Tabu

by Ferdinand von Schirach

En kunstner og en advokat forsøker å forstå hva sannhet er. Ferdinand von Schirachs nye bok er en kunstnerroman, et rettsdrama og en beskrivelse av store dyp i mennesket.Sebastian von Eschburg vokser opp i en gammel adelsfamilie der barn verken skal ses eller høres. Han er åtte år da han første gang får spise middag sammen med foreldrene, og ti da han blir plassert på kostskolen hvor både faren og bestefaren gikk. En kveld mens han er hjemme på sommerferie, våkner Sebastian av et smell. Faren har skutt seg.De neste årene begraver Sebastian seg i kostskolens bibliotek. Som voksen prøver han å finne et fotfeste i kunsten. Med fotografier og videoinstallasjoner vil han vise at virkelighet og sannhet er to ulike ting. Alt handler om skjønnhet, sex og menneskets ensomhet.Da Sebastian von Eschburg blir tiltalt for å ha drept en ung kvinne, tar den hjertesyke, sigarillodampende advokaten Konrad Biegler på seg forsvaret. Ved å hjelpe kunstneren ser Biegler en mulighet til å redde seg selv. Men hvordan forsvarer man en mann som mener det er likegyldig om han har slått ihjel eller ikke? Ferdinand von Schirachs nye roman Tabu byr på et spennende rettsdrama med uventede vendinger, skrevet i forfatterens umiskjennelige kortfattede stil. Men det er også mye mer: Schirach har denne gang skrevet en poetisk og berørende roman om et helt liv.

Genres: Fiction, Crime, German Literature, Thriller, Mystery, Roman, Novels

213 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2013

About the author

Ferdinand von Schirach (born 1964 in Munich) is a German lawyer and writer. He published his first short stories at the age of forty-five. Shortly thereafter he became one of Germany's most successful authors. His books, which have been translated into more than 35 languages, have sold millions of copies worldwide and have made him an internationally celebrated star of German literature.

Reviews

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

A game of two halves sums this novella up perfectly and after reading The Collini Case I wasn't expecting an easy ride and I am afraid this left me confounded. The first half of the novel tells of the once wealthy family of Sebastian von Eschburg, born into a now crumbling ruin filled with curios and the spoils of their years as hunters and travellers. Born into a loveless marriage, Sebastian is largely ignored by his parents and their interactions with him are united in a coldness which has left him rather aloof and unreachable. Detailing his ten-years at boarding school, his father's suicide and his mother rejection, this first half charts his rise to notoriety in the art world, first through his photography and later with his eccentric art-installations.

The second half is all-change, and from the crisp prose of the start, things take a decidedly more convoluted path when von Eschburg is accused of abducting and murdering a young female, with nothing to support this except for a brief phone call to the police from the 'supposed' girl. With no body and no independent reports of a missing person this is where things went a little haywire for me. Enigmatic and unwilling to be drawn into conversation or discussion, Sebastian hires Konrad Beigler to construct his defence. A deviation via a threat of torture from an interrogating police officer puts a spanner in the works but as an increasingly arduous truth versus reality thread became the focus, I found The Girl Who Wasn't There left me untouched.

For a novella of 216 pages, I am afraid this one was a little too heavyweight for me and I came away mystified. If anyone can give me a quick and dirty synopsis of what I was supposed to learn then please feel free. I need enlightening!

[Emely Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
Ich bin ein wenig zwiegespalten...die erste Hälfte war teilweise einfach langweilig...zum Ende hin wurde es wieder spannend, vor allem mit dem Augenmerk auf das Thema Folter: Ist diese gerechtfertigt, um einen unschuldigen Menschen zu retten? Das Recht sagt eindeutig "Nein"! Aber was ist mit der Moral?

Ein Pluspunkt der Geschichte ist auf jeden Fall Strafverteidiger Biegler! Der Typ ist einfach genial!😎

Insgesamt leider aber für mich persönlich eins der schwächeren Bücher des Autors...

[Berengaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

(English below)
3 Sterne
Kühl und distanziert, fast gelangweilt, erzählt, dieser „Krimi" ist über lange Strecken fade und mit irrelevanten, alltäglichen Details der Hauptfigur gespickt.

