Schattenfroh

An intricate, metaphysical, ambitious "psychogeography of the self" that both disrupts and elevates the 21st century vision of the novel.

Our narrator is held in complete darkness and isolation. His endless thoughts are turned into the book we are reading--Schattenfroh--directed by none other than the narrator's mysterious jailer by the same name. Undulating through explorations of Renaissance art, the German reformation, time-defying esoterica, the printing process in the 16th century, Kabbalistic mysticism, and beyond, Schattenfroh is a remarkable book that, in turn, asks the remarkable of its readers.

Interruptions, breaks, and annotations both buoy and deceive, and endless historical references, literary allusions, and wordplay construct a baroque, encyclopedic quest. Schattenfroh's publication in English marks a seminal moment in the history of the literary form.

Author: Michael Lentz
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing
Published: 09/09/2025
Pages: 1001
Weight: 2.29lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.98w x 2.76d
ISBN: 9781646053827


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/16/2025
Foreword 06/22/2025

About the Author

Michael Lentz is an award-winning German author, musician, and performer of experimental texts and sound poetry. Schattenfroh is his first book to be translated into English. He currently lives in Berlin.

Max Lawton is a translator, novelist, and musician. He has translated many books by Vladimir Sorokin, including Blue Lard (NYRB Classics), Their Four Hearts, and Dispatches from the District Committee (both from Dalkey Archive Press).