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Crime and Guilt
From Ferdinand von Schirach, one of Germany’s most prominent defense attorneys, comes a jolting debut collection of short stories that daringly brings to light the motivations stirring within the criminal mind. By turns witty and sorrowful, unflinchingly brutal and heartbreaking, the deeply affecting, quietly unnerving cases presented in Crime urge a closer examination of guilt and innocence.
In “Fähner,” a small-town physician and avid gardener betrays little emotion when he takes an ax to his wife’s head, an act that shocks the locals but provides a
long-awaited reprieve for the good doctor. Abbas, a Palestinian refugee who is cornered into a life of crime, finds true love and seemingly a saving grace with a beautiful student named Stefanie in “Summertime.” But when she is viciously murdered in a hotel room after having been paid to sleep with one of the country’s wealthiest men, is Abbas to blame or is it the man who seems to have it all? And in the startling story “Love,” a young man’s infatuation with his girlfriend takes a grisly turn as he comes to grips with his unconventional—and uncontrollable—impulses to truly know a woman.
“Guilt,” writes von Schirach, “always presents a bit of a problem.” In this beautifully nuanced and telling collection, guilt is indeed never as clear-cut as the crime, and justice is more nebulous still.
In “Fähner,” a small-town physician and avid gardener betrays little emotion when he takes an ax to his wife’s head, an act that shocks the locals but provides a
long-awaited reprieve for the good doctor. Abbas, a Palestinian refugee who is cornered into a life of crime, finds true love and seemingly a saving grace with a beautiful student named Stefanie in “Summertime.” But when she is viciously murdered in a hotel room after having been paid to sleep with one of the country’s wealthiest men, is Abbas to blame or is it the man who seems to have it all? And in the startling story “Love,” a young man’s infatuation with his girlfriend takes a grisly turn as he comes to grips with his unconventional—and uncontrollable—impulses to truly know a woman.
“Guilt,” writes von Schirach, “always presents a bit of a problem.” In this beautifully nuanced and telling collection, guilt is indeed never as clear-cut as the crime, and justice is more nebulous still.
304 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2012
32 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
Ferdinand von Schirach
63 books2,041 followersFerdinand von Schirach (born 1964 in Munich) is a German lawyer and writer. He published his first short stories at the age of forty-five. Shortly thereafter he became one of Germany's most successful authors. His books, which have been translated into more than 35 languages, have sold millions of copies worldwide and have made him an internationally celebrated star of German literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
January 24, 2012
What is guilt anyway? Many people use it to describe feelings of emotional conflict and upset that may arise when someone does something he or she shouldn’t do.
Ferdinand von Schirach – a leading German defense attorney and the grandson of Baldur von Schirach, head of the Hitler Youth and convicted at Nuremberg – has no doubt pondered the nature of guilt in all its manifestations more than most of us. “Defense is war, a war for the rights of the accused,” Mr. von Schirach quotes at the beginning. It’s a particular type of war where being innocent doesn’t always mean being vindicated and guilty doesn’t always mean being wrong.
Here, he showcases 15 stories based on real cases, exploring the gray and not-so-gray meanings of guilt.His vignettes are written in a sparse, straightforward, sometimes clinical tone – think Ray Carver, for example. The simplicity of the style belies the emotional power that hides behind it. Whether it’s the inadvertent manslaughter death of a beloved art teacher by a pack of cult followers, the justified murder of a wickedly abusive husband in Comparison, the comeuppance of a drug dealer in Snow, the post traumatic stress of a very young would-be mother in Lonely.
One senses there are two von Schirachs: the dispassionate and professional defense attorney who has learned to carefully cull the facts and another one, who might be shaking his head in amazement. The author presents a diversity of cases, which could have been mere file cases in the hands of a lesser author, and presents what guilt and its impact mean to the perpetrator and those who are closest to him or her.
I’ve never quite read anything like this and it’s difficult to assign a star rating. I will say that the author – and his translator, Carol Brown Janeway – have, through an economy of words, created mesmerizing portrayals that provide a whiplash despite the laconic style. It’s well worth the read.