Das ändert sich aber plötzlich kurz vor dem Ende, wenn man den Clou versteht. Gut, das ist überraschend und interessant, besonders von einem filosofischen Blickwinkel aus betrachtet,...aber nicht gut genug, um den Anfang zu verzeihen.

Die Hauptfiguren, Sebastian und Sophia, sind leider ziemliche Langweiler, trotz kunsterlischer Begabung und B-Promi Status. Der Held des Romans ist der Anwalt Biegler. Der ist eine der eindruckvollen Figuren, die ich jemals in einem deutschsprachigen Roman gelesen habe. Wäre nur er die Hauptfigur!

Man kann „Tabu" gut finden, aber mögen... schwierig.

--English --

Told in a cool, distanced, almost bored tone, this "mystery" is rather flat and full of irrelevant details about the characters' daily lives over long stretches

That changes suddenly about 50 pages before the end when you see the "point" of the whole drawn out misery. Fine, it's surprising and quite interesting... but way too little, way too late to forgive the first half of the novel.

The main characters, Sebastian and Sophia, are total bores, really, despite their artistic talents and B celeb status. The real hero of the story is the lawyer Biegler. He is one of the most impressively drawn characters I've ever met in a German language novel. If only the story were about him!

I agree with other reviewers. You can find this novel good, but you probably won't like it.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right. The Girl Who Wasnt There. It's an apt title.

I'm going to struggle to review this one because I really liked it but it drove me beautifully mad. And if you want me to lay out the reasons for why I liked it I'll be hard pressed to do so.

The story is a straightforward family drama really. The first half deals with a boy who has a difficult childhood and grows up to be a photographer/artist whose strangeness is, well strange. Actually this whole book has a strange feeling about it - a kind of weird "other" vibe all the way through.

Then the second half of the book turns into a legal drama come murder mystery. Kind of. Difficult to say much else without spoilers. And really up until that point not a lot happens at any kind of pace and yet it is so compelling that you keep turning the pages anyway.

After that point things fairly rocket along to the end - an end that had me re-thinking everything that had gone before it. Not because it was a complicated solution but because it was a simple one. The author has themes of reality and perception running through the narrative that resolve themselves ultimately in a rather erm strange way.

Yes ok I've used the word strange a lot. But that was how it struck me. It is a tale of two halves, the first being fairly slow yet gripping the second being darkly humerous (the poor lawyer who ends up with the case, not sure he'll ever be the same again)and perhaps even more intriguing.

Would I recommend it? Yes. But I seriously can't tell you if you'll love it or not. Whether you do or don't it is a clever little tale. One that I think will stay with me.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wie immer - großartig! Mit Humor, Intelligenz und klarer Sprache hat Ferdinand von Schirach mich durch diesen Roman geführt und ich bin wieder einmal begeistert.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Coldly intellectual in a very European way, this book self-consciously juxtaposes questions of artistic truth or deception with legal definitions of the same.

There's a lengthy preamble which takes up about half of this short book which ranges through the boyhood and youth of our odd protagonist and his artistic career: Sebastian is cold, possibly somewhere on the autism spectrum, and obsessed with colour in almost a synaesthesic way.

Then the second half involves a court case where police, lawyers and judge put Sebastian on trial for a purported murder of a girl despite there being no body or proof that a killing has in fact taken place (is there no habeas corpus in German law?). With a long digression on the use of torture in police confessions, it's not easy to fit the two halves of the book together.

Von Schirach writes in a flat way with lots of reported indirect speech which doesn't make it easy to engage with the intellectual discussions at work here. Ultimately the book seems to be asking questions about subjectivity and who decides what is 'real' in society - but gosh, this is a dry way of going about it!

[zeitlos_lesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 🌟

[Bren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Después de Terror, este me parece el segundo mejor libro de este autor, tiene una historia un tanto asfixiante, con un protagonista muy complicado y nada fácil de comprender.

Un buen día es acusado de un asesinato, no hay cuerpo, pero hay indicios y es ahí, que casualmente es un poco más del 50% del libro, donde comienza lo más interesante de esta historia.

