The 27th century; techno-hubris and disaster. Döblin’s third great epic is a notable departure after his two previous epic ventures into history.

We discuss the intense pressure that almost led the writer to a nervous breakdown; the complex structure of the novel; and the absolutely not-to-be-missed Iceland-Greenland venture.

Visit www.beyond-alexanderplatz.com for lots more Döblin related material. You can even leave questions for us to answer.

The ‘damburst of creative energy’ that led to Döblin’s first great epic novel The Three Leaps of Wang Lun coincided with big changes in his life: newly married, setting up his own medical practice, engaged in vigorous debates with other Modernist writers.

In this episode we track Döblin’s life during wartime; his next creative project: the huge epic Wallenstein, set during Europe’s 17th century Great War; and his reaction to the chaos of defeat and revolution.

www.beyond-alexanderplatz.com for further translated works and transcripts. Here you can also message Chris with your Döblin related questions.

18th century China untouched by the West could hardly be more remote from pre-WW1 Berlin. Yet critics were astonished by Döblin’s convincing depiction of an alien culture despite never having set foot in China.

This episode endeavours to answer the following questions:

How did Döblin select this theme? How did he research for it? What was the response from critics and the public?

For more information and further reading visit www.beyond-alexanderplatz.com

In this first of several biographical episodes, we discuss Döblin’s childhood in provincial Stettin, the family disaster when he was 10 years old, his introduction to Big City Berlin, and his fraught relationship with the Prussian school system.

For further information and transcripts see www.beyond-alexanderplatz.com

Nine epic novels stand out for their scope and ambition amid Döblin’s enormous output of novels, short stories, plays, reviews, and essays on politics and literature.

Each epic presents a vivid, three-dimensional world in powerful language that penetrates below the surface to deeper realities. The varied settings (18th century China; Europe in the Thirty Years War; techno-hubris in the 27th century; …) all present responses to a persistent concern: the place of individuals in societies and in the world.

For more information including transcripts visit www.beyond-alexanderplatz.com

Never heard of Alfred Döblin? You’re in good company – he’s the least known of the great German writers of the 20th century.

Döblin’s reputation has grown steadily in the past few decades. English translations of his great epic novels are at last starting to appear. So this is a good time to introduce Adventurous Readers to the man, the writer, and his tumultuous times.

In this episode we give an overview of who he was and why he matters in the 21st Century.

www.beyond-alexanderplatz.com