▁Friend "). ▁ ▁Out line ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁a ▁re - sh aping ▁of ▁the ▁Fa ust ▁legend ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁and ▁the ▁tur mo il ▁of ▁Germany ▁in ▁that ▁period . ▁The ▁story ▁cent ers ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁and ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁( f ict it ious ) ▁composer ▁Ad rian ▁Le verk ü hn . ▁The ▁narr ator ▁is ▁Le verk ü hn ' s ▁child hood ▁friend ▁Ser en us ▁Zeit bl om , ▁who ▁writes ▁in ▁Germany ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁Le verk ü hn ' s ▁extraordinary ▁intellect ▁and ▁cre ativity ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁man ▁mark ▁him ▁as ▁dest ined ▁for ▁success , ▁but ▁his ▁amb ition ▁is ▁for ▁true ▁great ness . ▁He ▁strik es ▁a ▁Fa ust ian ▁b arg ain ▁for ▁cre ative ▁genius : ▁he ▁intention ally ▁contract s ▁sy ph ilis , ▁which ▁deep ens ▁his ▁art istic ▁insp iration ▁through ▁mad ness . ▁He ▁is ▁subsequently ▁visited ▁by ▁a ▁Me ph ist ophe lean ▁being ▁( who ▁says , ▁in ▁effect , ▁" that ▁you ▁can ▁only ▁see ▁me ▁because ▁you ▁are ▁mad , ▁does ▁not ▁mean ▁that ▁I ▁do ▁not ▁really ▁exist "), ▁and , ▁ren oun cing ▁love , ▁b arg ains ▁his ▁soul ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁twenty - four ▁years ▁of ▁genius . ▁His ▁mad ness ▁– ▁his ▁da em onic ▁insp iration ▁– ▁leads ▁to