Der Trafikant

Over time, an unusual friendship develops between the two very different men. When Franz soon after falls head over heels in love with the vaudeville dancer Anezka, he turns to the old professor for advice. It quickly becomes clear, however, that the world-renowned psychoanalyst finds the female gender just as much of a mystery as Franz does. Both also feel powerless in the face of the dramatically escalating political and social conditions.

The upheavals of coming of age collide with the political upheavals of the world. Franz wonders: “Have I gone mad? Or has the world gone mad?”

Just as formative for Franz is his encounter with the upright tobacco shop owner Trsnjek, who shows him how important it is to stand up for humanity—even in the face of the increasingly visible ugly face of fascism.

“One has blood on his hands, and the others just stand there and say nothing. That’s how it always is.”

When this powerful novel by Austrian author Robert Seethaler was published in 2012, it became a bestseller, and the reviews were full of superlatives. The book has since reached nearly 40 printings, been translated, and adapted for the big screen.