Overview

• Rowohlt releases the German edition, Schattennummer, on 14 October, following the U.S. launch a few days earlier.
• The novel is set in 1932 Milwaukee during the Great Depression as private detective Hicks McTaggart pursues a missing heiress and the trail leads to Europe.
• German critics describe a dense, disorienting Pynchonesque style that challenges readers, contrasting with enthusiastic early U.S. fan turnout at midnight events.
• The German translation by Nikolaus Stingl and Dirk van Gunsteren draws notable praise for its verve and precision.
• Coverage highlights historical undercurrents, including rising antisemitism, as Pynchon maintains his long-standing public reclusiveness.