Berlin Alexanderplatz – Alfred Döblin

"This book reports the story of Franz Biberkopf, a former cement and transport worker in Berlin."

Franz Biberkopf is released from prison and vows to live a decent life. However, he is dragged down by the poverty, crime, and chaos of 1920s Berlin. Using a montage technique that blends inner monologue with news reports, songs, and street sounds, the novel plunges the reader into the teeming life of the metropolis.

Döblin's novel is a modernist masterpiece often compared to 'Ulysses'. It captures the frenetic energy and impending doom of the Weimar Republic. It is a gritty, visceral study of the struggle for survival in the modern city.