Second up …
The Lost Honour of Katerina Blum
(or How violence develops and where it can lead)
by Heinrich Böll
Although an old favourite, I had either never noticed or forgotten this book’s subtitle. All his books carry a political message, and this one no less than the others. KB is an ordinary person who, by an innocent association with a wanted criminal, is maliciously slandered by the tabloid press. It seems that Böll himself had a very poor relationship with the German publisher Springer, so he pulls no punches in his description of press carry-on.
We are in the hands of a Nobel laureate here and he doesn’t let us down. Told in the style of a report, it is sometimes opinionated, sometimes detached, always Böll. The humour is black and caustic. Everybody suffers, including the journalist.
Returning to it after more than 30 years, I was a little disappointed; presumably I’ve become worldly-wise in the interim. Nevertheless, at about 150 pages, it is a very nice introduction to Heinrich Böll.