Allan Stein

About “Allan Stein”

Allan Stein is a novel by Matthew Stadler that follows a young teacher who has been fired after a sex scandal involving a student. He travels to Paris under the name of his best friend, Herbert, to investigate the sad history of Gertrude Stein's nephew, Allan. In Paris, "Herbert" becomes attracted to a fifteen-year-old boy named Stephane. As he learns about Allan Stein's troubled past, "Herbert" is reminded of his own childhood, especially his eccentric mother. The story moves between the late twentieth century and the 1900s, mixing real events with fictional elements. It explores themes of eroticism, obsession, and identity.