Book description
Hans Fallada was a drug addict, womanizer, alcoholic, jailbird and
thief. Yet he was also one of the most extraordinary storytellers of
the twentieth century, whose novels, including Alone in Berlin,
portrayed ordinary people in terrible times with a powerful humanity.
This acclaimed biography, newly revised and completely updated,
tells the remarkable story of Hans Fallada, whose real name was Rudolf
Ditzen. Jenny Williams chronicles his turbulent life as a writer,
husband and father, shadowed by mental torment and long periods in
psychiatric care. She shows how Ditzen's decision to remain in Nazi
Germany in 1939 led to his self-destruction, but also made him a
unique witness to his country's turmoil.
More Lives Than One unpicks the contradictory, flawed and
fascinating life of a writer who saw the worst of humanity, yet
maintained his belief in the decency of the 'little man'.
Jenny Williams is Senior Lecturer in German at Dublin City
University. She has worked on Fallada's life and writings for many
years. Her biography is based on published and unpublished sources,
including family letters and interviews.
