The modern German classic that has shaped an entire generation. A mother and her two teenage children sit at the dinner table. In the middle stands a large pot of cooked mussels. Why has the father not returned home? As the evening wears on, we glimpse the issues that are tearing this family apart. 'I wrote this book in August 1989, just before the Fall of the Berlin Wall. I wanted to understand how revolutions start. It seemed logical to use the figure of a tyrannical father and turn the story into a German family saga.' Birgit Vanderbeke 'Vanderbeke portrays her calculating anti-hero with chilling precision.' Der Spiegel 'Vanderbeke's words draw the reader into a frightening whirlpool of obsession and misfortune. Ultimately, however, they create a beautiful image of hope.' Marie FranceReview'Vanderbeke portrays her calculating anti-hero with chilling precision.' Der Spiegel 'Vanderbeke's words draw the reader into a frightening whirlpool of obsession and misfortune. Ultimately, however, they create a beautiful image of hope.' Marie France About the AuthorBirgit Vanderbeke, born in 1956, is one of Germany's most successful literary authors. She has written 12 novels. The Mussel Feast was her first publication and won the most prestigious German language literature award, The Ingeborg Bachmann Prize. The book was published in 1989 and has never been out of print since. It has been translated into all major European languages, including French, Spanich and Italian.