Günter Grass books in order

Q: "How many books has Günter Grass written?"

"Günter Grass has written 39 books across six series."

Q: "What was Günter Grass's first book?"

"Günter Grass's first book is The Tin Drum, published in 1959."

Q: "What is Günter Grass best known for?"

"Günter Grass is best known for \"The Tin Drum\" (1959), the first novel in his Danzig Trilogy. The book follows Oskar Matzerath, who decides to stop growing at age three in protest against the adult world. It won widespread acclaim and helped earn Grass the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999."

Anthologies

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology	1995	Buy
Writers: Their Lives and Works	2018	Buy

Collections

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
Selected Poems 1956-1993	1966	Buy
Novemberland: Selected Poems 1956-1993	1966	Buy
Four Plays	1967	Buy
New Poems	1967	Buy
Inmarypraise	1973	Buy
Love Tested	1974	Buy
In the Egg	1977	Buy
Drawings And Words 1954-1977	1982	Buy
Etchings And Words 1972-1982	1984	Buy
The Günter Grass Reader	2004	Buy

Die Danziger Reading Order

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
The Tin Drum	1959	Buy
طبل حلبی	1959	N/A
Cat and Mouse	1961	Buy
Gatto e topo	1961	N/A
Dog Years	1963	Buy

Non-Fiction

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
Speak Out!	1968	Buy
From the Diary of a Snail	1972	Buy
Headbirths	1980	Buy
Danzig 1939: Treasures of a Destroyed Community	1980	Buy
On Writing and Politics	1985	Buy
Show Your Tongue	1988	Buy
Two States—One Nation?	1990	Buy
Peeling the Onion	2006	Buy
The Box	2008	Buy
From Germany to Germany	2009	Buy
Of All That Ends	2015	Buy

Plays

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
The Plebians Rehearse The Uprising	1966	Buy
Max	1972	Buy
Davor	1973	Buy

Standalone Novels

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
Local Anaesthetic	1969	Buy
The Flounder	1977	Buy
The Meeting at Telgte	1979	Buy
The Rat	1986	Buy
The Call of the Toad	1992	Buy
Too Far Afield	1995	Buy
My Century	1999	Buy
Crabwalk	2002	Buy

Günter Grass (1927-2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, and sculptor. Born in the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), he drew heavily on his childhood experiences during World War II throughout his writing career. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999.

Grass published across many forms over six decades. His novels mixed realism with absurdist and fantastical elements, while his poetry and plays addressed German guilt, memory, and political responsibility. His 2006 memoir “Peeling the Onion” revealed his teenage service in the Waffen-SS, sparking significant controversy.

Below you will find all of Günter Grass’s books in order, grouped by series and type.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Günter Grass written?

Günter Grass has written 39 books across six series.

What was Günter Grass's first book?

Günter Grass’s first book is The Tin Drum, published in 1959.

What is Günter Grass best known for?

Günter Grass is best known for “The Tin Drum” (1959), the first novel in his Danzig Trilogy. The book follows Oskar Matzerath, who decides to stop growing at age three in protest against the adult world. It won widespread acclaim and helped earn Grass the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999.

Anthologies#

Collections#

Die Danziger Reading Order#

Non-Fiction#

Plays#

Standalone Novels#