Volker Braun's formative years were spent in the German Democratic Republic (GDR); thus he takes for granted many of the postwar German economic, social, and political gains which appeared so laudable to an older generation, and instead of extolling the achievements of socialism he focuses on its problems. This concentration had made him one of the most exciting and controversial writers in German letters, as the many editions of his works in East and West Germany attest. Their history of publication also reflects the complicated relationship Braun has with the authorities of the GDR. Some of his works have been denied permission to be published in the GDR, appearing instead in West Germany; other have not only been published promptly in East Germany but even received prizes there, such as the Heinrich Heine Prize in 1971 and the Heinrich Mann Prize in 1980. As one of the first signatories to...