In his latest work, Christoph Hein, the great chronicler of the present, fastidious recorder of the internal contradictions of the GDR and diagnostician of the flaws in the development of the unified Germany, turns his attention to the myths, gods, and tales of the deeds and misdeeds of antiquity. In his investigations he makes an exciting discovery: a few minor corrections to the traditionally immutable stories of the actions and defeats of the...
A new take on antiquity
In his latest work, Christoph Hein, the great chronicler of the present, fastidious recorder of the internal contradictions of the GDR and diagnostician of the flaws in the development of the unified Germany, turns his attention to the myths, gods, and tales of the deeds and misdeeds of antiquity. In his investigations he makes an exciting discovery: a few minor corrections to the traditionally immutable stories of the actions and defeats of the gods and titans are enough to completely invert their achievements; they show that everything could just as well have been completely different, that the victors can become the vanquished, good intentions turn into their opposite, and completely new meanings come to the fore.
These new stories by Christoph Hein take aim for the heart of the present.
»And so thanks to its beleaguered and completely believable protagonist, Christoph Hein’s novel turns out to be a work of art written in a graceful and yet realistic prose and with a perceptive view of the problems of the present.« Irene Binal, ORF
»Christoph Hein is a sober storyteller with a sense for comedy.« Christoph Schröder, Frankfurter Rundschau
»After reading this book, one begins to see how global and local politics may be regarded as the continuation of classical myth. The book won’t change the world, but it will change the way you look at it.« Janina Fleischer, Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
»This book demonstrates once again the incredible power of these ancient tales. The fact that they still, two and a half millennia after their creation, provide food for thought, is what makes them the primordial elements of our understanding of the world. Authors like Christoph Hein are continually able to raise up that which was sunken in them and make it sparkle and dazzle once more.« Herbert Heinzelmann, Nürnberger Zeitung
»That’s the great thing about Christoph Hein’s stories: he fills in the blanks in these ancient texts. Many things that appear obscure suddenly become plausible, whilst other things are called into question.« Karin Grossmann, Sächsische Zeitung
»Christoph Hein’s Ahead of Time is a very canny, stylistically beautiful book, an excellent example of the creative rewriting of ancient myth.« Christian Schachreiter, Oberösterreichsiche Nachrichten
»Hein is sanguine, which makes him the perfect Charon. Let us trust him, this abductor.« Kathrin Krautheim, Hermann, Das Magazin aus Cottbus 8/2013
»They’re fun, these modern interpretations of ancient humanity!« Christel Berger, Ossietzky
»Christoph Hein is a sober storyteller with a sense for comedy.« Christoph Schröder, Frankfurter Rundschau
»After reading this book, one begins to see how global and local politics may be regarded as the...
Persons
Christoph Hein
Christoph Hein, born in 1944, lives in Berlin. He is the author of novels, novellas, short stories, plays, essays and children’s books. His most recent novels were on the Spiegel bestseller list for weeks. His most recent awards include the 2019 Prix du Meilleur livre étranger (for Glückskind mit Vater), the 2019 Samuel Bogumił Linde Prize and the 2017 Grimmelshausen Prize.
Christoph Hein, born in 1944, lives in Berlin. He is the author of novels, novellas, short stories, plays, essays and children’s books. His...
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Ship of Fools
A state is founded, like all states, for eternity, but disappears after forty years, almost without a trace. Are the people who once lived there condemned to oblivion, their dreams just a brief...
France (Métailié), Netherlands (Cossee)
Domestic rights sales: German Audiobook (DAV), German Book Club (Büchergilde Gutenberg)
The Wild Horse Under the Stove
The cast of characters who sleep under the sofa in Jakob Borg’s room sure are a motley crew: there is Snout the donkey, who feels called to be a professor and loves nothing more than a good meal....
Serbia (Čigoja štampa), Iran (Rahsaa Publications)
Underneath the Dust of Time
The late 1950s in the divided Germany: as the son of a pastor, 14-year-old Daniel is barred from taking the Abitur, the secondary school leaving examination, in his East German hometown and so he...
Domestic Rights Sales: German Audiobook (DAV)
Guldenberg
In the small town of Bad Guldenberg the world is still alright. At least until a group of underage immigrants is given accommodation in the Old Seglerheim. The people of Guldenberg agree: The...
Domestic Rights Sales: German Audiobook (DAV)
Counter Eavesdropping
He is considered the chronicler of German-German relationships, the precise dissector of a formerly divided nation which still hasn’t found its way back together completely, and as...
Domestic Rights Sales: German Audiobook (GehörGäng)
Befuddlement
Friedeward loves Wolfgang. And Wolfgang loves Friedeward. They are young, enjoying the summer vacation, cycle the long way to the sea, discuss all the subjects under the sun. They are happy when...
