German literature

Billiards at Half-Past Nine

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Chapter 1: The Faehmel Family Reunion The novel opens on September 6, 1958, as Robert Faehmel, a reserved architect, […]

German literature

Group Portrait with Lady

“People are always saying that life isn’t a novel—but then, what is it?” Chapter 1: Introduction to the Protagonist The novel begins with an unnamed narrator researching the […]

German literature

The Clown

“I am a clown, and I collect moments.” Chapter 1: The Fall Hans Schnier, a disillusioned clown, lies injured in his Bonn apartment after a drunken fall. As […]

German literature

The Safety Net

“Everything was so fragile, so easily shattered—like the safety net they thought they had built.” Chapter 1: The Setting The novel opens in a small West German town […]