The relationship between Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the great German writer, and Christiane Vulpius, a village girl, is one of the instantaneous and fiery passion. They lived together for 28 years, 18 of these living in sin, 10 a married couple. Christiane's rival, Charlotte von Stein, a former favorite of Goethe, begins plotting and scheming against her. Christiane puts up with countless insults and humiliations like having to 'disappear' with their son into the servants' quarters and to stay at home on official occasions. Goethe marries her when she saves his life during an attack by plundering Napoleonic soldiers. Her new social position as Goethe's wife is resented and envied by all. When she is openly attacked by the snooty, jealous people, Goethe is only half-hearted in coming to her defence. But she stays with him for he is her great love, even when she turns to the charms of many youthful admirers...

The protagonist, Franz, copies the paintings of old masters. He slowly loses his sense of reality, resulting in angst-ridden fantasies and a desire for self-destruction. Franz has an uphill battle with the loss of values and spread of capitalism around him. He rejects advertising to the point of destroying its manifestations.

They kiss and they fight, they love and they kill each other: Hagen Trinker and the others, bums and junkies, men and women. They live in Munich, under the bridge, in the shell of a building. Sometimes an armchair is their home, sometimes a newspaper is their mattress. But mostly they are on the move anyway, on the street, in shopping arcades, at the train station - without a destination and without illusions. Then Julia joins them, 15 years old, who has run away from home - a princess, as one of the clique says. Hagen falls in love with her. A fairy tale begins, and the next moment it is already over. But now Hagen is ready to fight once more: he simply has to find Judith again...