The Class (Dedalus European Classics) [Paperback]

Hermann Ungar (Author), Mike Mitchell (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Dedalus European Classics | Publication Date: May 2004

Josef Blau is a high school teacher in pre WWI Prague. Because he comes from a background less priviledged than that of his pupils, he becomes increasingly insecure -- then devastatingly obsessive. Rigid about order and discipline, he senses his pupils watching him, waiting for the slightest weakness; the least infringement, he feels, will lead to the complete collapse of his tightly-ordered world. His other obsession is his attractive wife. Despite her assurances, he cannot believe she will be faithful to him. He forces her to shave her hair and wear shapeless clothes, yet still cannot conquer his fears. Catastrophe looms.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hermann Ungar is the most important author of his decade. -- Die Neue Freie Presse

About the Author

Hermann Ungar (1893-1929) was a Moravian who wrote in Berlin and Prague in the 1920's. Critics compared him to Gustav Meyrink and Kafka; he was especially praised in France for The Maimed (1928). After the war he was forgotten, but the reissue of the French translation in 1987 renewed his reputation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dedalus (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903517192
• ISBN-13: 978-1903517192
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,128,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cost of Insecurity, December 1, 2004

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Class (Dedalus European Classics) (Paperback)

"The Class" is a good reading experience. It's always a bit of a stretch to read a work written over 75 years ago and in another language. Translator Mike Mitchell does a good job of creating the flow and pacing from the original German as it was originally published in 1927. Ungar was a popular novelist before World War II, often mentioned at the time with Kafka. The main character Josef Blau is a secondary schoolteacher at a boys' school. Apparently not all that comfortable as a teacher, he spends a good portion of his time in mental agony over his ability to maintain control of his students. His insecurity also extends to his beautiful wife Selma whom he suspects as having an affair with a blond schoolteacher Herr Leopold who exercises "naked" (i.e. no shirt) with his students. Blau & his wife have a young son born in the midst of the tale, which only heightens Blau's insecurity. When word arrives that one of his students has bought a note which would make the poor teacher indebted to the rich student, Blau's insecurities mushroom resulting in the unfolding of events including his wife shaving her head to show that she is not trying to attract other men. Ungar gives us the flavor of a time when opportunities were limited and people struggled for the little they had. He also delves into some heady theological discussions on the existence of God, which actually has a unifying effect as the tale concludes. I found "The Class" a somewhat difficult although an ultimately rewarding reading experience. Ungar's novel does stand the test of time and does speak to us seven decades after it was written. Enjoy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inside a Deranged Mind, December 29, 2010

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Hexameron - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Class (Dedalus European Classics) (Paperback)

Have you ever wanted to get inside a self-tormented, paranoid, and obsessive-compulsive mind? Josef Blau is the kind of neurotic specimen approaching a mental break down that makes for morbidly compelling reading.

Set in the 1920s, Hermann Ungar's dark and melancholy novel is a psychological thriller focused on Blau's precarious mental state. He is a schoolteacher at a wealthy high school who suspects his class of boys are conspiring against him. Blau's preeminent strike and classroom philosophy is strict discipline and order. Even the manner in which he sits down at his desk is highly controlled, on account that Blau fears turning his back to the boys at any point will break his authoritarian hold over them. Blau is the epitome of insecurity, which is intensified by his lower class upbringing and intense jealousy of his beautiful pregnant wife.

The cast of characters are small and while they behave realistically, Ungar clouds their motivations in ambiguity. As I was reading, I didn't know if Blau's suspicions were completely unfounded or clairvoyant of the truth. Indeed, this novel favors psychological suspense over intricate plot points. Most of the writing explores Blau's disturbed mind, paranoias, and delusions. I must say Ungar writes with authentic insight into the troubled mind. The reader experiences in detail all of Blau's obsessive thoughts, exaggerated fears, self-afflicted guilt, and far-fetched justifications for his behavior. As a result, every scene contains a level of tension, whether it's Blau's routine at school, his interactions with family and acquaintances, or his agitated and distant relationship with his wife.

Remarkably and to my disappointment, this novel is not a tragedy and does not push the protagonist over the edge as I would have liked. There is one tragic event that puts Blau on a self-destructive path, but Ungar ultimately delivers an optimistic finale.

Bottom line: Unlike Ungar's earlier novel The Maimed (1923), there is very little violence, perversity, or decadent flavor in "The Class" - it's more like expressionism lite. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating read for those interested in psychological torment, guilt, and brooding madness.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Drifting into madness, February 28, 2008

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An admirer of Saul "Mr Wobble" (uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Class (Dedalus European Classics) (Paperback)

Joseph Blau has an infriroity complex and maintains a rigid regime to keep his world in order. He is convinced his class hate him and want to destroy him and lives in fear believing that every word, every thought has a consequence that is linked to fate.
This isn't a comfortable read and you find it hard to sympathise with Blau at times, but Ungar gets into the mind of a madman and the whole story is seen from that viewpoint.
'The Class' is very much of its age;ie between the wars bohemia in thinking style and philosophy. To me this is what makes it a curio of interest. The first World War effectively ended Regal rule-it was part of the class war that had raged in Europe since the French Revolution,and between it and WW2 (the next great realignment of power war) a lot of avante garde work was produced of which this is one. Blau is haunted by his own station in life and that of his superiors.