The hothouse cover

The hothouse

by Wolfgang Koeppen

"Harrowing, moody, and supremely powerful, The Hothouse, first published in 1953, stands among the finest novels written in postwar Germany. Bitterly controversial at home, largely unknown abroad, Koeppen (1906-1996) brought a volcanic, high-modernist style to German literature, a style that remains unparalleled to this day. It is only since his death that his works have begun to experience a literary renaissance. Here, with the first English publication of The Hothouse, award-winning translator Michael Hofmann has produced a work that not only conveys Koeppen's uniquely radical voice but also is a breathtaking piece of prose in its own right." "The Hothouse refers to the city of Bonn with its warm, damp climate, but it also refers to the political environment of the temporary capital of divided postwar Germany, where politics became more about compromise and half measures than principled change."--BOOK JACKET.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?