France (Métailié)
Domestic Rights Sales: German Audiobook (DAV)
Trutz
A brilliant chronicle of the lives of two families in 20th century Germany and Russia. The futile hope for an existence beyond misery and slavery. Encompassing an entire century, reflecting an entire century.
Trutz is a 20th century novel, the one written by novelist Rainer Trutz and the one written by Waldemar Gejm, a professor for mathematics and...
Portrait of a Son With Father
What does Konstantin Boggosch, whom his mother described as »child of fortune«, owe to his father? In Christoph Hein’s new novel, which mobilises all the registers of his storytelling prowess and...
Arabic world rights (Sefsafa), France (Métailié), Denmark (Gyldendal), Bulgaria (Atlantis), Estonia (Eesti Raamat)
Domestic Rights Sales: German Audiobook (DAV), German Entire Radio Reading (MDR)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Italy (e/o)
Weiskern's Legacy
Rüdiger Stolzenburg, 59 years old, has been working as a part-time adjunct at a cultural studies institute for the past fifteen years. His career...
France (Métailié)
Film rights (SBS Production)
Ms. Paula Trousseau
English world rights (Metropolitan), French world rights (Métailié), Italy (e/o), Hungary (Europa)
In his early childhood, a garden
English world rights (Metropolitan), France (Métailié), Italy (e/o), Denmark (Gyldendal)
Mama Has Gone
Ten-year-old Ulla lives with her brothers Karel and Paul, the dog Strolch and her parents. The father is a sculptor, the mother a director and Ulla’s best friend, beautiful and always laughing....
Chinese simplex rights (21st Century Publishing House), Iran (Rahsaa Publications)
Settlement
English world rights (Metropolitan), Arabic world rights (Kanaan), France (Métailié), Italian Audiobook (Tracce.Studio), Denmark (Gyldendal), Slovakia (Kalligram), Hungary (Europa), Bulgaria (Emas), Georgia (Ibis), Israel (Hakkibutz Hamecheud)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Italy (e/o)
Domestic Rights Sales: German Book Club (Bertelsmann), German Book Club Special Edition (Büchergilde Gutenberg)
Willenbrock
English world rights (Metropolitan), Spanish world rights (Anagrama), France (Métailié), Italy (e/o), Denmark (Gyldendal), Norway (Gyldendal Norsk), Czech Republic (Volvox Globator), Bulgaria (Emas), Greece (Kastaniotis), Ukraine (Junivers)
Von allem Anfang an
French world rights (Métailié), Italy (e/o), Norway (Gyldendal Norsk), Korea (Thinking Tree)
The Tango Player
Leipzig 1968: Historian Dallow is released from prison after twenty-one months. His crime: He filled in as a piano player at a student cabaret and the text that he was asked to accompany with a...
Serbia (Radni Sto)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: English world rights (FSG), Catalan rights (Climent), Russia (Raduga), France (Alinea), Italy (e/o), Denmark (Gyldendal), Sweden (Norstedt), Norway (Gyldendal Norsk), Finland (Otava), Hungary (Europa)
Horn's End
Thomas was almost a child still at the time, but he remembers the events in sleepy bad Guldenberg in the summer of 1957 very well: how he started working for the gypsies and was punished for it by...
France (Métailié), Korea (CommunicationBooks)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Russia (Raduga), Italy (e/o), Netherlands (Van Gennep), Denmark (Gyldendal), Sweden (Norstedt), Norway (Gyldendal Norsk), Finland (Otava), Japan (Dogakusha), Poland (PIW), Czech Republic (Odeon), Slovakia (Slovenský spisovatel), Hungary (Europa), Bulgaria (Emas), Romania / Republic of Moldova (Univers), Estonia (Eesti Raamat), Israel (Sifriat Poalim)
The Distant Lover. Dragon's Blood
»I have become invulnerable. I have bathed in dragon’s blood, and no linden leaf anywhere left me unprotected. I can never get out of this skin.« This is the conclusion of the...
Chinese simplex rights (Horizon), Italy (e/o), Serbia (Radni Sto), Korea (Marco Polo Press)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: English world rights (Pantheon Books), Spanish world rights (Saymon), Catalan rights (Empuries), Russia (Raduga), France (Métailié), Netherlands (Van Gennep), Denmark (Gyldendal), Sweden (Norstedt), Norway (Gyldendal), Finland (Otava), Japan (Dogakusha), Vietnam (Lao Dong), Czech Republic (Odeon), Hungary (Magvetö), Bulgaria (Emas), Romania (Univers), Estonia (Eesti Raamat), Greece (Periplus), Macedonia (Goten), Georgia (Ibis), Armenia (HGM "Areviq" Himnadram)