In this trio of stories, Schädlich creates a thematic connection between three historical lives.
In “Tusitala”, Dr. Clark, a Scottish doctor, sails to Samoa to visit his countryman, the poet Robert Louis Stevenson. He embarks upon the same ship that Admiral Roggeveen used a hundred years earlier when he discovered the island of Samoa in 1722. Events from the 18th and 19th century start to curiously overlap…
“Torniamo a Roma” follows the acclaimed archaeologist Winckelmann on his final journey through Italy while “Concert Spirituel” looks at four moments in the life of composer Antonio Rosetti.
Without any sentimentality, these stories capture the end of three famous lives. Schädlich’s style is more concise than ever, his simple, clear language a joy to read. There’s no doubt Schädlich is one of the most important contemporary German writers.
