Felix Schloemp's 1914 novella, 'Der tolle Koffer,' is a forgotten gem of early 20th-century weird fiction. It's a compact, unsettling story that packs a surprising punch.

The Story

The plot is simple but effective. Our narrator, a mild-mannered clerk, receives a heavy suitcase after the death of an eccentric uncle he barely knew. When he opens it, he doesn't find clothes or keepsakes. Instead, he sees something deeply personal and unsettling—a reflection of a secret shame or a forgotten desire. The bizarre part? When his landlady or a friend peeks inside, they see something completely different, something uniquely troubling to them. The suitcase becomes a mirror for the soul, and our hero's attempt to understand its secret pulls him into a spiral of paranoia and obsession, threatening his grip on reality.

Why You Should Read It

What I love about this book is its quiet, creeping dread. Schloemp doesn't rely on monsters or ghosts. The horror comes from an idea: an object that shows you a truth about yourself you've worked hard to ignore. The narrator's descent feels painfully real. You watch a sensible man become consumed by a mystery that has no logical solution. It's a brilliant study of obsession, written just before the world plunged into the chaos of WWI, which gives its themes of fractured reality an extra, haunting layer.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for readers who enjoy classic, psychological spookiness in the vein of early M.R. James or Robert W. Chambers. It's short, thought-provoking, and genuinely eerie. You'll finish it in a sitting, but the question at its heart—what would that suitcase show you?—will linger a lot longer.