Ferdinand von Schirach – a leading German defense attorney and the grandson of Baldur von Schirach, head of the Hitler Youth and convicted at Nuremberg – has no doubt pondered the nature of guilt in all its manifestations more than most of us. “Defense is war, a war for the rights of the accused,” Mr. von Schirach quotes at the beginning. It’s a particular type of war where being innocent doesn’t always mean being vindicated and guilty doesn’t always mean being wrong.
Here, he showcases 15 stories based on real cases, exploring the gray and not-so-gray meanings of guilt.His vignettes are written in a sparse, straightforward, sometimes clinical tone – think Ray Carver, for example. The simplicity of the style belies the emotional power that hides behind it. Whether it’s the inadvertent manslaughter death of a beloved art teacher by a pack of cult followers, the justified murder of a wickedly abusive husband in Comparison, the comeuppance of a drug dealer in Snow, the post traumatic stress of a very young would-be mother in Lonely.
One senses there are two von Schirachs: the dispassionate and professional defense attorney who has learned to carefully cull the facts and another one, who might be shaking his head in amazement. The author presents a diversity of cases, which could have been mere file cases in the hands of a lesser author, and presents what guilt and its impact mean to the perpetrator and those who are closest to him or her.
I’ve never quite read anything like this and it’s difficult to assign a star rating. I will say that the author – and his translator, Carol Brown Janeway – have, through an economy of words, created mesmerizing portrayals that provide a whiplash despite the laconic style. It’s well worth the read.
March 21, 2024
In this collection, some stories were more interesting, some less. Most of them were a great start for a discussion, about our society, about humans, about law, about guilt, etc.
There wasn't a "wow" for me, yet, the simple style allowed a fast read, concentrating on the story and then on thinking through what I thought about what happened.
[3.5 stars]
There wasn't a "wow" for me, yet, the simple style allowed a fast read, concentrating on the story and then on thinking through what I thought about what happened.
[3.5 stars]
April 3, 2017
CONTENTS
Preface - ix
CRIME
Fähner - 3
Tanata's Tea Bowl - 14
The Cello - 31
The Hedgehog - 44
Bliss - 56
Summertime - 66
Self-Defense - 92
Green - 107
The Thorn - 123
Love - 135
The Ethiopian - 142
GUILT
Funfair - 165
DNA - 173
The Illuminati - 178
Children - 194
Anatomy - 201
The Other Man - 204
The Briefcase - 216
Desire - 223
Snow - 227
The Key - 236
Lonely - 256
Justice - 261
Comparison - 265
Family - 278
Secrets - 284
Afterword - 287
Ordinary people, ordinary lives, extraordinary storytelling.
My favourites: Fähner, The Ethiopian, Children, and Anatomy.
My subject is human beings - their failings, their guilt, and their capacity to behave magnificently. - Preface, Pg. ix.
"Most things are complicated, and guilt always presents a bit of a problem." - Preface, Pg. ix
We chase after things, but they're faster than we are, and in the end we can never catch up. - Preface, Pg. ix.
All our lives we dance on a thin layer of ice; it's very cold underneath, and death is quick. The ice won't bear the weight of some people and they fall through. That's the moment that interests me. If we're lucky, it never happens to us and we keep dancing. If we're lucky. - Preface, Pg. ix-x
"The reality we can put into words is never reality itself." - Werner K. Heisenberg, Pg. 1
What is obvious is what is plausible. And most often, it's also what's right. - Pg. 85
No one is so objective as to be able always to distinguish conjecture from proof. We believe we know something for sure, we get carried away, and it's often far from simple to find our way back. - Pg. 156
"Things are as they are." - Aristotle, Pg. 163
Preface - ix
CRIME
Fähner - 3
Tanata's Tea Bowl - 14
The Cello - 31
The Hedgehog - 44
Bliss - 56
Summertime - 66
Self-Defense - 92
Green - 107
The Thorn - 123
Love - 135
The Ethiopian - 142
GUILT
Funfair - 165
DNA - 173
The Illuminati - 178
Children - 194
Anatomy - 201
The Other Man - 204
The Briefcase - 216
Desire - 223
Snow - 227
The Key - 236
Lonely - 256
Justice - 261
Comparison - 265
Family - 278
Secrets - 284
Afterword - 287
Ordinary people, ordinary lives, extraordinary storytelling.
My favourites: Fähner, The Ethiopian, Children, and Anatomy.
My subject is human beings - their failings, their guilt, and their capacity to behave magnificently. - Preface, Pg. ix.
"Most things are complicated, and guilt always presents a bit of a problem." - Preface, Pg. ix
We chase after things, but they're faster than we are, and in the end we can never catch up. - Preface, Pg. ix.
All our lives we dance on a thin layer of ice; it's very cold underneath, and death is quick. The ice won't bear the weight of some people and they fall through. That's the moment that interests me. If we're lucky, it never happens to us and we keep dancing. If we're lucky. - Preface, Pg. ix-x
"The reality we can put into words is never reality itself." - Werner K. Heisenberg, Pg. 1
What is obvious is what is plausible. And most often, it's also what's right. - Pg. 85
No one is so objective as to be able always to distinguish conjecture from proof. We believe we know something for sure, we get carried away, and it's often far from simple to find our way back. - Pg. 156
"Things are as they are." - Aristotle, Pg. 163
September 10, 2016
Very well written, but the author’s dishonesty turned me off.
This is a collection of unique crime short stories written in the first person from the author’s perspective as a prominent criminal defense lawyer in Berlin. He purportedly writes about his own cases and clients. For the story structure and prose, the book deserves five stars. What bothered me was the author’s dishonesty, both with the reader and the court.
In the book description on the inside of the front cover, the reader is promised these are true stories. That could be possible if the author obtained from his clients a release from the attorney-client privilege. The claim made the book especially interesting to me because I used to practice criminal law in the U.S., and after my move to Germany, my work as a translator familiarized me with German criminal law. I’d rather read true stories than fiction.
Pretty early on, it became clear that the stories are made up. Schirach gives us access not only to his clients’ deepest thoughts, but also the thoughts of his defense counsel! At one point he even gives us the last thoughts of a homicide victim as he dies – even though the victim never spoke. That had to be fictionalized.
In a 2009 interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (newspaper), Schirach insisted the stories were true. The reporter countered that she’d tried to google the case involving the double homicide in a train station and found nothing. Schirach explained the case never made the newspaper, a claim I find extremely dubious. http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton...
Later, in 2013, in an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau (newspaper), Schirach admits the stories aren’t true. He says that parts are true, but that he can’t tell the real stories without violating the attorney-client privilege. http://www.fr-online.de/medien/ferdin...
I wish Schirach had been honest with his readers from the beginning and told us these are fictional stories based on his experiences as a criminal defense lawyer.
One of the stories, “Summertime,” showcased the defense attorney’s dishonesty with the court.
I’m not familiar with the German rules of ethics, but I’m bothered by the fact of a lawyer hoodwinking the court in that fashion. Once the judge realizes the mistake, the attorney will have lost credibility in future cases. I couldn’t have done it. The dishonesty bothered me enough that I won’t be reading any more Schirach books.
Credibility is a precious commodity. Just as attorneys can lose their credibility in court, authors can lose their credibility with their readers. That’s what Schirach did with me.
Caveat – I read this book in the original German (“Verbrechen”), but am writing the review in English because English is my native language.
This is a collection of unique crime short stories written in the first person from the author’s perspective as a prominent criminal defense lawyer in Berlin. He purportedly writes about his own cases and clients. For the story structure and prose, the book deserves five stars. What bothered me was the author’s dishonesty, both with the reader and the court.
In the book description on the inside of the front cover, the reader is promised these are true stories. That could be possible if the author obtained from his clients a release from the attorney-client privilege. The claim made the book especially interesting to me because I used to practice criminal law in the U.S., and after my move to Germany, my work as a translator familiarized me with German criminal law. I’d rather read true stories than fiction.
Pretty early on, it became clear that the stories are made up. Schirach gives us access not only to his clients’ deepest thoughts, but also the thoughts of his defense counsel! At one point he even gives us the last thoughts of a homicide victim as he dies – even though the victim never spoke. That had to be fictionalized.
In a 2009 interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (newspaper), Schirach insisted the stories were true. The reporter countered that she’d tried to google the case involving the double homicide in a train station and found nothing. Schirach explained the case never made the newspaper, a claim I find extremely dubious. http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton...
Later, in 2013, in an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau (newspaper), Schirach admits the stories aren’t true. He says that parts are true, but that he can’t tell the real stories without violating the attorney-client privilege. http://www.fr-online.de/medien/ferdin...
I wish Schirach had been honest with his readers from the beginning and told us these are fictional stories based on his experiences as a criminal defense lawyer.
One of the stories, “Summertime,” showcased the defense attorney’s dishonesty with the court.
I’m not familiar with the German rules of ethics, but I’m bothered by the fact of a lawyer hoodwinking the court in that fashion. Once the judge realizes the mistake, the attorney will have lost credibility in future cases. I couldn’t have done it. The dishonesty bothered me enough that I won’t be reading any more Schirach books.
Credibility is a precious commodity. Just as attorneys can lose their credibility in court, authors can lose their credibility with their readers. That’s what Schirach did with me.
Caveat – I read this book in the original German (“Verbrechen”), but am writing the review in English because English is my native language.
March 12, 2013
What a great concept for a book! Ferdinand von Schirach is one of Germany's premier defense attorneys and has crafted a collection of short stories based on his experiences. As an admitted lover of true crime and an avid DVRer of Dateline, the stories themselves gripped me from the outset (as evidenced by the day and a half it took me to read them!). What surprised me, however, was the quality and insight of the collection. Von Schirach gets at the root of what makes his clients human, sussing out their motives despite the heinous crimes they are accused of. And on top of that, von Schirach is a fabulous writer! Here's hoping to his continued career in writing.
February 1, 2024
A fabulous collection of short stories written by a defence lawyer. Enthralling tales, sparsely written and superbly paced. Stories full of desperation, an understanding of the human condition and where all achieve a great balance in allowing the reader to sit in open mouthed dismay at the evil in some people and the despair that others feel leading to such radical actions. A great read!
August 10, 2013
Loved it. A brilliant insight into the human mind- true stories that will shock and thrill, brilliantly told.
July 26, 2025
Very stark and understated stories about some truly gruesome crimes. Sort of a modernist Grimm's tales...
July 12, 2018
Makes you realise that crime and its consequences are not two-dimensional, but have depth that goes beyond initial impression.
October 5, 2025
The author, a lawyer, has transformed his case notes into short stories, likely taking a few creative liberties along the way. An engaging read, especially as the stories carry a convincing ring of truth.
July 22, 2021
Entertaining and impactful, but I kept asking myself how realistic these situations really are. The author claims to have based them on his real-life lawyering experience. I don't doubt that he took elements from cases he's experienced and made them the basis of each story, but I'm pretty sure he embellished them, and often exaggerated certain elements that make the impact greater.
For example, the last story is about the time he took a mental patient into a locked facility, and almost got himself locked up by the patient impersonating him. I can completely imagine something like this happening to the author. And I know that if I were him, and were to write a story based on it, I would add things like bulletproof doors and extra security to the facility, to make the situation sound potentially dangerous, even if it weren't.
In other stories, important details just don't make any sense. Like the one depending on summertime. Did he notice the error from the start? If so, why did he base his case on it, when it was easily noticeable? Did the defendant plan the whole thing hoping that nobody would notice? Again, why? And if not, what is actually supposed to have happened? I *think* that simply, nobody noticed at all until after the trial, and that it's supposed to be an example of cases where all the evidence seems to line up and make sense, until something new comes up and it turns out all their theories were wrong and nothing makes sense anymore, and the world is complicated. But the story is not really laid out in that way.
This kind of thing happens several times. Something happens that just makes no sense to me, and the author doesn't address it. That may be intentional, but with no explanation and no comment, it just leaves me frustrated and unfulfilled. Is this really representative of the criminal system of Germany? Maybe, but I can't take this book's word for it. Give me real cases, or give me realistic fictional cases, and promise me they're realistic. As far as I can tell, this book is a collection of fictional cases; exaggerations of the real thing.
Fairly well-written, and interesting/thought-provoking throughout.
For example, the last story is about the time he took a mental patient into a locked facility, and almost got himself locked up by the patient impersonating him. I can completely imagine something like this happening to the author. And I know that if I were him, and were to write a story based on it, I would add things like bulletproof doors and extra security to the facility, to make the situation sound potentially dangerous, even if it weren't.
In other stories, important details just don't make any sense. Like the one depending on summertime. Did he notice the error from the start? If so, why did he base his case on it, when it was easily noticeable? Did the defendant plan the whole thing hoping that nobody would notice? Again, why? And if not, what is actually supposed to have happened? I *think* that simply, nobody noticed at all until after the trial, and that it's supposed to be an example of cases where all the evidence seems to line up and make sense, until something new comes up and it turns out all their theories were wrong and nothing makes sense anymore, and the world is complicated. But the story is not really laid out in that way.
This kind of thing happens several times. Something happens that just makes no sense to me, and the author doesn't address it. That may be intentional, but with no explanation and no comment, it just leaves me frustrated and unfulfilled. Is this really representative of the criminal system of Germany? Maybe, but I can't take this book's word for it. Give me real cases, or give me realistic fictional cases, and promise me they're realistic. As far as I can tell, this book is a collection of fictional cases; exaggerations of the real thing.
Fairly well-written, and interesting/thought-provoking throughout.
December 28, 2018
Outstanding collection of short stories. The writer writes in such a direct and clear manner. The stories are wonderful, revealing, as the author states in the introduction, how we are all skating on thin ice and could at any time fall in.
Most memorable stories: the story about the seemingly meek person on the train platform who expertly kills two thugs; the story about the young man who wants to eat his girlfriend, who fails to receive help, and ends up killing someone; the story about thieves who take a rare bowl from a Japanese crime boss and suffer terrible retribution; the story about the person who robs a bank, escapes to Ethiopia, establishes a life that provides benefits to many people, and is then returned to Germany; the story of the politician who gets involved with a prostitute and is charged with killing her (I am not clear about the ending, it is a story I want to read again); the story of the brother and sister and the abusive father, an ending in which all end up being ruined; the story of the boy who is bright but others don't realize it and is able to confound the court and get his brother off.
Others that I had to remind myself of:
(1) The doctor who married someone who turned into a monster, a monster that he killed.
(2) The story of the politician who dies during sex with a prostitute and her boyfriend cuts him up.
(3) The story of the young man who has been killing sheep and who people suspect has killed a young woman who has gone missing.
(4) One of the strangest stories, and I am surprised I didn't recollect it above) of a guard who finds himself, by a mistake, assigned to one room in a museum. He becomes unhinged.
An great selection of stories.
Most memorable stories: the story about the seemingly meek person on the train platform who expertly kills two thugs; the story about the young man who wants to eat his girlfriend, who fails to receive help, and ends up killing someone; the story about thieves who take a rare bowl from a Japanese crime boss and suffer terrible retribution; the story about the person who robs a bank, escapes to Ethiopia, establishes a life that provides benefits to many people, and is then returned to Germany; the story of the politician who gets involved with a prostitute and is charged with killing her (I am not clear about the ending, it is a story I want to read again); the story of the brother and sister and the abusive father, an ending in which all end up being ruined; the story of the boy who is bright but others don't realize it and is able to confound the court and get his brother off.
Others that I had to remind myself of:
(1) The doctor who married someone who turned into a monster, a monster that he killed.
(2) The story of the politician who dies during sex with a prostitute and her boyfriend cuts him up.
(3) The story of the young man who has been killing sheep and who people suspect has killed a young woman who has gone missing.
(4) One of the strangest stories, and I am surprised I didn't recollect it above) of a guard who finds himself, by a mistake, assigned to one room in a museum. He becomes unhinged.
An great selection of stories.
July 13, 2013
This book was so great to read! Out of the thousands of books I've read in my entire life, I've never read anything like this. There's no better way of finding out about what goes on in court proceedings, trials for cases than a defense lawyer giving us all the details about it and not just about it from an objective point of view about how it felt like for the accused or the victim but also from a subjective point of view where he goes on to tell us how the case felt for him and how it affected him.
Every short story that he wrote was thrilling, emotional and dramatic. Sometimes a little frightening but that would possible only apply to me because i don't often read books like this. He has given such an insight into cases and this would be really ideal for students aspiring to become criminal lawyers.
If i knew German i would definitely read every single one of his other books, or if there are any other translated books or books written in English by him then i will have to give them all a go! A new author that i am deeply fond of.
Every short story that he wrote was thrilling, emotional and dramatic. Sometimes a little frightening but that would possible only apply to me because i don't often read books like this. He has given such an insight into cases and this would be really ideal for students aspiring to become criminal lawyers.
If i knew German i would definitely read every single one of his other books, or if there are any other translated books or books written in English by him then i will have to give them all a go! A new author that i am deeply fond of.
August 28, 2014
This book fed my hunger for crime efficiently and fully.
Collection of 26 short stories presents crimes of various kind and gravity, sometimes fully executed, sometimes barely intended. They present the act itself, people who committed it and those who suffered from it, what caused it and where did it lead. The motives of perpetrators, the doubts of judges and defenders, the guilt.
It offers no judgement, just facts, all presented as a look back in time by the same narrator, the same link between all the cases, a defending attorney, the author.
I really enjoyed the precise language, the concise style, the short form which eliminated the superfluous plot and volume of most crime stories. Sometimes I don't enjoy reading about all the coffees the police drank solving the case, all the late nights the detective spent drowning his troubles in alcohol, all the interrogations, car races and last minute turns. What I enjoy most is the very core, the story behind the crime, the details and the criminal in person.
And that's exactly what I got in Crime and Guilt.
Collection of 26 short stories presents crimes of various kind and gravity, sometimes fully executed, sometimes barely intended. They present the act itself, people who committed it and those who suffered from it, what caused it and where did it lead. The motives of perpetrators, the doubts of judges and defenders, the guilt.
It offers no judgement, just facts, all presented as a look back in time by the same narrator, the same link between all the cases, a defending attorney, the author.
I really enjoyed the precise language, the concise style, the short form which eliminated the superfluous plot and volume of most crime stories. Sometimes I don't enjoy reading about all the coffees the police drank solving the case, all the late nights the detective spent drowning his troubles in alcohol, all the interrogations, car races and last minute turns. What I enjoy most is the very core, the story behind the crime, the details and the criminal in person.
And that's exactly what I got in Crime and Guilt.
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June 14, 2021Bizarrely engaging! The stories read almost like movie pitches. Which sounds like it would be a bad thing but in this case isn't. There is virtually no "interiority" given for any of the characters. Including the narrator. Very few sensory descriptions. But all the stories are surprising and the "import" of each speaks for itself, without any need for authorial explication. Easy to read because they are wonderfully simple. A fascinating distillation of the essence. I loved them. And I was surprised by how much I did.
I was also fascinated, as an American, to read the explications of the German legal system and "experience" it in action. Made me see some of the flaws of the American system in a very fresh light.
[That being said I didn't love the translation. Maybe I've seen too many crime shows, and I realize it may be weirdly trivial of me, but I found the constant translation of what was clearly meant to be the word "semen" as "sperm" very irritating. As though I was being taken back in time to 1955 or so.]
I was also fascinated, as an American, to read the explications of the German legal system and "experience" it in action. Made me see some of the flaws of the American system in a very fresh light.
[That being said I didn't love the translation. Maybe I've seen too many crime shows, and I realize it may be weirdly trivial of me, but I found the constant translation of what was clearly meant to be the word "semen" as "sperm" very irritating. As though I was being taken back in time to 1955 or so.]
March 26, 2023
Fascinating account of the German lawyer's cases through his career. I appreciated the wide range of defendants, crimes, and motivations in the book, from petty thefts to gruesome murders. I especially liked that he wrote in 3rd person POV, and told each defendant's life story leading up to the crime. He showed how various extenuating circumstances can cause someone to break the law –– how we're all capable of committing a crime if we were in their shoes. I also realized the limitations of judiciary systems in general, seeing many perpetrators escape justice and innocent men convicted of crimes they did not commit. Ferdinand is a truly talented writer. The eccentric personalities and behaviors exhibited by his characters often have me questioning: is this real life? Yet the level of details in each person's life convince me of their existence. If all lawyers can write like him and share stories like these with the world, our communities would perhaps be a more compassionate and caring place.
March 7, 2021
Short stories trying to persuade you that there are good intentions behind the crimes; the killers could be really good people, they kill who should be killed.
Not to difficult to understand the intentions, people build wars to isolate the inmates from the world and people feel it right, but they would never isolate their loved ones or if they do, they would know it's not right. So people trap the bad guy, hurt them bad and kill them with all the hatred, they call it justice. Only the killing part is not permitted nowadays.
In Sebastian's Splitter, if what you did is wrong, you cannot make it right whatever you try. The purpose can/cannot make the acts holy, is debatable.
Interestingly, the book was translated to Chinese by a government worker who studied the western justice systems.
Not to difficult to understand the intentions, people build wars to isolate the inmates from the world and people feel it right, but they would never isolate their loved ones or if they do, they would know it's not right. So people trap the bad guy, hurt them bad and kill them with all the hatred, they call it justice. Only the killing part is not permitted nowadays.
In Sebastian's Splitter, if what you did is wrong, you cannot make it right whatever you try. The purpose can/cannot make the acts holy, is debatable.
Interestingly, the book was translated to Chinese by a government worker who studied the western justice systems.
August 4, 2016
Favourite quote from the book:
"Punishment in [the Middle Ages] was a form of mathematics; every act carried a precisely established weight of retribution. Our contemporary criminal law is more intelligent, it is more just as regards life, but it is also more difficult." (P. 158)
By "more difficult" it means that we can no longer judge behaviour merely on the basis of its nature. One could even be exonerated from the charge of murder when we got it to the bottom of the case (ref. the story "Comparison"). What's right and what's wrong? There's no easy answer.
No doubt it's a 5-star book - well-written, thought-provoking, and offering a fascinating insight into the vicissitudes of life.
"Punishment in [the Middle Ages] was a form of mathematics; every act carried a precisely established weight of retribution. Our contemporary criminal law is more intelligent, it is more just as regards life, but it is also more difficult." (P. 158)
By "more difficult" it means that we can no longer judge behaviour merely on the basis of its nature. One could even be exonerated from the charge of murder when we got it to the bottom of the case (ref. the story "Comparison"). What's right and what's wrong? There's no easy answer.
No doubt it's a 5-star book - well-written, thought-provoking, and offering a fascinating insight into the vicissitudes of life.
June 25, 2019
These diverse short stories make for a very interesting read. Von Schirach suggests that anyone could become a criminal and these stories would illustrate that point. The story Fahner, in particular, is about your everyday doctor who turns murderer because he is pushed to far. Another story is about a family of criminals. Another about how mental illness can lead to crime. The Self Defense story introduces a killer that most of us would never know....someone like a Claude van Damm hit man. And the most stirring story is the Ethiopian where bad luck and hard times befall our protagonist and fortunately, there's a happy ending. That these stories are tales of true events make them worth contemplation and learning. A great read.
January 21, 2023
This is a collection of short stories by Ferdinand von Schirach one of Germany’s most prominent defence attorneys. This was his first book and although I found it interesting in parts it was far inferior to ‘The Collini Case’ and ‘Punishment’ which I really enjoyed.
Each story is interesting but not amazing and the book would probably be better to read in several sittings rather than in one session as I did. Ferdinand von Schirach writes well but this one just didn’t do it for me. If you haven’t read anything by this author and you like legal thrillers I would highly recommend ‘ The Collini Case’.
Each story is interesting but not amazing and the book would probably be better to read in several sittings rather than in one session as I did. Ferdinand von Schirach writes well but this one just didn’t do it for me. If you haven’t read anything by this author and you like legal thrillers I would highly recommend ‘ The Collini Case’.
April 2, 2025
„Zločin“ od Ferdinanda von Schiracha je pútavá zbierka jedenástich poviedok inšpirovaných skutočnými udalosťami, kde autor, bývalý právnik, spája právnickú presnosť s ľudským rozmerom. Kniha je napísaná jednoducho, oddychovo, avšak vo svižnom tempe. Núti zamyslieť sa nad vinou a trestom. Je skvelá pre fanúšikov napätia, hoci môže pôsobiť chladne a miestami surovo.
Nebudem prezrádzať jednotlivé príbehy, ale ako malé lákadlo spomeniem hneď ten prvý, v ktorom obľúbený lekár Friedhelm Fähner zabije svoju tyranskú manželku.
Nebudem prezrádzať jednotlivé príbehy, ale ako malé lákadlo spomeniem hneď ten prvý, v ktorom obľúbený lekár Friedhelm Fähner zabije svoju tyranskú manželku.
June 2, 2013
Crime stories written from the perspective of a lawyer make for more interesting reading than I thought would be possible. The writing style is concise, containing only the pertinent details to the criminal's story. Yet Von Schirach writes in a way that makes you feel compassion for the person whose story is being told, despite that person's criminal acts.
I enjoyed the stories so much, I wish I had better German-language skills so I could read more of his books!
I enjoyed the stories so much, I wish I had better German-language skills so I could read more of his books!
September 2, 2024
An odd gem of a book in which a German defence lawyer recounts some of his stranger cases. This is more Edgar Allan Poe than Rumpole of the Bailey. I remain uncertain whether the tales are real, inspired by or entirely fictional. But that hardly matters. And against all expectations of profession and nationality, it's written with a light, faintly humorous touch. Maybe more 3.5 than 4 stars. But immensely readable.
November 26, 2013
This book is strangely compelling. He appears to have chosen cases where the issue is not whether or not the person did it, but rather how inadequate the legal system is for dealing with a lot of situations which result in crimes. I can't stop reading them, even though they are, many of them, profoundly disturbing. Yet somehow the empathy and simple style (very just the facts) of the narration makes even deeply upsetting content seem somehow humane instead of lurid and awful.
December 16, 2013
Also read this while reading the masterpiece 'Devils Disciples' and on the back of the author's Collini Case. These are court cases, perhaps drawn from the author's personal expériences. Again well translated and vivid accounts. Makes it clear that all types can fall foul of the law or perpetrate a crime which ordinarily they would seem a long shot to commit. Excellent.
May 12, 2014
Impressive! This is a very powerful book, allowing you a glimpse of real life as a lawyer and his cases...I sometimes found it hard to believe that things like that could really happen and once in a while, it made me shudder with fearful amazement...especially the case with the cannibalistic boyfriend!!
July 31, 2016
I enjoyed this collection of short stories quite a bit. They are all narrated by a German criminal defense attorney. These are not mysteries but stories of how people's lives lead them to a criminal moment. They were interesting and different. All of them had a ring of truth. I highly recommend this collection.
May 7, 2023
Diverse stories of cases this German lawyer has had. The crimes range from premeditated murder, to self defense, to petty thefts. Most of the story is the background and not the actual trials. Very interesting, in most cases, as to how things turned out.
Excellent translation, as the stories flow in English.
Excellent translation, as the stories flow in English.
November 2, 2013
One of the most compelling reads I have ever read.
Although some of it is incredibly dark it still draws you in. It is all written in a clear style but this just adds to the feeling you are being told these stories directly by the narrator.
Although some of it is incredibly dark it still draws you in. It is all written in a clear style but this just adds to the feeling you are being told these stories directly by the narrator.
April 19, 2014
amazing read if you like true crime/detective type nonfiction. He explains his cases in a very compelling way, each story vastly different than the previous one and many with twists that you can't see coming at all. LOVE IT. Wish it was a TV show...going to read more of his books for sure.
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