De Bruyn, Günter. Buridan's Ass (Berlin, DDR: Seven Seas Books, 1973) 254 p. Original German edition, Buridans Esel, published Halle: Mitteldeutscher Varlag, 1968. Translated by John Peet.
Karl Erp, the director of a large library in East Berlin, finds himself attracted to a young librarian named Fraülein Broder. He promotes her over the objections of the other library staff and begins visiting her at home. When Karl finally leaves his wife and children and takes up residence with Fraülein Broder they spend hours in bed discussing their future in terms of library classifications systems.
There was, for instance, Group D (History, Contemporary Affairs), where the sub-division was debatable; he wished it to be personal (D1 Broder, D2 Erp) but she preferred subject division (D1 Pleasures of Confession, D2 Childhood Memories including Family History, D3 History of their own love, D4 Mutual Exchange of Historical Knowledge, D41 Berlin History – through her, D42 Library History – through him). (p. 159).