On the occasion of his 200th birthday, Regina Dieterle dedicates a comprehensive biography to Theodor Fontane. Vivid and illustrative, and based on recent research, she paints a contemporary picture of the seemingly familiar author, who is among the great European novelists of the 19th century. Alongside the novelist, the travel writer and journalist also emerge. By examining them in relation to each other, the close connections between his literary and journalistic work become clear. This not only sheds new light on Fontane's working methods but also changes our reading of his novels. Regina Dieterle's biography opens our eyes to an astonishing body of work.