Author's Preface and Prologue Summary and Analysis

The book was originally written in French, the author's native language. Its English translation history is complex, with some material being translated from French into German and then from German into English and the remainder of the material being translated from French into English. The book has been published is several formats in English and has been published in at least five languages. Guy Sajer is the penname of Guy Mouminoux (Sajer is the author's mother's maiden name) born January 13, 1927, in Paris. His father was French and his mother was German. Throughout the book, Sajer comments on his difficulties speaking German fluently and he tends to associate with others who speak French. During 1943 Sajer was living in Wissembourg, Alsace, and either volunteered or was drafted into the German army. On July 18, 1942, Sajer arrives at Chemnitz...