Tales of a Long Night

Tales of a Long Night (German: Hamlet oder Die lange Nacht nimmt ein Ende) (1956) is the last novel of German author Alfred Döblin. Set in England immediately after the Second World War, the novel narrates the story of Edward Allison, an English soldier who had been badly wounded during the war. Back among his family, Edward must deal with his war trauma, long buried family conflicts, and his destabilized sense of self.[1] The novel treats such themes as the search for the self, guilt and responsibility, the struggle between the sexes, war and violence, and religion, among others.[2]

Tales of a Long Night

Cover of the first edition
Author	Alfred Döblin
Original title	Hamlet oder Die lange Nacht nimmt ein Ende
Country	Germany
Language	German
Genre	novel
Publisher	Rütten & Loening, East Berlin
Publication date	1956
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
LC Class	PT2607.O35 H3

Döblin wrote the novel between August 1945 and October 1946, although it was not published until a decade later. Upon its 1956 release by the East Berlin publishing house Rütten & Loening, the novel was well received.[3]

The reference to Hamlet in the German title was likely motivated by Döblin's reading of Sigmund Freud's interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.[4]