Si bien toda la primera parte podría resultar en una historia algo complicada y asfixiante, pero para nada interesante, es indispensable como antecedentes para lo que va a suceder en el juicio, para poder comprender a Sebastian von Eschburg un fotógrafo internacional y reconocido, solitario y torturado por su pasado, que es acusado de asesinato.

Como siempre Ferdinand von Schirach nos trae a colación una situación jurídica, donde nada es lo que parece y que por supuesto lo que se impone ante el crimen o situación planteada en el juzgado es la ley, su aplicación lógica y donde, cuando ésta funciona como debería y tanto abogado defensor, como fiscal hacen su trabajo, aplican la ley y entonces se hace justicia.

Aquí lo que me ha parecido realmente curioso son dos cosas, la primera que este libro está basado en hechos reales y la segunda el final del libro, creo que en ningún momento podría haberme imaginado en lo que esto resultó, increíble de lo que son capaces algunas personas.

Leer a este autor siempre me deja muy buen sabor de boca, me gusta su estilo narrativo, me encanta lo que siempre tiene que contar, me fascina saber que en la mayoría de sus libros (con excepción de Terror) todo lo que nos relata siempre son casos reales, donde uno no puede más que siempre pensar en que la realidad supera a la ficción y en casos como el de este libro, es por mucho.

Ahora a sentarme a esperar como agua de mayo la siguiente publicación de este autor, cada libro lo disfruto mucho, son muy cortos, todos y se me hacen aún más cortos a la hora de leerlos.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

first of all, it's NOT the kindle edition. I hate that all editions are combined at this site, but what can you do?

basic plot etc you can find at my online reading journal's crime page, without as much of a hint as to why you will seriously do a double take after finishing it.

This is one of the most darkly claustrophobic novels I've read in a while (a feeling I loved while reading it) and sadly, it's also one where I can't say too much without ruining things. This is a good novel that takes reader expectations and turns them on their heads in a very big way. Its main focus is on truth and reality; however, having read von Schirach before, I'm not surprised to see his ongoing themes of the nature of crime, the judicial process, and the nature of guilt repeated in this novel.

The way this book is set up is genius, but again I can't say why. I will say that long before this story was over I had figured things out (hoping as usual that I was wrong) -- but not the who or the how, and I was still blown away. Throughout the book I was entirely wrapped up in the main character's world of darkness and pain and truthfully, I enjoyed the getting there more than the reveal of the actual solution. von Schirach is a great storyteller, and while this book is very different than his The Collini Case, which I absolutely loved, there are a number of the same elements that are explored in The Girl Who Wasn't There. This is an incredibly intelligent novel that demands a reread -- and after the second time through, the book made much more sense. What the author does here is so different than the norm that it was actually refreshing from a reader point of view. It is also one of the better books I've read so far this year and is certainly a candidate for favorite books of 2015. Definitely recommended.

[David Ramirer · Rating 3 out of 5]

schirach hat wirklich seine qualitäten: er kann in wenigen worten mehr sagen, als andere in ganzen absätzen; er scheut sich nicht, auch schwierige themen anzugehen; er schildert seine personen mit viel verständnis und humor; er hat teilweise sehr große sachkenntnis und recherchiert gründlich; seine bücher sind leicht lesbar.

leider aber ist ein roman nicht die ideale form für seine ideen. seine kurzgeschichtenbände "schuld" und "verbrechen" entsprechen seinem wesen mehr, das vignettenhafte kommt schirachs sprache mehr entgegen, eben weil schon so wenig bei ihm schon sehr viel sein kann - auch deshalb zerfällt "tabu" in einzelne episoden, die sich am ende nicht wirklich fügen wollen, auseinanderstreben, nicht zusammenfinden, nur lose durch ein bild am ende ihren zusammenhalt bekommen, was für mich zu wenig ist.
das ist einerseits schade, weil die themen, die er in diesem buch umzusetzen versucht, sehr große themen sind (die suche nach wahrheit und die bessenheit von ihr) und auch im täglichen leben immer wieder eine rolle spielen. andererseits sagt er in diesem buch (erneut), was er zu diesen themen zu sagen hat, und macht das auf durchaus unterhaltsame art und weise, die auch zum nachdenken anregt... dafür dann doch drei sterne.

