A young woman’s reputation is destroyed by a journalist working for a tabloid newspaper after she is questioned by the police about her connection to a wanted criminal. Not only is she subsequently threatened through anonymous telephone calls and letters, but her family and acquaintances are also dragged into the affair by the newspaper.
Böll wrote this book in the 70s because he was angry at a certain German tabloid that was and is notorious for its inaccurate and sensationalist reporting and that does not care about the possible consequences for its victims. The story is deeply mired in the political climate of Western Germany during this time period with its paranoia triggered by the terror of the RAF and the value put on the freedom of press. Nonetheless, everything it says about the power of bad or false reporting destroying people’s lives, not only through the lies it spreads but also the readership living in a bubble and believing everything it reads from disreputable sources is as relevant today as it was then. Additionally, the question is posed where the freedom of press infringes on the rights of the individual and what it means to be a person of public interest.
Another angle in all this is the police investigation. The leading investigator has a theory about Katharina’s involvement with the criminal and he is only looking for clues to confirm his suspicions. He doesn’t care that everything points to her not being involved in any crimes, he just wants to be right. The fact that she is a principled and proud woman that routinely rejects men’s unwanted advances and doesn’t conform to the police’s expectations means that she can’t win no matter what she does. The policemen see her as humourless, prudish, and pedantic, and their and other men’s casual and habitual misogyny is horrendous and infuriating but sadly realistic. The infringement on privacy rights by the police is also brought up, because they seem to put wiretaps on people’s phones for flimsy reasons quite regularly.
That the topics examined in this book were hugely important to Böll is pretty obvious, because his tone in writing is absolutely scathing and his bitterness and anger come through clearly. From the onset it is blatant that he loathes the police, the so-called journalists of the tabloids, the politicians and well-connected men that always land on their feet because of their networks, and also the small-minded, envious people who make up the core of the tabloids’ readership and who cannot wait to tear someone down. There’s some humour in it, but it’s of the blackest and most venomous variety. Furthermore Böll styled and structured the book like an investigative report, and although it removes the reader a little from the events emotionally it didn’t stop me from empathizing with Katharina and her supporters.
I enjoyed the book a lot because I appreciate the number of important topics touched upon in what is a really short book, and although much of the narrative is seemingly straightforward, there are subtle and numerous layers everywhere and some revelations in later chapters that you don’t see coming.