The best satirical novel about Nazi Germany. Arthur Koestler. Frankfurt, 1936: Crowds are gathering in the opera square, waiting for Hitler's visit. In the midst of it all, yet apart, 19-year-old Susanne watches the events unfold. Filled with longing and restlessness, she waits for a sign of life from her fiancé Franz. Together, they had planned to open a cigarette shop. But suddenly, Franz appears out of nowhere. He has been betrayed to the Gestapo, killed the informant – the owner of a cigarette shop – and now must flee. Just before midnight, Susanne must make a decision: Should she leave her homeland to go with Franz? In "After Midnight," Irmgard Keun portrays everyday life in Nazi Germany through the eyes of her narrator over the course of 48 hours. With keen observational skills and sharp humor, she describes the experiences, conversations, and contradictions of various people during this time. "After Midnight" is one of the most important novels of German exile literature.