zwei sterne abzug deswegen, weil schirach es verabsäumt, einige wesentliche frage des handlungsverlaufes aufzulösen, ein wenig mehr in die tiefe zu gehen und im ende in einigen punkten vernebelt bleibt: woran auch immer das liegen mag - es zieht den roman qualitativ nach unten, was ich sehr schade finde.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve seen this book described as a gripping thriller, a court-room drama, but for me it fell far short of that, and I really felt that overall it didn’t add up to much. The first half of the book is very good. It describes the childhood of Sebastian von Eschburg and his evolution into an acclaimed and controversial artist, who creates often disturbing photographs and installations. I found this first part very readable and absorbing. But then he is accused of a murder and the second half of the book describes the court case, and this I found neither thrilling nor dramatic. I can see that the book is very much a mediation on truth and reality, deception and honesty, and where the line is drawn, but the flat and low-key style does not draw the reader in, and as the narrative continues von Eschburg becomes more enigmatic and less sympathetic. The story is quite intriguing and original and it certainly held my attention, but it didn’t fully engage me.

[Lukas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typisch Schirach einfach gut erzählte Geschichte!

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel's style set itself apart from any book I've read this year. It's lyrically spare, with no expendable details or dialog. Written by one of the top defense attorney's in Munich, it feels very German, and has an art-world theme to it, as if John Grisham decided to write an treaty on murder and abstract expressionism. The main character suffers from visual synesthesia (no one knows)which impacts the way he interacts with other people in a negative way; again, no one knows what's wrong with him but they know something is a bit off, and he grows up to be a highly acclaimed and poorly understood photographer/artist. When he's accused of killing a young girl and hiding her body, the plot shifts into high gear.

The author takes great pains to get into the minutia of photography, color, and how what we see affects our lives. Do our eyes tell the truth? An what exactly is guilt? I read it in two days, it was mesmerizing. Highly recommended.

[Marina Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was supposed to review this one as a crime novel. But it's really not. The main character is accused of murder and we do have a bit of a courtroom drama, but this is a poetic, laconic meditation about life and death, truth and reality, beauty and truth, and the ephemereal nature of it all. Beautiful style, reminding me initially of The Buddenbrooks, but then more of Durrenmatt's Inspector Barlach mysteries.
There is a jarring disconnect between the first half of the book, describing Sebastian's childhood and rise to fame, and the second, dealing with the crime. I much preferred the first part, but the second was a strange dream-like experience, trapdoor after trapdoor, fake walls - very theatrical and disconcerting.
Unusual and very much worth a reread.

[sina.liest · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich habe mich immer geweigert das Buch abzubrechen, da Schirach gerade am Ende immer noch einen Trumpf im Ärmel hat. Aber Nö. Das war nichts. Das Buch fühlte sich sehr gestreckt an, viele Szenen waren unnötig, es war einfach langweilig. Und das Ende war auch lahm und konnte mir nicht den erhofften Trumpf geben.

[Jose Affejägerrufus · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wir glauben, was wir tun, sei wichtig, und wir würden etwas bedeuten. Wir glauben, wir wären sicher, die Liebe wäre sicher... Wir glauben daran, weil es nicht anders geht"

Ein Buch, das etwas anders ist, klug und mit klaren Sätzen.

[Mehtap exotiquetv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Künstler wächst in einer toxischen Familie auf, die durch den Selbstmord des Stiefvaters besiegelt wird. Diese Erlebnisse prägen den Protagonisten Eschburg.
Er versucht seine Identität zu finden, indem er sich der Fotokunst begibt.

Sein Leben nimmt eine Wendung an, als eine Frau bei der Polizei anruft und Eschburg der Entführung beschuldigt. Blutspuren und andere Hinweise erhärten die Vorwürfe, so dass ohne Leiche Eschburg als Mörder angeklagt wird.
Die Verteidigung übernimmt Biegler und hier wird diskutiert über Schuld und die Vorgänge der Polizei und wie sie Folter einsetzen.
Sehr spannende Wendung am Ende des Buches.

