Naravno da autobiografskih elemenata u ovoj noveli (1813) u kojoj se spajaju građansko-realističko i fantastično ne manjka. Kao što je Chamisso često bio bez svog njemačkog ili bez svog francuskog ishodišta, a ponekad i bez obaju, tako je i Schlemihl (hebr. čovjek loše sreće) s vremenom ostao bez vlastite sjene.Tematski slična Goetheovom Faustu, Čudnovata pripovijest Petra Schlemilla u osnovi je priča o čovjeku koji je za kesu dukata svoju sjenu prodao vragu, odnosno stanovitom suhonjavom Gospodinu u Sivom. Majstorski pisana ispovjedna forma, pridonosi uvjerljivosti i realnosti priče, a brojni isprepleteni likovi u krajnje čudnovatim okolnostima, kakvih nije manjkalo ni u Chamissoovom pustolovnom životu, čine je iznimno podesnom za uprizorenje. (Znanost o financijama dovoljno nas podučava o važnosti novca, važnost sjene općenito je manje priznata. No, ono čemu nas ona podučava jest važnost postojanosti. Tko zna, učimo li još uvijek na lekciji koju Schlemill i danas skupo plaća? Ili doista mislimo da i bez sjene možemo biti postojani?)

This short story (1813) which combines the middle-class and realistic with the fantastic is not missing autobiographical elements. As Chamisso was often devoid of his German or French origin and sometimes of both, so was Schlemihl (Hebr. unlucky fellow) left without his own shadow. Thematically similar to Goethe’s Faust, Peter Schlemihl’s Remarkable Story is a tale of a man who sells his shadow to the devil or a certain Man in Grey, for a purse of gold coins.  The story is written brilliantly in a confessional form which makes it realistic and convincing. A number of interwoven characters in extremely strange circumstances, just like in Chamisso’s adventurous life, render it very appropriate for presenting on stage. (Study of finances teaches us about the importance of money, while the importance of shadow is generally less recognized. Yet, what it teaches us is the importance of persistence. Who knows, if we can still learn from the lesson for which Schlemihl pays a high price even today? Or do we really believe that we can persist without the shadow?)