Read and discuss works by contemporary German authors in this series hosted by the Goethe-Institut. All books can be read in recent English translation or in the German original; our discussion will be in English. Led by local German professor
Amanda Sheffer (The Catholic University of America), this book club focuses on contemporary fiction and will explore experiences and thoughts about the text.
The End of Loneliness (Vom Ende der Einsamkeit, published originally in 2016, translated to English in 2018) by Benedict Wells
Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature 2016
When their idyllic childhood is shattered by the sudden death of their parents, siblings Marty, Liz and Jules are sent to a bleak public boarding school. Once there, the orphans' lives change tracks: Marty throws himself into academic life; Liz is drawn to dark forms of escapism; and Jules transforms from a vivacious child to a withdrawn teenager.
The only one who can bring Jules out of his shell is his mysterious classmate Alva, who hides a dark past of her own, but despite their obvious love for one another, the two leave school to head down separate paths.
Years later, just as it seems that they can make amends for time wasted, the past catches up with them, and fate - or chance - will once again alter the course of a life.
Told through the fractured lives of the siblings, The End of Loneliness is a heartfelt, enriching novel about loss and loneliness, family and love.
Benedict Wells was born in 1984 in Munich. At the age of six, he began at his first of three Bavarian boarding schools. Upon graduating school in 2003, he moved to Berlin, where he decided against an academic education, instead dedicating his time to writing. In 2016, he won the European Prize for Literature for his third novel, The End of Loneliness, which has been in the German bestseller list for over a year. After years of living in Barcelona, Wells has recently returned to Berlin.
The book can also be obtained online via most major book vendors, or checked out through the DC Public Library system.
In cooperation with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at The Catholic University of America.
RSVP
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