"Even dying is an art," noted the former George disciple Max Kommerell. Stefan George mastered this art superbly. Where other poets have a history of reception, he has an afterlife. One that is rich in substance. In his brilliantly written book, Ulrich Raulff reveals George's posthumous biography, which is still waiting to be discovered. Exciting, curious, eccentric, and simultaneously meticulously researched, it tells the story of a unique circle filled with illustrious characters that slowly disintegrates, forms alliances, and nurtures enmities, all while struggling for interpretative authority and loyalty. From the annus horribilis of 1933 to the satyr play of 1968, it unfolds an extraordinarily captivating narrative almost incidentally. A profound history of ideas, a broken apostolic tale, and a reading pleasure of exquisite quality.