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📊 Readers are divided — ratings range from 3.5 GR to 4.2 AMZ
A washed-up romance novelist finds himself trapped on a train from Vienna to Munich with Catrin, a sharp-witted therapist who's skeptical about long-term love and absolutely won't let him off the hook about it. What starts as an awkward conversation between strangers becomes an unexpectedly intimate exploration of what it really means to love someone, as Eduard is forced to confront his own marriage and question everything he thought he knew about the relationships he's spent his career writing about. This is a book that proves the best love stories aren't always about grand gestures—they're about the messy, honest conversations we have with strangers who somehow see us more clearly than anyone else. If you loved Gut gegen Nordwind, you'll recognize Glattauer's gift for turning philosophical banter into something genuinely moving and romantic.
Reading soundtrack
Intimate conversations at 100 km/h. Soft indie folk, fingerpicked guitars, and hushed vocals—artists like Iron & Wine and Bon Iver. Mix in gentle piano and introspective singer-songwriter moments. The feeling of being locked in a moving compartment with someone who sees through you, conversations that shift everything slowly.
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