Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales [Hardcover]

Kurt Schwitters (Author), Irvine Peacock (Illustrator), Jack Zipes (Introduction, Translator)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 248 pages
Publisher: Princeton University Press (Mar 2 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0691139679
ISBN-13: 978-0691139678
Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 14.5 x 2.3 cm
Shipping Weight: 386 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #446,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #14 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Dadaism

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Product Description

Review

These byproducts from [Schwitters,] a man who tried his hand at much else, and gained relatively little attention for any of it, who lived with his parents and then in the house he inherited from them in a no-account place in Germany, and then in exile, are among the few wonderful and imperishable things of the twentieth century. -- Michael Hofmann, New York Review of Books

Jack Zipes has now usefully collected and translated a handy anthology of Schwitters short stories, written from 1918 to 1948, selecting those he considers to be 'oddly modern fairy tales.' . . . Schwitters's Merz fairy tales are lies that speak the truth. -- Peter Read, Times Literary Supplement

Mostly unpublished during Schwitters's lifetime, the tales have been rescued from oblivion by teams of eager Germanists, and selected, translated and introduced for this edition by eminent fairytale scholar Jack Zipes. The tales are accompanied by cutely sinister illustrations by Irvine Peacock. -- Justin Clemens, The Australian

Including four pieces Schwitters wrote in English--he had abandoned German, as the Nazis' language--this volume stands as a substantial, chronologically representative, and delightful addition to the still small number of texts by Schwitters published in the U.S. Zipes supplies snappy translations and a thoughtful critical introduction. -- "Choice

Product Description

Kurt Schwitters revolutionized the art world in the 1920s with his Dadaist Merz collages, theater performances, and poetry. But at the same time he was also writing extraordinary fairy tales that were turning the genre upside down and inside out. Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales is the first collection of these subversive, little-known stories in any language and the first time all but a few of them have appeared in English. Translated and introduced by Jack Zipes, one of the world's leading authorities on fairy tales, this book gathers thirty-two stories written between 1925 and Schwitters's death in 1948--including a complete English-language recreation of The Scarecrow, a children's book illustrated with avant-garde typography that Schwitters created with Kate Steinitz and De Stijl founder Theo van Doesburg. Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales also includes brilliant new illustrations that evoke the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

Schwitters wrote these darkly humorous, satirical, and surreal tales at a time when traditional German fairy tales were being co-opted by the Nazis. Filled with sharp critiques of German life during the Weimar and early Nazi eras, Schwitters's tales are rich with absurdist events and insist that not everyone--and perhaps not anyone--lives happily ever after. In "Lucky Hans," the starving protagonist tries to catch a rabbit only to have it shed its fur like a coat and run off naked into the forest. In other tales, a sarcastic gypsy stands in for a fairy godmother and an army recruit is arrested for growing to monstrous size.

Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales is a delightfully strange and surprising book.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales, Oct 19 2010

By Icta - Published on Amazon.com

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This review is from: Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales (Hardcover)

Quirky, abstract,nonsensical fun . I found myself laughing out loud at the odd ball humour of Dadaist, Kurt Schwitters. Each tale is short and sweet appealing to readers and listeners of all ages. An off centred approach to conventional fairy tales and loaded with hidden agendas to express Schwitters philosophies and values. A talented, disturbing man caught up in a world that was not in synch with his unique style . Wonderfully translated by Jack Zipes and beautifully illustrated by Irvine Peacock this book is a must for anyone with a sense of humour.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful collection of rare tales, beautifully crafted., Dec 29 2009

By Molly Millions - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales (Hardcover)

This is one of the best collections of modern fairy tales I have come across in a long while. Like most fairy tales, these stories are not written for children. Instead, they are satirical, witty, and often darkly humorous tales that explore a variety of artistic and social themes. Kurt Schwitter's biting tales and Jack Zipes' masterful translation and expert commentary will not disappoint fans of fairy tale literature, dadaist and surrealist art, or experimental poetry and prose. The illustrations throughout the book are also a great treat, and make for an attractive volume of work available nowhere else in English. Five stars!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy Fun, May 3 2011

By Polly Prissypants - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Lucky Hans and Other Merz Fairy Tales (Hardcover)

Switters' fairy tales are a lot of fun. The way he plays with the traditions makes for satisfying surprises. Zipes' excellent introduction and notes put the stories in context and provide interesting biographical information. Irvine Peacock's illustrations are perfect, funny and sort of creepy--just like the stories.

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