
The story follows a well‑to‑do Berlin financier, a man whose reputation rests more on his financial clout than on any social charm. He moves through the city’s high‑society with a ready supply of sharp proverbs and wry observations, treating personal relationships the same way he treats business—pragmatically and with a hint of disdain. His self‑image is that of a man perched just above the ordinary, confident enough to reject any need for self‑improvement.
Behind his polished exterior lies a tangled domestic life: a marriage that provides both comfort and friction, and a circle of acquaintances who constantly test his patience for pretension. As he navigates family expectations, lingering rumors, and his own stubborn humor, the narrative paints a vivid portrait of Berlin at the turn of the century—where wealth, wit, and the ever‑present possibility of betrayal coexist in equal measure. The first act sets the stage for a subtle, character‑driven comedy of manners that invites listeners to watch his world wobble under the weight of its own contradictions.
Language
de
Duration
~4 hours (280K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2016-08-28
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1819–1898
Known for bringing 19th-century Prussia vividly to life, this German novelist and poet wrote with a calm, observant style that still feels fresh. He came to fiction late and produced some of his best-loved novels in the final decades of his life.
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