Villains, Faustian Figures and Shining Lights

To find out how literature provides a different take on the seemingly familiar world around you, look no further than Peter von Matt. In unassuming selections of text, he discovers ideas that help us grasp things that are often difficult to pinpoint. Such as: Where does profligacy come from? How does stupidity function? What’s the deal with family secrets? Major works of literature by writers ranging from Shakespeare and Goethe to Adelbert von Chamisso offers plenty of examples, and The Magic Flute and Struwwelpeter also prove rich subjects for study. In his concise essay form, Peter von Matt unfolds entire worlds – and the temptation to keep reading is hard to resist.

“When a master in his field talks about what he reads, he suddenly breathes life into dusty piles of books – and dry facts surprisingly become art.”
Roman Bucheli, Neue Züricher Zeitung

“Peter von Matt is the Zen master among German scholars.”
Hildegard Keller, SWR 2 Literaturclub