ThisbriefandpoignantnovelfromGermanyexploresexistentialquestionsasits46-year-oldnarratorreflectsonbrokenrelationshipsandotherfailures,andstrugglestocometotermswithlife.TheShoeTesterofFrankfurtbyWilhelmGenazino,2004recipientoftheGeorg-Büchner-Preis,Germanyshighestliteraryhonor,isfinallyavailabletoEnglish-speakingreadersinapitch-perfecttranslationbyPhilipBoehm.Employedbyahigh-endshoemanufacturertotestnewproducts,thenarratorspendshisdayswanderingthroughhisnativecity,encounteringfacesfromhispast(primarilyfemale)andexperiencinganewthemanymanifestationsofthemysteryoflife.Inthegrandtraditionofliteraryflaneurs,hetakesnoteofhissurroundings,fromthesignificanttothemundane,andassemblesthemintoasortofmentalcollagethatisatonceself-portraitandcityscape.MostremarkableinGenazinosworkisthehumorwithwhichheinveststhismelancholiccharacter.Thoughattimeshefearsthatheteetersonthebrinkofinsanity,hegood-naturedlypursuesthestrangetwistsoffatethatlandhimvariouslybehindatableatthefleamarket,inanewspaperoffice,bythebanksofafloodedriver,orinafriendsbed.AsPetervonMattwroteinDerSpiegel,Indeed,thereishardlyasubtlerhumoristamongtodayswritersthanGenazino.

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