Wilhelm Raabe's The Hunger Pastor

Read two of his novels in the German Library years ago: Tubby Schaumann ("Cake Stuffer") and Horacker. Recently reread the shortstory "German Moonlight" and another shortstory (first time): Elderflowers (grabbed me, especially because of its setting: Prague's famous Old Jewish Cemetery). 

Anyway, at least in terms of English translations available via Kindle, I've run dry. Now, because I've got the time (retired) and will (unfortunately, not the German -- there I can only crawl), I'm tackling one of Raabe's novels from his "darker period": Hungerpastor, via a free copy in German (Kindle) and my Google Translate App. A bit tedious but perhaps I'll learn a bit and enjoy the novel. Bit by bit.

Excerpts (from the beginning):

Vom Hunger will ich in diesem schönen Buche handeln, von dem, was er bedeutet, was er will und was er vermag.


In this beautiful book I want to deal with hunger, with what it means, what it wants (wills) and what it can do.


&

Wie er für die Welt im ganzen Schiwa und Wischnu, Zerstörer und Erhalter in einer Person ist, kann ich freilich nicht auseinandersetzen, denn das ist die Sache der Geschichte; aber schildern kann ich, wie er im einzelnen zerstörend und erhaltend wirkt und wirken wird bis an der Welt Ende.

How he is Shiva and Vishnu, destroyer and preserver in one person for the world as a whole, I cannot of course explain, for that is the business of the story; but I can describe how in detail it has a destructive and preserving effect and will continue to do so until the end of the world.

&

Dem Hunger, der heiligen Macht des echten, wahren Hungers widme ich diese Blätter, und sie gehören ihm auch von Rechts wegen, was am Schluß hoffentlich vollkommen klargeworden sein wird.

I dedicate these pages to hunger, the holy power of real, true hunger, and they also belong to him by rights, which I hope will have become perfectly clear at the end.



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