A colleague raved about Ferdinand von Schirach, and a good friend said he can sure write a story. So when I found this lovely btb pocket edition that’s smaller than most phones these days, I thought, let’s try him.
Strafe — translated as Punishment by Katharina Hall (Baskerville 2022) — is the third in a series that starts with Verbrechen/Crime, then Schuld/Guilt. The stories are short. A dozen in this collection show how the justice system fails when the letter of the law suceeds. Or how some escape punishment altogether, or are punished regardless.
The intention may well have been to show what human nature is like. But it’s a very particular view of that. I did catch my breath at times at twists and terror, though I’m not sure how well I’ll remember the tales in half a year. Because the whole thing is somehow too easy, like the detective stories on TV — crime, context and explanation all wrapped up in so many minutes.
On a train or a tram though, take this out of your pocket and plunge into a story. It’ll immerse you for just long enough that you won’t miss your stop.
Translator, editor, writer, reader
found in translation 
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