LESUNG: Kristof Magnusson - "Die Reise ans Ende der Geschichte"

In the organizer's words:

Come along to the reading of "The Journey to the Other End of History" by Kristof Magnusson on 04.05.2026 at your Hugendubel in Schwerin!

In his new spy novel, the Spiegel bestselling author tells of a time when everything seemed possible and yet many things went tragically and comically wrong: a double agent wants to do one last big thing in Kazakhstan, a poet hopes for the adventure of his life and an Italian teacher tries to prevent the worst from happening. The reading takes place in cooperation with the Schwerin Film Festival with the theme "Iceland".

Information about the book:
In the early 90s, the world is a promise and Jakob Dreiser is right in the middle of it: The young poet is celebrated in Rome for his work, the Cold War is finally history and the Russian embassy is hosting a garden party with Crimean sparkling wine and pierogi. The world is striving for peace and happiness - and this time it seems to mean it. Dieter Germeshausen, on the other hand, can hardly believe his bad luck. For years he was a secret service agent and double agent, and now he urgently needs to go into hiding. Now, of all times, when he is in love for the first time. Germeshausen needs a plan, that much is certain. And he needs Jakob Dreiser. Because there is no better cover for his big coup than an internationally acclaimed poet. A wonderfully turbulent story about longing, deception and failure at the moment of supposed freedom. Kristof Magnusson transforms a time of historical upheaval into an incomparable adventure novel.

About the author:
Kristof Magnusson, born in Hamburg in 1976, writes novels, plays, translates from Icelandic and is committed to literature in simple language. His play "Männerhort" was filmed for the cinema with Elyas M' Barek and Christoph Maria Herbst, and in 2023 he was awarded the Rome Prize of the Villa Massimo. Kristof Magnusson is a SPIEGEL bestselling author, most recently his acclaimed novel "A Man of Art" was published. Kristof Magnusson lives in Berlin.

Press reviews:
"Kristof Magnusson uses the patterns of espionage literature to tell a 90s adventure novel that is actually a picaresque, and does so with such great enjoyment of the joy of storytelling and the art of lightness that it acts as an antidote to the gloom of our times. "Ulrich Noller, WDR, February 21, 2026 Ulrich Noller, WDR

"Kristof Magnusson's novel The Journey to the End of History is a light-hearted secret agent comedy set shortly after the end of the Soviet Union. [Magnusson's novel takes an unequivocal stance on historical politics without being preachy; it is initially a great pleasure. By the time the journey to Russia begins at the latest, the story reads as excitingly as a real John le Carré, only in a bizarrely condensed form. " Florian Kaindl, Süddeutsche Zeitung, February 16, 2026 Florian Kaindl, Süddeutsche Zeitung

"a brilliantly entertaining novel" Denis Scheck, NDR, February 15, 2026 Denis Scheck, NDR

"With this fast-paced novel between genre boundaries, Kristof Magnusson proves himself to be a shrewd storyteller who sees the signs of our times flashing more than three decades earlier. And perhaps poets should be allowed to have a little more say in politics. "Cornelia Geißler, Berliner Zeitung am Wochenende, February 14/15, 2026 Cornelia Geißler, Berliner Zeitung am Wochenende

"[W]e really do enjoy literature [ ] The bet is on: this novel will be talked about a lot this spring. " Denis Scheck, WDR 3, February 09, 2026 Denis Scheck, WDR 3

"There is nothing to criticize about this novel [ ], on the contrary: you always want to praise it, because you read it with the greatest pleasure. " Knut Cordsen, Bayern 2, February 09, 2026 Knut Cordsen, Bayern 2

"It's a pleasure to follow him on this journey to the end of history - a brisk pleasure with subtle nuances. " Martin Oehlen, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, February 20, 2026 Martin Oehlen, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger

"You think there are no funny German novels? Read this one. Everything sounds like fiction, everything is brilliantly invented. [ ] Will he fall victim to an assassination attempt with a glass of Negroni? The answer can be found in this amusing, entertaining book. " Thomas Andre, Hamburger Abendblatt, February 18, 2026 Thomas Andre, Hamburger Abendblatt

"Outrageously funny" Cornelia Geißler, Berliner Zeitung am Wochenende, February 14/15, 2026 Cornelia Geißler, Berliner Zeitung am Wochenende

"[T]he plot is truly marvelous. " Katja Eßbach, NDR Kultur, February 12, 2026 Katja Eßbach, NDR Kultur

"[As funny as it is fast-paced] [ ] [T]his author can not only write great dialog, he can simply tell very entertaining stories. " Knut Cordsen, Bayern 2, February 09, 2026 Knut Cordsen, Bayern 2

Get your ticket now!