The novellas and novels of realism are among the most popular classics of German literature. We are still moved by the infidelity of Effi Briest, and in The Rider on the White Horse, we see a precursor to our risk society. However, what often goes unnoticed is the ambivalence of this era, which is strikingly skeptical regarding access to reality. This reader, which gathers the most important and beautiful texts, sees this skepticism as the relevance of the realistic period. Featuring texts by Adalbert Stifter, Gottfried Keller, Theodor Fontane, and others.