For a novel first published in German in 1813, this is a nice easy, even fun, read. The titular Schlemihl makes the mistake of selling his shadow to the Devil, in exchange for endless riches, but, you've guessed it, he soon regrets making that bargain. Quite a lot happens to Peter in the brief one hundred pages or so of this story, and it serves as a reminder that money can't buy happiness (or so they tell me - I would not turn down the chance to try it for myself, albeit without any involvement from the Lord of Darkness!) Schlemihl's wanderings, and his rejection by many people he encounters (on account of being shadowless) are a reflection of the author's own experiences as an exiled French aristocrat. Quite how well that metaphor works is open to debate, but either way, this is a good read.