[A.K. Kulshreshth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A discussion thread from the Mystery, Crime and Thriller group pointed me to this rather strange book. I must admit that I had five stars in mind for it till mid-way, but ended up with four stars even though the the later part features an outstanding and charismatic "detective", the lawyer Konrad Biegler. I also felt that the title of this translation is a singularly bad choice.

In the beginning, Von Schirach's voice (assuming there was a little loss in translation, and noting that based on the way the story flowed the translation must be excellent) floored me. The protagonist Ecshburg's childhood is told in a rambling, atmospheric, and sensory way that is guaranteed displease readers who like writers to "stick to the point". I loved this and I liked that the voice didn't really change till the very end.

There were things that a prude might find not normal, including sequences describing some unorthodox acts. I did find them not normal as well, but perhaps that was the intent.

The biggest issue I had was with the sudden jettisoning of a character who has the point-of-view for a really short time, the public prosecutor . Not only did she lose the point of view, she also seemed to lose competence. The defence lawyer trounced her too roundly, and it wasn't very credible that he got so far ahead of the official investigative apparatus acting on his own . I also didn't like the amateurish resolution of the court-room drama.

This will remain a book I really loved for the writer's style, for the complex questions it raises, for its two outstandingly developed characters, and for its genre-bending. It's a pity that its flaws could have been easily removed with an editor working together with such an obviously great writer, but weren't.

I liked this review from Complete Reviews on the whole, though I disagree with some of their phrasing ("ham-fisted", "too clever by half").

[Magda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having just closed the last page of this very short novel I'm not sure if I liked it or was irritated. Perhaps a bit of both. The page numbers go to 216 but let's just say that there were more blank pages in this book than on some toilet rolls. Blank pages galore-very arty indeed Herr Von Schirach. Large font for old eyes and short chapters for low concentration. $29.99 in Australia. Half of the story is dedicated to the early life of the main character who I cannot seem to form an emotional attachment to. There is something curiously detached about the writing style - short almost syncopated sentences. While I know other readers will say that's what the character is like, detached, I find when the author shuts us out just a little too much, it's hard to know/like/sympathise...care. Much more irritating but in a similar vein was the girl with the Dragon Tattoo. When the defence lawyer enters the story and the story is more than half over, it dramatically picks up pace but also interest. Herr Von Schirach has penned a wonderful character in Konrad Biegler. Here is a character we can walk with and care. Is it because the author is himself a lawyer that he is able to get right inside Biegler? We can relate to his philsophical ponderings and daily living dilemmas. The resolution to the story is predictably weird but not really a surprise. The last few chapters (in my humble opinion) could have had much more dramatic impact given the build up. But what would I know, I'm a reader...There isn't really much suspense we just wait for the frustrating reveal at the end in this book. I have no idea who works for Dymocks Bookshop these days. Apparently it's one of their Top Picks!!! Really you guys?

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written and engagingly translated into a wonderful novel that all should read.
This is the story a young man,Sebastian von Eschburg, who seems strangly out of place; born into priviledge at a time when country estates couldn't be sustained. He has a loveless upbringing with disfunctional parents but somehow survives and finds a life for himself in photography.
The author wonderfully creates character in his books and here we have a clever creation in Sebastian von Eschburg, he is almosted underwritten and we never fully understand him. But we recognise his talent in his art and the marvellous trait to see things in colour which adds depth and a resonance to the whole story.
Half-way through the narrative a murder is committed, and the man we barely understand,Sebastian, confesses to the crime.
the second part of the book introduces us to an equally intriguing character in defence lawyer, Konrad Biegler who is a person I'd love to meet but might struggle to like.
The book is enjoyable, dark at times and addresses issues within the legal system and things we take for real. A clever, clever story.

[booksaretherealmagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 // Mir hat dieses Buch wirklich gut gefallen. Hat mir so ein bisschen 'Vom Ende der Einsamkeit'-Vibes gegeben, auch wenn es in der Handlung im Großen und Ganzen natürlich voneinander abweicht. Der erste Part war richtig gut, auch wenn das vermutlich nicht jede:r so sieht. Als das Gericht mit ins Spiel kam wurde es unglaublich spannend, aber vor allem beim Ende war es mir zu verworren. Etwas mehr Klarheit habe ich mir schon gewünscht.

