Formats & Editions

Paris, 1932. Two lovers, Raimund and Teddy, have just one day and one night to spend together before Raimund must return to Berlin.

A young German barrister, Raimund has followed the irresistible Teddy to Paris, where she moves effortlessly through the city's dazzling bohemian social world, as nights dissolve into dancing, cigarettes, aperitifs and plates of pommes frites, and mornings arrive long after noon.

Together they roam through the city's cafes, restaurants and boulevards, from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. They bicker and flirt, scold and kiss, celebrating their freedom while knowing nothing can remain as it is, as the hours slip away toward Raimund's evening train.

This forgotten literary masterpiece, discovered long after Sebastian Haffner's death, became an instant German bestseller. Parting is an exquisite autobiographical novel capturing the last fragile moments of love and freedom before exile, fascism and war.

A W&N Essential translated by Michael Hofmann

Sebastian Haffner

Sebastian Haffner (27 December 1907 - 2 January 1999) was a German journalist and historian. Born in 1907 in Berlin, he emigrated to England in 1938 and wrote for the Observer for many years. He returned to Germany in 1954, where he became a prominent journalist and historian.

Related books

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.