Original and fresh - Friedo Lampe is regarded as a master of magical realism. This edition makes his first short novel accessible again as a standalone volume after 66 years. Johannes Graf's edition follows the first print but also takes into account the Marbach manuscript. The alterations made by Johannes Pfeiffer, the editor of Lampe's complete works, in 1955 have been reversed, presenting the only authentic version here. Friedo Lampe, who grew up during the Empire, studied during the Weimar Republic and began publishing under the Nazi regime. He was one of the important representatives of the so-called "Young Generation" of authors who avoided any connections to the regime whenever possible while remaining active writers in Germany. His work includes two short novels and a dozen stories.