Reviews
"It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searching…this is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a life's work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." - The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grass's latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." - Publishers Weekly , starred review A family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fiction…A short, engaging and puzzling novel: He simply dreams us up! says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams. Kirkus Reviews "The Box offers "the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past." -Boston Globe "Freed from the defensive crouch of his straightforward memoir, Grass has produced something more obscure and occasionally just as beautiful." - The Daily Beast "Is writing in this way the act of a generous father, maybe even a penitent one, or of a tyrannical egotist? This ambiguity is what gives The Box its modest but genuine power." -Adam Kirsch, Slate " The Box moves between the voices of his eight children, in whose collage-like recollections their elusive father-- along with a mysterious woman whose Agfa box camera is an almost magical source of inspiration-- takes shape." - Vogue ("Fall's Best Memoirs"), S The Box offers the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past., "It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searching...this is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a life's work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." - The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grass's latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "A family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fiction...A short, engaging and puzzling novel: "He simply dreams us up!" says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams." Kirkus Reviews "The Box offers "the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past." -Boston Globe "Freed from the defensive crouch of his straightforward memoir, Grass has produced something more obscure and occasionally just as beautiful." - The Daily Beast "Is writing in this way the act of a generous father, maybe even a penitent one, or of a tyrannical egotist? This ambiguity is what gives The Box its modest but genuine power." -Adam Kirsch, Slate " The Box moves between the voices of his eight children, in whose collage-like recollections their elusive father-- along with a mysterious woman whose Agfa box camera is an almost magical source of inspiration-- takes shape." - Vogue ("Fall's Best Memoirs"), "It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searching...this is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a life's work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." -The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grass's latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." -Publishers Weekly, starred review "A family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fiction...A short, engaging and puzzling novel: "He simply dreams us up!" says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams." Kirkus Reviews, "It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searchingethis is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a lifee(tm)s work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." - The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grasse(tm)s latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." - Publishers Weekly , starred review eoeA family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fictioneA short, engaging and puzzling novel: eoeHe simply dreams us up!e says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams.e e" Kirkus Reviews "The Box offers "the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past." -Boston Globe "Freed from the defensive crouch of his straightforward memoir, Grass has produced something more obscure and occasionally just as beautiful." - The Daily Beast "Is writing in this way the act of a generous father, maybe even a penitent one, or of a tyrannical egotist?This ambiguity is what gives The Box its modest but genuinepower." -Adam Kirsch, Slate " The Box moves between the voices of his eight children, in whose collage-like recollections their elusive father-- along with a mysterious woman whose Agfa box camera is an almost magical source of inspiration-- takes shape." - Vogue ("Fall's Best Memoirs"), "It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searching…this is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a life's work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." - The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grass's latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "A family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fiction…A short, engaging and puzzling novel: "He simply dreams us up!" says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams." Kirkus Reviews "The Box offers "the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past." -Boston Globe "Freed from the defensive crouch of his straightforward memoir, Grass has produced something more obscure and occasionally just as beautiful." - The Daily Beast "Is writing in this way the act of a generous father, maybe even a penitent one, or of a tyrannical egotist? This ambiguity is what gives The Box its modest but genuine power." -Adam Kirsch, Slate " The Box moves between the voices of his eight children, in whose collage-like recollections their elusive father-- along with a mysterious woman whose Agfa box camera is an almost magical source of inspiration-- takes shape." - Vogue ("Fall's Best Memoirs"), "It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searching...this is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a life's work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." - The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grass's latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "A family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fiction...A short, engaging and puzzling novel: "He simply dreams us up!" says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams." - Kirkus Reviews "The Box offers "the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past." -Boston Globe "Freed from the defensive crouch of his straightforward memoir, Grass has produced something more obscure and occasionally just as beautiful." - The Daily Beast "Is writing in this way the act of a generous father, maybe even a penitent one, or of a tyrannical egotist?This ambiguity is what gives The Box its modest but genuinepower." -Adam Kirsch, Slate " The Box moves between the voices of his eight children, in whose collage-like recollections their elusive father-- along with a mysterious woman whose Agfa box camera is an almost magical source of inspiration-- takes shape." - Vogue ("Fall's Best Memoirs"), "It may not be a memoir, but it is an exercise in soul-searching...this is a novel of great humility, questioning whether the measure of a life really is a life's work... [Grass] shows a remarkable willingness to kick a hole in the usual self-importance of a prize-winning author." - The New York Times Book Review "Functioning both as experimental fiction and as a sequel of sorts to Peeling the Onion, Grass's latest sheds light on a role the revered German author has thus far only touched upon: fatherhood." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "A family documentary in the form of a novel, leaving the reader to decide where the line blurs between fact and fiction...A short, engaging and puzzling novel: "He simply dreams us up!" says a daughter, as the reader wonders what to make of these dreams." - Kirkus Reviews "The Box offers "the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past." -Boston Globe "Freed from the defensive crouch of his straightforward memoir, Grass has produced something more obscure and occasionally just as beautiful." - The Daily Beast "Is writing in this way the act of a generous father, maybe even a penitent one, or of a tyrannical egotist? This ambiguity is what gives The Box its modest but genuine power." -Adam Kirsch, Slate " The Box moves between the voices of his eight children, in whose collage-like recollections their elusive father-- along with a mysterious woman whose Agfa box camera is an almost magical source of inspiration-- takes shape." - Vogue ("Fall's Best Memoirs"), The Box offers the spectacle of a superb writer examining with playful seriousness and intelligent candor the relations between his work and the past.
