked his experiences during the war in this novel Die Stalinorgel (1955). Sent back home, he trained as a naval engineer and was caught in several air raids. The experience never left him and led to the writing of Vergeltung (Payback) (1956). The novel’s reissue in Germany in 1999 heralded a much publicized rediscovery of the author’s work there.
Here are the first sentences
Prologue
The Lance-Coropral couldn’t turn in his grave because he didn’t have one. Some three versts from Podrova, forty versts south of Leningrad, he had been caught in a salvo of rockets, been thrown up in the air and with severed hands and head dangling, been impaled on the skeletal branches of what once had been a tree.
I hope that some of the participants of this year’s German Literature Month will join us. As you can deduce from the first lines – this is a very graphic novel.
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The discussion starts on Friday, 30 November 2012.
Further information on the Literature and War Readalong 2012, including all the book blurbs, can be found here.
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
Throughout my life I have been reading, taking classes and watching documentaries focusing on this subject. Eastern Europe at this time was simply one of the worst places to be in all of human history. In addition the largest battles in all of history were fought in this time and place. In particular, the fighting around Stalingrad changed the course of human history.
I have not read much fiction on the subject but this looks to be a great but difficult to read book.
It’s fascinating and harrowing topic. The German movie Stalingrad is one of my favourites but I’m afraid this book will be even more realistic. What happened on the Eastern Front was pure butchery. The biggest tradegy or irony is that the German troops were sacrificed by their leader.
I was looking at this book yesterday and decided I might read it but I’d have to be in the right frame of mind.
I’m sure it is a good book, certainly well written but it could be quite harrowing. I’ll start early, to be able to stop in between if needed.
I’m going to brace myself and read it but I do have a question. Is it important that we all read the same edition because it is also listed as The Stalin Organ – same author, same translator but published in Granta in 2004 and therefore more readily available in the UK
It should be the same book but as so often, the UK and the US title are different. I hope it’s not going to be too gruesome but on the other hand, war really is horrible, on the battle field even more that anywhere else.
This is in my to be read pile.I wonder if you know about the controversy over Christa Wolf who supposedly collaborated with the stasi in a minor way.She apparently traveled to the West where she met Ledig and was asked to report back to the stasi about him and his contacts in the GDR.
It would be great if you could join us.
I know about some controversy over Christa Wold but not in relationship to Ledig.
Interesting.
Not one for me – I’m a bit over WW2 novels at the moment (I’ll stick to the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales instead!).
That’s fine, although, that would be the “palate cleanser” (Richard’s expression), you would need after Coventry. 🙂
Like Caroline, I’m going to be bracing myself for this one. Maybe I should start now and read it in smaller bits rather than all at once and be overwhelmed.
It’s what I’m going to do, start now and read it slowly. I’m keen on reading it though.
I’m impressed by the people who can read this. I do think that it’s important literature and that we should never forget. But as you know, I find this sort of thing hard to read lately. I’ll be interested in the discussion it provokes, though.
I’m sure it will not be easy but important. I’m looking forward to the discussion. What’s for sure is that the books which were a bit more drastic, led to more interesting discussions.
It’s a great choice, Caroline. I read and reviewed it two years ago, also after being prompted by Max Sebald.
I was glad to hear you thought it was so good.
I think the whole story of the book, how it was forgotten, is so interesting.
I’m really keen on reading it.
This looks like an interesting book, Caroline. I haven’t heard of Gert Ledig and the experiences in the Eastern front are typically glossed over. So this is a really new discovery. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and that of the other participants. Happy reading! I like the fact that Literature and War readalong meets German Literature Month 🙂
I planned the meeting in advance when I compiled my list. 🙂
I think it should be an interesting but possibly challenging read.
Oh love join in if can get copy from library ,I loved the german film stalingrad about the eastern front as well ,all the best stu
That would be great, I hope you can find it.
wow…that is indeed very graphic!! but I want to read it…I know it might sound strange but I can easily stomach book with strong description of death or violence (loving SK is one of the reasons, I suppose).
I really need to make a credit card…so many book I want to read.
In a way it feels right, that the book is like that while others which tell “pretty” war stories are just wrong, if you know what I mean.
I know…it’s better than reading romance in war time, at least for me.
Yes, that’s what I meant. Although I’m sure there were plenty of those too.
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This book is waiting for me at the library, and I hope to finish it in time for the discussion. I might end up being a bit late again though.
That’s wonderful. No worries, if you are a bit late. I hope this will give us more to discuss than the last one.
Too graphic for me but I’m looking forward to reading your response to it. (And like Tony, no WWII for me)
It will be graphic, that’s for sure.
I found a remaindered copy of this in one of my go-to bookstores last week, Caroline, so I’ll be reading it along with you for German Lit Month (alongside two non-German big books on war themes). The first 10 pages or so, which I dipped into today, remind me of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate. I’ll have to look for some cheerier reading sometime soon, though, I suspect!
This is excellent news. I’ve read the first 2o pages and think it’s quite sober. The characters have no names but, yes, certainly, harsh. It’s interesting that he reminds you of Grossman, he will be on the list for 2013.