Jean Paul

Born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter on 21 March 1763, he shed his given name for the pen name that would carry him into German letters. He wrote through the Romantic era with a sideways method: novels and stories built less on plot than on wit, sentiment, and comic architecture. The humor landed, and the work found readers who wanted something other than the earnest strain of his moment. He kept at it until 14 November 1825, when the writing stopped for good.