Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, or How Violence Develops and Where it Can Lead

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, or How Violence Develops and Where it Can Lead by Heinrich Böll, Kurt Andersen, Leila Vennewitz

5 reviews

ki_er_on's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

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not_another_ana's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

"Who reads those anyway? Everyone I know reads the News!"

Average housekeeper Katharina Blum becomes the target of sensationalist tabloids and rabid journalists after a meeting with a dangerous man makes her a person of interest to the police. While initially cooperative and willing to talk, the attacks on her character by the papers and the public perception turning on her slowly chip away at her sanity until violence becomes the only answer to her torment with horrible consequences.

RIP Heinrich Böll you would have hated the current state of journalism and social media. This book is a criticism of the press and the lengths many will go to sell content. It's a text that asks what is really news and what is tabloid journalism, how far can we really push freedom of speech, and who pays the consequences of rampant misinformation. Katharina Blum's life is completely destroyed by selective editing of her, and others, statements, by journalists hounding her and doxxing her, but also by the police and government's lack of action.

This book will strike its readers as current and topical, nowadays with social media we've seen similar situations. In fact, it's even worse today due to the reach of digital platforms and the fact that anyone can just say anything on the internet (and I'm not even going to get into AI and its misuses). That was mainly my takeaway from this, how the book felt like it could have been written today and how nothing much has changed, specifically when it comes to laws regarding these kinds of defamation and character assassination. While I liked the moral I did not enjoy the book. I understand why it was written that way, but I didn't care much for it. Good message and I still recommend reading it just not a favorite.

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