Arno Schmidt, considered by many to be the "German James Joyce," was born in 1914 and died in 1979. This book is printed in the form of the writer's corrected typewritten manuscript. This is one of Schmidt's "superbooks," a large format novel with unusual page layouts, illustrations, and puns a'plenty. Nowhere near as difficult as Zettel's Traum or Evening Edged in Gold, it's a rollicking tale of culture-clash set in the near future (with an extended flashback to 1969), and features a typical Schmidt protagonist (a walking encyclopedia of an old codger), two delightful 17-year-old girls, a visiting American Secretary of State nicknamed Isis, and many more. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.