Albert Albinus

A middle-aged, not particularly gifted art-critic living in Berlin, Albert is novel's unheroic main character. Rich, respectable, and happy until he abandons his somewhat obtuse wife, Elisabeth, for a young mistress, Margot Peters, who does not return his love, Albert watches his life end in disaster. Good-looking and well-bred, Albert is unlucky in love affairs before marrying Elisabeth. He has a pleasant smile, slightly bulging light-blue eyes, a slow mind, speaks well but with slight stammer, and lives comfortably on money inherited from his father and soundly invested. Elisabeth does not thrill Albert, but he loves her and does not expect to need more sexually than she on occasion gives. He remains faithful, although tempted a bit during Elisabeth's three-week confinement before the birth, until daughter Irma is eight years old and he meets Margot. Albert's rival for Margot's affection, Axel Rex (a.k.a. Miller) views...