Mr. Zed's Reflections |
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| Author:
| Enzensberger, Hans Magnus |
| Translator:
| Hoban, Wieland |
| Series title: | The German List Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-85742-224-8 |
| Publication Date: | Nov 2015 |
| Publisher: | Seagull Books
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| Book Format: | Hardback |
| List Price: | USD $21.00 |
Book Description:
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‘One should always only adhere to what he doesn’t say.’
Who is this plump man who shows up every afternoon at the same spot in the city park for almost a year, engaging passers-by in quick-witted repartee? A wisecracker, a clown, a belligerent philosopher? Many shake their heads and move on; others listen to him, engage with him, and keep ending up, again and again, at the same place. He doesn’t write anything down but his listeners take notes....
More Description
‘One should always only adhere to what he doesn’t say.’
Who is this plump man who shows up every afternoon at the same spot in the city park for almost a year, engaging passers-by in quick-witted repartee? A wisecracker, a clown, a belligerent philosopher? Many shake their heads and move on; others listen to him, engage with him, and keep ending up, again and again, at the same place. He doesn’t write anything down but his listeners take notes. With predilection, subversive energy and masterful brevity, Mr Zed undermines arrogance, megalomania and false authority. A determined speaker, who doesn’t care for ambitions, he forces such topics on us that others would rather keep to themselves. Reluctant to trust institutions, and seeing absolutely nothing as ‘non-negotiable’ he admits mistakes and does away with judgment. He is no mere ventriloquist of his creator—he is too stubborn for that. And at the end of the season, when it becomes too cold and uncomfortable in the park, he disappears, never to be seen again.
This little volume collects the considerations and provocations of this unique contemporary with the same name as the last letter of the English alphabet: a story in truisms and conversations—clear-cut, sceptical and fiercely illuminated.