Overview
- The novel went on sale Tuesday and is published by S. Fischer as a roughly 313–314 page volume priced at €26, now appearing in bookstores.
- Structurally the book alternates a private reading set in June 2025 with an embedded coming-of-age novella from summer 1979 at the Tollensesee, using autofictional devices to probe authorship and memory.
- Reviewers highlight the book’s theme of the ‘‘changeability of the world’’ as it ties a young protagonist’s artistic formation to broader questions about historical hope and political possibility.
- The title received immediate recognition, winning the Uwe-Johnson-Preis and earning a place on the Deutscher Buchpreis longlist, signaling strong standing in this season’s literary conversation.
- In a Stern interview Schulze questioned current DDR nostalgia, warned that parts of the AfD electorate pose political risks, and noted many AfD votes express protest motives, which has intensified public debate about the book’s political subtext.