Juli Zeh and Simon Urban succeed in getting to the heart of the fundamental crisis in the culture of debate in our society in their jointly written epistolary novel "Zwischen Welten". It seems as if the protagonists are able to overcome the alienation between city and country, between East and West, between academics and workers, as if it is possible to overcome the rifts and develop understanding for the other side through a long-standing bond. Ultimately, however, all that remains is silence. And after this novel, the realization: we urgently need to talk to each other, even if it hurts sometimes.