369. Threepenny Novel

Threepenny Novel
Bertolt Brecht
1934
Around 400 pages

If you missed the anti-capitalism novels in the early 1900s, we are back with a bang! Personally, I don't want to read another "novel" that heavily borrows from Marx. And Brecht is an odd duck.

Brecht adapted his opera into this novel, which is remarkable, although I think the story suffers from its obvious theatrical structure. Three main characters, Peachum, Macheath, and Coax, show us just how exploitative the system works, and how it crushes the working classes in its path. 

I believe Brecht is referencing specific German companies, which is kind of lost in translation, but the message is universal and timeless. But like most social commentary novels, it lacks emotional depth. None of the characters feel like real people to me. I guess that's not the point.

So if you were looking for the novelization of a communist opera, look no further. Also, if you were, I have some questions.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

During the Nazi Germany period, Brecht fled his home country, first to Scandinavia, then the US.

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