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sinja's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
chokherbaly's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nugat's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kadyofbooks's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Ich bin einfach froh, dieses Buch doch noch beendet zu haben. Ich hab schon fast nicht mehr damit gerechnet, es dieses Jahr noch zu schaffen...
Mich hat leider der Schreibstil dieses Mal gar nicht abgeholt und die Geschichte wurde gefühlt 3 Mal erzählt, was mich verwirrt hat. Die letzten Bücher von Dürrenmatt mochte ich, aber dieses konnte mich definitiv nicht abholen. Der Erzähler ist die meiste Zeit Felix Spät, ein Anwalt, der allerdings meist betrunken ist. So springt die Erzählung durch die Zeit und hat mich mehr verwirrt als das irgendwas anderes passiert ist...
Mich hat leider der Schreibstil dieses Mal gar nicht abgeholt und die Geschichte wurde gefühlt 3 Mal erzählt, was mich verwirrt hat. Die letzten Bücher von Dürrenmatt mochte ich, aber dieses konnte mich definitiv nicht abholen. Der Erzähler ist die meiste Zeit Felix Spät, ein Anwalt, der allerdings meist betrunken ist. So springt die Erzählung durch die Zeit und hat mich mehr verwirrt als das irgendwas anderes passiert ist...
willsouth's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
martieilibri's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
flexluthor's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was fine. It was a pretty good noir, with some more "thoughtful" things to say about crime and the effectiveness of punishment in western society. Much of the book for me was carried by the whirlwind pace through a huge cast of characters and locations. I felt the more esoteric meaning of the book was somewhat undercut by the strange whodunit ending tacked on to a book that really neither needed nor deserved one, but alas.
johannashorn's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
catandherbooks's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
annabanana96's review against another edition
4.0
Dürrenmatt's works are world class literature. You'll either like his grotesque, confused no-BS style of writing in this novel or you won't.
Therefore, I'll limit this review on how I experienced the book and am not judging it as good or bad. The novel is about justice and the justice system (which aren't necessarily the same thing), the corruption and foulness of the middle class Swiss society, the confusing and mad world Dürrenmatt experiences, and how prone to manipulation and naive society is. So naive, as to question a murder happening in a full cafe in broad daylight.
It is a novel in which none of the characters are really likeable or good; the narrator is an alcoholic getting ready to commit murder... All the women are sexually loose, the men drink too much, are corrupt, brutal or disillusioned. Rape and murder occur. Also: Don't expect to "fall into" this story; you're not supposed to forget you're reading a story.
What I really enjoyed are the meticulous, precise and intelligent character studies. The dialogues are short and crisp, not one superfluous word. They fit perfectly to the abstruse situations in which the narrator finds himself.
The narrator, a drunk young lawyer, writes the story in one go, talking to the reader, explaining himself and his actions. The noble ones and the evil ones. The style of writing therefore is confused and non-chronological. However, drunk people are honest, brutally honest in this case. Incredibly long sentences are paired with a few incredibly short ones. You, the reader, must give this book your full attention to discover the pure genius in every sentence.
Therefore, I'll limit this review on how I experienced the book and am not judging it as good or bad. The novel is about justice and the justice system (which aren't necessarily the same thing), the corruption and foulness of the middle class Swiss society, the confusing and mad world Dürrenmatt experiences, and how prone to manipulation and naive society is. So naive, as to question a murder happening in a full cafe in broad daylight.
It is a novel in which none of the characters are really likeable or good; the narrator is an alcoholic getting ready to commit murder... All the women are sexually loose, the men drink too much, are corrupt, brutal or disillusioned. Rape and murder occur. Also: Don't expect to "fall into" this story; you're not supposed to forget you're reading a story.
What I really enjoyed are the meticulous, precise and intelligent character studies. The dialogues are short and crisp, not one superfluous word. They fit perfectly to the abstruse situations in which the narrator finds himself.
The narrator, a drunk young lawyer, writes the story in one go, talking to the reader, explaining himself and his actions. The noble ones and the evil ones. The style of writing therefore is confused and non-chronological. However, drunk people are honest, brutally honest in this case. Incredibly long sentences are paired with a few incredibly short ones. You, the reader, must give this book your full attention to discover the pure genius in every sentence.