Another recommendation of a novel that has probably not been translated to English yet. I have read the German book, thrilled and unsure how to categorize. It’s a thriller, but no crime story, and not a Berlin story either, at least not one of those typical ones. Die Kunst des Verschwindens (The Art of Disappearing) by Melanie Raabe. I didn’t translate the quotes below, essentially it’s about the necessity of mysteries and that you can discover “magic” if you want to.

Buchcover: Die Kunst des Verschwindens von Melanie Raabe

It has Nothing to do with Magic

Die Welt braucht Mysterien

“Das Leben ist ein Rätsel. Und das ist auch gut so.” – “Können die heutzutage nicht alles entschlüsseln?” – “Das hier nicht”, sagt Petra und lächelt.

“Das hat mit Magie nichts zu tun. Wenn du dir wünschst, etwas Magisches zu sehen, dann wird dir irgendwas magisch vorkommen.”

Die Wälder and Die Falle, two other stories by the same author, have been fascinating me years ago. Melanie Raabe knows how to lead her readers on the wrong track.

Seemingly normal people and those who seem to be anything but normal, in this case a trending actress whose face can be seen on every other billboard, and a freelance photographer who is so busy that she never yet noticed the fox strolling the streets of her part of the city: watching those two people meet is a kind of magic moment, and there is much more to discover beyond.