Scan barcode
A review by tomleetang
The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum by Heinrich Böll, Leila Vennewitz
3.0
A methodical, passionate denunciation of corrupt journalistic practices and the thoughtless (sometimes malicious and dangerous) incitement of the populace by the media. The way the novel's reporters paraphrase quotes is shocking, and the lack of journalistic integrity is so severe as to seem an anachronism - and yet less than two years ago there was the highly publicised revelation that one of Germany's most respected publications, Der Spiegel, had published several stories composed almost entirely of falsehoods.
Boll's language seems purposefully to obfuscate meaning, the dry, stilted words of the 'reports' impeding clarity, as if to show that even 'facts,' when disarranged, can conceal overarching truth.
The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum is a disturbing book to read: the sexual harassment is unrelenting, to the extent that Katharina's desperation to believe in a barely-there romance gets more and more believable as the novel goes on. Yet, it is the woman who is made the scapegoat for the unwelcome advances of the numerous men.
Boll's language seems purposefully to obfuscate meaning, the dry, stilted words of the 'reports' impeding clarity, as if to show that even 'facts,' when disarranged, can conceal overarching truth.
The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum is a disturbing book to read: the sexual harassment is unrelenting, to the extent that Katharina's desperation to believe in a barely-there romance gets more and more believable as the novel goes on. Yet, it is the woman who is made the scapegoat for the unwelcome advances of the numerous men.