The Great Longing

A tribute to friendship and the 1990s

A small town on Lake Constance in 1996. It is the coldest winter in many years. Three friends from the current year’s high school graduating class are standing on the boat dock, looking out over the lake. Rabe wants to study film and is more focused on drafting movie scripts than on school. Fete is a heartthrob, never misses a party, and has a reputation as a heartbreaker. Even Michi knows exactly what he wants, namely, to settle the score with the math teacher who embarrassed him in front of the class. Meanwhile, the boys' parents are wondering whether they have always chosen the right path in life. Is there a moment when you have to bury your aspirations once and for all, or can it be worthwhile to start anew, even as an adult?

A novel about friendship, the first steps on the road of life, and the great longing

A cheerful yet melancholy look at an era when the movies reigned supreme, and computers played almost no role at all