''What Was Before'' () is a 2010 novel by the German writer

Martin Mosebach Martin Mosebach (born 31 July 1951, in Frankfurt am Main) is a German writer. Biography He has published novels, stories, and collections of poems, written scripts for several films, opera libretti, theatre and radio plays. His first major non- ...

. Through a series of vignettes, it tells the story of a man from the affluent suburbs of

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, who is asked by his girlfriend what his life was like before they met. An English translation by Kári Driscoll was published in 2014.

Reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' wrote: "Mosebach's charming, exuberant narrator is not be trusted, and the novel calls into question our notions of memory. Mosebach's writing is florid, tinged with a biting wit. ... Irreverent, playful, and intricate, Mosebach's book is a deconstruction of how we choose to tell stories."

References

External links

''What Was Before''
at the German publisher's website {{in lang, de
''What Was Before''
at the British publisher's website 2010 German novels Novels set in Frankfurt German-language novels Books by Martin Mosebach Carl Hanser Verlag books