Manfred Flügge tells the story of a great German who experienced moments of glory and bitter times, celebrated significant literary successes, and yet fell into obscurity. In the politically charged struggle, he made mistakes and was tragically misused. Yet, at his core, he was a great dreamer, an anachronism: the very last romantic. His life was full of contradictions and appears as touching and grotesque as some of his characters. This knowledgeable guide through the entire body of work ignites a desire for a renewed engagement with the legacy of this great anachronism. "In reality, I have created more than just the hero of The Blue Angel and the anticipated Nazi of The Loyal Subject: something more beautiful, I believe, and closer to the perfection I never achieved." (Heinrich Mann, 1946).