When asked, 'What is East German Now', Sebastian Jung's (*1987) answer is far from being one-dimensional or monocausal. On the contrary, his astute observations of all the unrealised promises of salvation are equally empathetic and witty. Revealingly, he intensifies and delegates the grotesque tension between oppressive solitude, consumption, and amusement to the beholders, whose laughter gets stuck in their throats. Despite its formal humour and wit, the works in Jung's new book demand a distinguished discussion on violence, hatred, and solitude in East Germany. Text in English and German.