The Shoe Tester of Frankfurt(Excerpt)

小说介绍：

thisbriefandpoignantnovelfromgermanyexploresexistentialquestionsasits46-year-oldnarratorreflectsonbrokenrelationshipsandotherfailures,andstrugglestocometotermswithlife.theshoetesteroffrankfurtbywilhelmgenazino,2004recipientofthegeorg-buchner-preis,germanyshighestliteraryhonor,isfinallyavailabletoenglish-speakingreadersinapitch-perfecttranslationbyphilipboehm.employedbyahigh-endshoemanufacturertotestnewproducts,thenarratorspendshisdayswanderingthroughhisnativecity,encounteringfacesfromhispast(primarilyfemale)andexperiencinganewthemanymanifestationsofthemysteryoflife.inthegrandtraditionofliteraryflaneurs,hetakesnoteofhissurroundings,fromthesignificanttothemundane,andassemblesthemintoasortofmentalcollagethatisatonceself-portraitandcityscape.mostremarkableingenazinosworkisthehumorwithwhichheinveststhismelancholiccharacter.thoughattimeshefearsthatheteetersonthebrinkofinsanity,hegood-naturedlypursuesthestrangetwistsoffatethatlandhimvariouslybehindatableatthefleamarket,inanewspaperoffice,bythebanksofafloodedriver,orinafriendsbed.aspetervonmattwroteinderspiegel,indeed,thereishardlyasubtlerhumoristamongtodayswritersthangenazino.