Das Buch der Nacht
Das Buch der Nacht Zusatzmaterial

The Book of Night

36 Short Journeys into the Dark

  • A book for night lovers, night owls, and nocturnal types
  • Complete English translation available

The onset of darkness ushers in a time when the usual coordinates of our perception shift. In this book we encounter mystical nocturnal characters, superstitions, and customs, and embark on a journey of discovery that leaves us marveling at the secrets that the night still holds to this day.

For thousands of years, nature imposed a fixed rhythm. During the day, brisk activity prevailed – but, after sunset, everything sank into the world of sleep and dreams. Only nocturnal creatures and passionate noctivagants enjoyed the darkness. There had always been something subversive, forbidden, and exciting associated with nighttime activities. With the invention of artificial lighting, however, the night increasingly lost its mythical allure. Streetlights turned night into day. “Let’s kill the moonlight” was the battle cry of the Futurists, whose movement coincided with the rise of legendary nightclubs, dance palaces, and the Berlin cabaret. Today, we only find real darkness in remote places or, paradoxically, in artificially created environments that turn day into night: nocturnal animal houses or dark restaurants, which enjoy great popularity.

Bernd Brunner wanders through these wondrous hours between dusk and dawn, illuminating our relationship to the night in the borderlands between history, mythology, biology, and literature.

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Egypt: Al Arabi / Spain: Acantilado

  • Publisher: Galiani-Berlin
  • Release: 07.10.2021
  • 192 pages
  • ISBN: 978-3-86971-230-7
Cover Download Das Buch der Nacht
Das Buch der Nacht
Susanne Schleyer

Bernd Brunner

Bernd Brunner, born in 1964, writes widely acclaimed, highly entertaining books at the interface of culture and the history of science. Most recently, Galiani published The Book of Night (2021) and Extreme North (2019). His books have been translated into several languages.

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