Strafe: Stories

The third story collection by Ferdinand von Schirach, Strafe, is a collection of twelve breathtaking and self-contained stories that revolve around death, crime, and human life. Von Schirach was once a criminal defense lawyer and now as a writer deals with the circumstances that led his characters to their actions.

In the story "The Friend", two old friends meet after many years without contact. One of them, Richard, is now drug-dependent and visibly at the end of his tether. At their next meeting, he tells his friend that his wife Sheryl was killed in Central Park and feels guilty about it. Shortly thereafter, he commits suicide. With Richard's voice, the author brings together the ideas of his three story collections.

Schirach's stories are characterized by a simple beauty and smart observations that leave the reader speechless again and again. The language is straightforward and concise, without a word too much or out of place. In just a few sentences, the author sketches images that burn into the memory of the reader for a long time.

Strafe is an impressive work that prompts the reader to reflect on crime and punishment and to grapple with the question of whether it really exists or is merely an illusion. A must-read for anyone interested in human life and its abysses.