Morenga
Uwe Timm
New Directions
<p>A gripping historical novel about colonial power and tribal rebellion, set in German-occupied Southwest Africa.</p><p>Uwe Timm (<em>Headhunter, The Invention of Curried Sausage</em>) has been described in The New Yorker as "an extraordinary storyteller." In this early novel, he focuses his narrative talents on the historical conflict between German colonists and African tribes under the leadership of the legendary Morenga in the first decade of the 20th century. A daring and brilliant military tactician, Morenga was fluent in several languages and by all reports a man of compassion, intelligence, and integrity, as he led his people towards freedom. </p><p>Recounted through the eyes of Gottschalk, an engaging fictional military veterinarian, the narrative blends quotations from historical sources with actual accounts of everyday life and military excursions. The parallels between past events and later German history, with its notions of the <em>Untermensch</em> (subhuman beings) and racial inferiority, are subtly brought to mind, while significant philosophical, political, and human issues are at play. Morenga is an intriguing novel of scope and significance, and it has been well served by Breon Mitchell's prize-winning translation.</p>From Publishers Weekly<p>This historical novel by Timm (Headhunter), first published in Germany in 1978, is an oddly fragmented montage that offers a compelling view of the title figure, a charismatic black South-West African who led the Hottentot and Herero uprising against the Germans after the Boer War. The initial protagonist is a fictional German military veterinarian named Gottschalk, who arrives in German-occupied South-West Africa in October 1904. The early chapters concern the mysterious fate of a colleague who disappears from Gottschalk's unit. From there, Timm turns to the uprising itself, his depiction of Morenga's role broken up by snapshots of secondary characters. Especially memorable are a demented trader named Klugge and a gadget-obsessed engineer named Treptow. Their adventures eventually reach a narrative dead end, though there are moments of suspense and subtle humor ("It would be years... before [Klugge] would earn the necessary capital for his more grandiose plans. This was due in part to the poverty of the population, but also to a certain characteristic tightfistedness and a corresponding cleverness in which Klugge felt he recognized something Jewish, which was not so surprising, since after all the Hottentots were Semitic in origin, as a Swedish professor... had explained to him"). The prismatic view of many ethnic, factional and moral conflicts illustrate how even supposed allies were divided from one another in this land. Though the parts never quite coalesce, the well-developed historical material and Timm's gifts as a portraitist make this an intriguing and sometimes fascinating read. <br>Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>Review<p>A chilling portrayal of the loss of humanity, the blatant disregard for human life, and the misuse of power. -- <em>Gregory H. Wolf, </em>Southern Humanities Review<em><br></em></p><p><em>A wonderfully constructed work of art....One which moves from dry history to glorious myth. -- <em>The Hollins Critic<em>, Irving Malin, 1 April 2005</em><br></em></em></p><p><em><em>An important early work in the career of one of the best living German writers. -- Kirkus Reviews<br></em></em></p><p><em><em>The novel has a pronounced contemporary resonance. -- <em>World Literature Today<em>, Theodore Ziolkowski</em></em></em></em></p><br><br><br><br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br>