Ini: Ein Roman aus dem ein und zwanzigsten Jahrhundert

A reflective preface opens the novel, inviting listeners to contemplate the restless spirit of an age that seems both burdened and hopeful. Set in Berlin in 1810, the narrator muses on how poetry, philosophy and emerging science promise a brighter future, while the present still wrestles with uncertainty. The tone is both lyrical and intellectual, framing the story as a meditation on progress and human longing.

The narrative then follows Guido, a twenty‑year‑old who has spent his youth in a rigorous seaside academy near Palermo, where physical training and arithmetic are treated as arts. He is assigned to the household of Gelino, a retired magistrate whose estate borders the lush gardens of Mount Etna. There, Guido meets the striking young Ini, barely fourteen, whose beauty and quick mind captivate him, and the widowed Athania, a dignified woman carrying a mysterious past. Their intertwined lives hint at conflicts of desire, duty, and the dawning possibilities of a new century.