Alone Together

Botho Strauß is one of the most wilful, inventive and influential authors of the German-speaking literary world. Invariably defying convention and shunning the mundane, he has evolved into the most pertinent observer of our times. Alone Together runs the gamut of his intellectual development, paying tribute to his remarkable ability to
remain aloof from yet sensitive to the minutiae of the modern world.
In broad tableaux and finely-sketched configurations that perfectly encapsulate humanity and its conflicts, Botho Strauß holds up a mirror to contemporary life that isn’t always flattering. His take on our society and the world at large is characterised by remarkable perspicacity.
Sebastian Kleinschmidt, long-time editor-in-chief of the legendary literary magazine Sinn und Form, has collated an extraordinary and eclectic new anthology. He presents us with an introspective work that comprehensively captures the author’s spirit, his way of thinking and feeling and his view of the world, driving to the very heart of his innermost logic.
It goes without saying that Strauß’ central themes—liberty and history, man and woman, crowds, home and silence—feature large. But it is the emphasis on nature in particular that opens up an entirely new perspective on a significant canon of work which stands alone in contemporary German literature.