Allegro Pastell

This was wonderfully entertaining. With detached words, Randt describes the relationship of two 30something Germans, Tanja and Jerome. You could describe them as hipsters, but maybe there's a different word for these people now. They are possible more grownup, possibly better-off financially. They love their phones, they pose for well-thought-through selfies and snapchat videos, they party, they medidate, they appreciate their anti-sport highs, the dose their drugs and carefully plan the aftermatch. They wear the occasional designer clothes, have hip jobs like author and webdesigner, they talk and talk, they cherish each other's world views and jokes, they love each other, and yet they still don't fully commit. They live in separate cities and enjoy their long-distance relationship as a repetition of 3 steps: first intense sex-heavy togetherness, then communication-heavy apartness, and finally longing-heavy anticipation of reunion.

Randt balances his prose so perfectly, that one reads this as a cheeky satire about modern hipsters, while at the same time reading this like a modern day ‘serious' love story. Yes, these two are obviously halfway ridiculous people, with their carefully crafted experiences for maximum enjoyment and contemplation, but you still relate to them and their realities, and wish for them to succeed.