BERGER, Thomas “Crazy in Berlin”/“Reinhart in Love”/“Vital Parts” [Delacorte, 1982]

BERGER, Thomas. Crazy in Berlin. / Reinhart in Love. / Vital Parts.

Lawrence: Delacorte Press, 1982. Three volumes. Octavo. Uniform publisher’s cloth bindings with titles stamped to spines; each in the original illustrated dust jacket. A clean, attractive set with light rubbing and mild toning to the jackets, most noticeable to the lighter-colored spines; bindings square and tight with clean interiors. Near Fine.

These three novels form part of Berger’s long-running series centered on the character Carlo Reinhart, one of the principal figures in the author’s satirical fiction. Crazy in Berlin, Berger’s debut novel, follows an American soldier navigating the moral and political uncertainties of postwar Berlin and first introduces Reinhart. Reinhart in Love continues the character’s story in a comic exploration of romance and modern social conventions. Vital Parts revisits Reinhart later in life, offering a sharp and humorous meditation on aging, desire, and American cultural anxieties. Taken together, the volumes illustrate Berger’s distinctive blend of satire, philosophical comedy, and social observation that secured his reputation as one of the more original voices in late twentieth-century American fiction.