a oeWide-screen booka or a oeNight of the Nightsa ? The verdict of German literary critics was already oscillating between these two extremes in 1978. This controversy, which was ignited by Hilsenratha (TM)s first work Nacht (a oeNighta ) and was specific to Germany compared with the international reception of his work, runs throughout his writing. This study traces the history of the reception of his novels, i.e. the readings revealed by arts pages, literary studies and general readers, and analyses how they function.