With his awardwinning story collection 33 Moments of Happiness Ingo Shulzeestablished himself as a vital new voice of German fiction. With his firstnovel he enh... » 

With his awardwinning story collection 33 Moments of Happiness Ingo Shulzeestablished himself as a vital new voice of German fiction. With his firstnovel he enhances his status as a writer of singular ability.Simple Storiesis a wry and poignant narrative set in the East German town of Altenburg afterthe fall of the Berlin Wall. Jumping among an array of confused characterscaught in the crossroads of their countrys history Schulze masterfullyintercuts various enigmatic vignettes gradually linking them into anexhilarating whole of tidal emotional force. With his piercing eye for detailand magical ear for dialogue Schulze reveals the tragicomedy of ordinarypeople caught up in the last great historical upheaval of the century. «