The Last Days of Humanity -Karl Kraus (sometimes 'The Last days of Mankind' )

[Amanda]

Actually read this way back in December 2023 but just making a thread now.

This is a unique book on the list, because it is one of the only ones that is written as a play (even though I think it functionally would require to be adjusted to actually function as one given the huge quickly switching back and forth cast and settings).

Being written in play format seems to be more of a narrative device than an actual intent for theatre productions in this case. It shows how all levels of society across Europe were actors in the theatre of creating the near apocalypse of WWI. The story is a satirical examination of all of the vast factors and petty things that led to the development of the war. Quickly jumping between news readings, cafes full of aristocrats, artillery soldiers in waiting, and low and high level politicians across Europe, it lampoons the meaninglessness of imperial alliances, the head in sand naivety of the aristocracy and and comfortable middle classes, and the ridiculousness of both the propaganda of the era and that it was believed by many.

It cumulates in a busy mess of conflicting slices of life that gets really experimental and away from tangible reality at the end. It perfectly captures the essence of the era. I gave it 4 stars.