Five Minutes Before the World Was Made - by Wolf Christian Schroeder (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A humble historian inherits a billionaire's fortune, plunging him into a gripping journey of mystery, ambition, and self-discovery as he confronts the true cost of rewriting his own story.

Meet Georg Grissmann: a local historian whose aspirations take a dramatic turn when his mentor and institute director, Professor Krautmann, mysteriously disappears. Shortly thereafter, Georg's world is upended one fateful night when a private detective reveals that the billionaire William Grissmann is on his deathbed in America. With no direct heirs, William has declared that the first Grissmann to arrive at his side will inherit his vast fortune. Unexpectedly, fate favors Georg, as he becomes the first to reach his dying relative.

As he grapples with his newfound wealth, Georg's encounter with Krautmann rekindles an ambition to reverse time and rewrite his own narrative. This twist sets off a whirlwind of introspection as Georg navigates the complexities of his inheritance and the emotional weight it carries.

A beautifully crafted exploration tailored for readers who appreciate deep, reflective storytelling, Five Minutes Before the World Was Made captures the essence of longing for home and the ups and downs of unexpected fortune.

Review Quotes

"Despite - or perhaps because of - its inconsistencies, this anachronistic book is extremely enjoyable and even thrilling to read. It consists solely of arabesques with which the first-person narrator enchants, entwines, and draws the readers down to the level of his indecisiveness, which underlies the text as a poetic aura."

- Hans Christoph Buch, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung