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Interview with a Cannibal: The Secret Life of the Monster of Rotenburg
If you saw him in the street, he wouldn't rate a second glance. Armin Meiwes looks ordinary, but he's not; Meiwes is a cannibal.
In March 2001, he killed a man and ate him with a glass of fine red wine. When a shocked worldwide public learned of this inconceivable crime, they had one simple question: Why?
In Interview With a Cannibal, we begin to understand how two hitherto respectable and intelligent men, Armin Meiwes and Bernd Brandes, made an unwritten agreement in which one of them butchered the other, at his request, and consumed him . . . piece by piece.
In March 2001, he killed a man and ate him with a glass of fine red wine. When a shocked worldwide public learned of this inconceivable crime, they had one simple question: Why?
In Interview With a Cannibal, we begin to understand how two hitherto respectable and intelligent men, Armin Meiwes and Bernd Brandes, made an unwritten agreement in which one of them butchered the other, at his request, and consumed him . . . piece by piece.
362 pages, Hardcover
Published November 1, 2008
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158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 3, 2013
The problem with true crime books (and I say this as a reader of many of them) is that they walk a fine line between playing them up as a Lifetime movie of the week or a cautionary tale. This book tried to play it both ways, I think.
The author stated he wanted objectivity, which is admirable but painfully difficult to do in a book where a lot of content comes from interviews between the author and the subject. Furthermore, as a secular person, the insertion of God and scripture seemed to be authorial self-insertion in the highest.
Cap it all off with Pat Brown's hand to bosom psychological profile (that was about 50% psychology and 50% fearmongering), and I feel Stampf only partly achieved his goal.
That being said: he did do a remarkable job of compiling facts and interviewing. It really is a good read for those who are interested in abnormal psychology, for those who find true crime like a scab they can't stop itching.
I truly DON'T know how this book made me feel, which is likely a good thing; I'd be alarmed if I'd loved it too much. In that, Stampf DID do what he wanted. Well played, Sir.
The author stated he wanted objectivity, which is admirable but painfully difficult to do in a book where a lot of content comes from interviews between the author and the subject. Furthermore, as a secular person, the insertion of God and scripture seemed to be authorial self-insertion in the highest.
Cap it all off with Pat Brown's hand to bosom psychological profile (that was about 50% psychology and 50% fearmongering), and I feel Stampf only partly achieved his goal.
That being said: he did do a remarkable job of compiling facts and interviewing. It really is a good read for those who are interested in abnormal psychology, for those who find true crime like a scab they can't stop itching.
I truly DON'T know how this book made me feel, which is likely a good thing; I'd be alarmed if I'd loved it too much. In that, Stampf DID do what he wanted. Well played, Sir.
March 10, 2022
I defy you to find anything crazier than this story. If you ever write something really really insane and someone tells you "That could never happen" just point them to this true crime story.
January 26, 2013
RE ARMIN MEIWES - SADIST AND MULTIPLE MURDERER
As a psychological thriller writer and crime researcher, this book is an integral addition to my research library. My fourth manuscript deals with a serialistic cannibal, so having an inside look into the mindset of this murderer based upon Stampf's investigation and interviews, is essential in making this writer's story as realistic as it can be within the context of a fictional book. This as well as many other books on the subject reveals the psycho-sexual motivations from youth through to the conclusion of Meiwes crimes when arrested. Even though cannibals are motivated my divergent reasons as well as affected by their familial upbringing and even possible genetic predispositions as theorized by many in the fields of criminology, criminal profiling, as well as other related fields, the insight into this specific individual's abnormal psyche provides ample information into the creation of this most heinous and brutal sadist that would make the Marquis de Sade seem like an alter boy, Meiwes' obsession with the consumption of human flesh--similar to Dennis Nilsen who, albeit having no interest in consuming flesh, both multiple murderers were motivated by the need for intimacy, as much as any serial killer can acquire within the scope of their psychopathy, and the comfort by the presence of their dead victims, never abandoning them, that is, until the body's decomposition process was even too much for him to bear, there is irony on the one hand in viewing human beings as nothing more than objects, yet on the other hand, the victims provided a sense of companionship that only a psychopath can comprehend. One can't get any closer to this cannibal without him making a meal out of you and survive.
Edited, Introduced, and Profiled by Criminal Profiler Pat Brown, this is one book that is essential to every profession in crime-related fields as well as writers who deal with the subjects of serial killers, criminal profiling, and sexual homicide.
Kat McLaughlin
DINNER BELL MANUSCRIPT
The Jordan Ireland Series
As a psychological thriller writer and crime researcher, this book is an integral addition to my research library. My fourth manuscript deals with a serialistic cannibal, so having an inside look into the mindset of this murderer based upon Stampf's investigation and interviews, is essential in making this writer's story as realistic as it can be within the context of a fictional book. This as well as many other books on the subject reveals the psycho-sexual motivations from youth through to the conclusion of Meiwes crimes when arrested. Even though cannibals are motivated my divergent reasons as well as affected by their familial upbringing and even possible genetic predispositions as theorized by many in the fields of criminology, criminal profiling, as well as other related fields, the insight into this specific individual's abnormal psyche provides ample information into the creation of this most heinous and brutal sadist that would make the Marquis de Sade seem like an alter boy, Meiwes' obsession with the consumption of human flesh--similar to Dennis Nilsen who, albeit having no interest in consuming flesh, both multiple murderers were motivated by the need for intimacy, as much as any serial killer can acquire within the scope of their psychopathy, and the comfort by the presence of their dead victims, never abandoning them, that is, until the body's decomposition process was even too much for him to bear, there is irony on the one hand in viewing human beings as nothing more than objects, yet on the other hand, the victims provided a sense of companionship that only a psychopath can comprehend. One can't get any closer to this cannibal without him making a meal out of you and survive.
Edited, Introduced, and Profiled by Criminal Profiler Pat Brown, this is one book that is essential to every profession in crime-related fields as well as writers who deal with the subjects of serial killers, criminal profiling, and sexual homicide.
Kat McLaughlin
DINNER BELL MANUSCRIPT
The Jordan Ireland Series
August 12, 2018
Wow. Above and beyond the fact that Armin Meiwes solicited on the internet for a butchering victim, then killed and ate that victim, this was a well-written book. It outlines the history of Meiwes's life, and his strange relationship he had with his mother.
Toward the end of the book, as the story was winding down, I decided to read some of the reviews on Goodreads. One of the reviews expressed dismay at the religious bent of the book. At that time, I was befuddled at this review, because there are only occasional bible passages at the end of some of the chapters. Then I read the last chapter. Yup...there it was...the religious angle. I think that Stampf could have completed the book on a strong point without having to include his religious beliefs. But he did. The book is none the worse for this, but I don't see the point.
All in all it was a good book, well written, and an interesting story. Armin Meiwes is strange, to say the least. But it's not until you watch a video interview of him that you get the feel for how creepy he is.
Toward the end of the book, as the story was winding down, I decided to read some of the reviews on Goodreads. One of the reviews expressed dismay at the religious bent of the book. At that time, I was befuddled at this review, because there are only occasional bible passages at the end of some of the chapters. Then I read the last chapter. Yup...there it was...the religious angle. I think that Stampf could have completed the book on a strong point without having to include his religious beliefs. But he did. The book is none the worse for this, but I don't see the point.
All in all it was a good book, well written, and an interesting story. Armin Meiwes is strange, to say the least. But it's not until you watch a video interview of him that you get the feel for how creepy he is.
October 9, 2018
The insight into Miew's mind and crime is incredible. However, the author's personal and religous opinions often tint the facts and lead him to make assumptions. This only brought my enjoyment of the book down slightly.
June 6, 2025
A lurid book disguising itself as a morality/cautionary tale, the storytelling and any deeper understanding constantly hindered by the author’s ranting efforts to depict himself on a mission from god. It’s also somewhat an anti-true-crime book: everything is clear from the beginning, everything is laid bare, every detail is visible under a bright neon office light, but the lighting bounces off and goes no further than the surfaces. A simple transcription of the most relevant court records would have been more valuable.
December 13, 2024
A very interesting case. A very interesting book. In Germany this book was first censored later destroyed as Meives sued the author.
A man with a strange fetish finds another man on the internet, they chat, meet and...
There's some unusual references to author's religion, which didn't stop him from commiting suicide.
A trip into human darkness.
A man with a strange fetish finds another man on the internet, they chat, meet and...
There's some unusual references to author's religion, which didn't stop him from commiting suicide.
A trip into human darkness.
February 5, 2022
this was a good book and very insightful. wasn't super into all the religious stuff at the end, though, and some of the descriptions of places were way longer than they needed to be (a whole page describing a train station and it's history???) but overall i enjoyed it
April 17, 2019
I found this book to be very interesting and fairly well written, but the Bible quotes (plus the author's seemingly irresistible urge to moralize) got on my nerves in a big way.
October 10, 2012
Eh. The author of this book is obviously religious and felt the need to pontificate on the evil-ness of the cannibal and expressing how much he just can't relate to the monster across from him.
Don't get me wrong I agree that killing a person and eating them is really heinous. But it felt like the author was trying to pump up the horror instead of delve into the whys and motivations of the crime, and he mocked any steps the cannibal was taking to deal with his own demons.
Also, any homosexual acts the prisoner partook in were described as "repulsive" and were never described in any detail whatsoever by the author, so as to "spare us" the disgust he had to suffer through hearing about them.
Of course he had no problem describing the slaughter of the victim in extreme detail. Talking about anal sex or fellatio between two men is repulsive, but it's ok to graphically describe how someone chops off someone's penis.
Lame.
January 16, 2016
An extraordinary read. The killer himself is remarkably comfortable talking about his issues. The journalist is questioning the very fabric of his reality and ending every chapter with applicable Bible passages, out of what may be either sober reflection or superstitious dread. The public at large doesn't know whether to laugh or scream. The psychological profile added by Pat Brown at the end of the book is a study in poorly-thought-out oversimplification, and dang, there's that whiff of superstitious dread again! Amazing that the killer shows more compassion and insight into his victim than anyone else in the story. I will turn to this one again and again, because of the good writing, the depth of the reportage and the all-important reminder not to try to cram a living person into a tiny, boxlike category. This book is a real achievement.
May 17, 2015
It is hard to shock me and even harder to repulse me... And this book managed both. The writing style and attention to detail in this biography were excellent and I enjoyed reading as much as I could. However, the subject matter was beyond my willingness to read any further. If you can handle dealing with the very depth of human depravity, then read this book. The psychopathy behind Mr Miewes was fascinating to me but I had to draw the line somewhere.
January 22, 2014
I'm really enjoying this. I am studying Armin Meiwes as part of a uni project and this book is giving me a lot of insight into his world.
On the other hand, I don't think much of the translation and the author is very judgemental, despite trying to be impartial. A lot of details are censored, and I'm sure not all of them can be as bad as some of the fiction that gets published.
On the other hand, I don't think much of the translation and the author is very judgemental, despite trying to be impartial. A lot of details are censored, and I'm sure not all of them can be as bad as some of the fiction that gets published.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews