In 1924, society in Berlin is in a state of economic and social turmoil. There is no money, no status, nothing left, only the feeling of needing to achieve something great and beautiful. The circle of friends of the impoverished young man Wendelin, who comes from a good family, consists of people who indulge in an ironically tinted bohemian lifestyle. One day, after a night of partying, Karola, the wife of an older good friend, flees to him and wants to escape with him. Before a decision can be made, they embark on a wild and melancholic journey through the gray yet vibrant Berlin of that time. The afterword to this edition of Hessel's novel is written by the Berlin author Manfred Flügge.