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Dreyfus' Säbel
Description:
In "Dreyfus' Säbel" (Dreyfus' Saber), Ronald Pohl allows the titular edged weapon to speak to us--reflecting on the craft of sanctioned killing and its own wrought-iron subservience to its various owners. Yet, above all, the saber prefers to relax within its cozy scabbard, holding forth against the indignity of an existence as mere wall decoration. This battle-hardened implement passes sharp judgment on its metallic kin: from its rational sister, the Guillotine, to the most murderous of all armchair killers--the letter opener. In this sweeping "tour d'horizon", Pohl dissects Western history since the modern era as a succession of hollow rituals and brutal massacres, whether in the subjugation of indigenous peoples or in the aristocratic duel. Amidst this endless chain of wars and upheavals, antisemitism emerges as the constant lubricant for oppression and violence. On the stage of the Paris World's Fair, the French artillery officer Alfred Dreyfus is singled out as a victim; against the weapon of defamation, even the most gleaming sword must pale in comparison. With inspired echoes of the suave conversational style of the "fin de siècle", Ronald Pohl forges a polished, caustic, and clashing text--brimming with metaphorical parries and feints. In the crossing of these blades, the dialectic of a world--degraded into a mere social fencing ground--is starkly reflected.
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MARC records are available
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