What happened before

What happened before that is the title of a 2010 novel by Martin Mosebach .

content

In the novel What happened before , the first-person narrator , a young employee, tells his girlfriend what he experienced in Frankfurt before he met her.

At the beginning of the story, the young narrator meets Titus Hopsten in a pub, whose wealthy parents regularly give parties in their villa. Titus invites the young employee to such a festivity and so the young narrator ends up in the orbit of the wealthy couple. At the Hopstens, the narrator not only learns Titus' sister Phoebe, for whom he has great interest, but also old Schmidt-Flex, his stiff son Hans-Jörg and his drunkard wife Silvi Schmidt-Flex as well as the dubious but very charming businessman Joseph Know salam. In the course of the story, the relationships between these people are re-established and broken again through chance and erotic adventures. Salam starts an affair with Rosemarie Hopsten and Bernward Hopsten starts a liaison with 18 years younger Silvi Schmidt-Flex. Phoebe Hopsten, who ignores the narrator for a long time, shows interest towards the end of the story and invites the young man to her home. But in front of the house he meets Helga Stolzier, also a frequently seen guest at the Hopstens, who is just leaving the house with her niece. Instead of meeting Phoebe, the narrator goes out to eat with the two women. The niece becomes his new girlfriend.

characters

First-person narrator

The name of the first-person narrator is not mentioned. The reader only learns that it is a 35-year-old bank employee who has just moved to Frankfurt am Main.

The Hopsten couple

The hops make a perfect couple to the outside world. However, this is a pure advantage marriage. Rosemarie Hopsten considers herself intelligent, particularly beautiful and is convinced that no one can hold a candle to her. Bernward Hopsten is hardly noticed next to his wife, because he is very reserved in contrast to her. The couple shouldn't really have to show off their wealth at their parties, as everyone who has been invited is aware of whom they are invited to and for what purpose these parties serve.

The old Schmidt-Flex

Mr. Schmidt-Flex is exactly the opposite of Mr. Hopsten. He is an ex-politician and likes to talk a lot.

Hans-Jörg Schmidt-Flex

Hans-Jörg Schmidt-Flex is the son of Schmidt-Flex Senior. He runs a small law firm in Frankfurt and feels rather uncomfortable in larger companies, but will regularly attend the parties from his father.

Silvi Schmidt-Flex

She is the wife of Hans-Jörg Schmidt-Flex and is portrayed in the novel as naive and uneducated, and she also has an alcohol problem. She starts an affair with Bernward Hopsten.

Helga Stolzier

She has good taste and acts as a beauty advisor for Rosemarie Hopsten. Rosemarie describes her as an "unhappy person, a genius".

Joseph Salam

The Frankfurt-based businessman Joseph Salam is a charismatic womanizer who starts an affair with Rosemarie Hopsten.

Friend of the first-person narrator

The reader only learns from her that she is Helga Stolzier's niece.

Web links

• Article from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
• Review at Focus.de
• Article in the Hamburger Abendblatt
• Reviews at Perlentaucher.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Martin Mosebach: What happened before . Hanser, Munich 2010, p. 54.