[Franziska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story. Well written. Enjoyed it.

[Lorna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the writing style but i don't like the plot. The first half of the book is mostly just pointless drivel, even the back story ends up meaningless. The actual crime is glazed over and the trial could have been interesting but instead was very quickly solved. The only good thing about the ending is that it was the end and I had finished the book. The ending was so useless I'm still left with a million questions, including: What was the point in the first half of the book? What was the point in the 'murder'? What was the moral of the story, it clearly wants to have one but I just can't work it out!
I'm sure that lots of other people have got more out of this book than i have but overall i just really didn't like it. It's a shame because it really is beautifully written, it's just the story line that I found lacking

[GridGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second book by Schirach, the first being “The Collini Case” which I absolutely loved.
Even though this one had a lawsuit as its center point – just as the other book –, it was very different. And, once more, Schirach’s book was very different from everything I’ve read so far. His innovativeness is without equal in modern literature.
However, this novel just didn’t work for me in the same way “The Collini Case” did. I was still amazed by the resolution of the case, but I just couldn’t relate to this story as much. That’s already all I can say about this book. Other readers might have a very different experience, because in my opinion this just depends on personal preference.

3/5

[Weinlachgummi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dies war mein 3. Buch von Ferdinand von Schirach und leider bis jetzt auch das schwächste. Die Geschichte plätscherte leider für mich etwas dahin und nahm erst gegen Ende an fahrt auf. Manches habe ich einfach nicht so verstanden bzw. wieso dies erwähnt wurde, da es mir für die Handlung nicht als wichtig erschien.

Es werden interessante Gedanken aufgeworfen, was Schuld und Wahrheit angeht und auch die Würde des Menschen spielt hier wieder eine Rolle. Leider waren mir diese Gedanken(-spiele) schon aus Terror und die Würde ist unantastbar bekannt. So hatte ich nicht das Gefühl, wirklich etwas neues zu lesen, was ich schade fand. Denn die Handlung an sich konnte mich nicht wirklich packen.

[Gernot1610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar!

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessanter Fall aber wann hört es auf, Frauen das "Kompliment" zu geben, sie sähen noch aus wie Mädchen ¿

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sebastian von Eschburg verliert als Kind durch den Selbstmord seines Vaters den Halt. Er versucht, sich durch die Kunst zu retten. Er zeigt mit seinen Fotografien und Videoinstallationen, dass Wirklichkeit und Wahrheit verschiedene Dinge sind. Es geht um Schönheit, Sex und die Einsamkeit des Menschen. Als Eschburg vorgeworfen wird, eine junge Frau getötet zu haben, übernimmt Konrad Biegler die Verteidigung. Der alte Anwalt versucht, dem Künstler zu helfen – und damit sich selbst.

Der Anfang dieses Buchs hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Nach und nach gewann aber der Aspekt der Photographie und der Kunst an Raum. Damit kann ich leider nicht so viel anfangen. 

Etwa zur Mitte findet ein Perspektivenwechsel statt, der der Geschichte neuen Schwung verleiht.  

Insbesondere die am Ende aufgeworfenen moralischen Konfliktfragen zeichnen diesen Roman wohl aus. Ein Buch, was stark anfängt, sich dann eine Weile zieht und ab der Mitte zum Ende hin immer besser wird

[carlalouisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4
Was ist Ekel? Ist Ekel eine Reaktion auf Entlarvung? Oder doch einfach natürlich bei als grenzüberschreitenden Dingen?
Wie ekelig darf Kunst sein?
Das sind zumindest die Fragen , die ich mir gestellt habe. Bin ich ein Kulturbanause, weil mir bei manchen sehr spezifisch beschrieben Abschnitten schlecht wurde ? Erkenne ich dabei die Abgründe des Menschen nicht an ?
In meinen Augen bedient sich das Buch zwar auch der Simplizität, die Schirachs andere Werke so großartig machen , jedoch erstickt es dadurch selbst. Der Anspruch, Kunst zu sein, wird so krampfhaft versucht zu erfüllen, dass das Buch am Ende ziemlich leer dasteht.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schon sein erster Roman/Krimi "Der Fall Collini" hat mir gut gefallen, aber "Tabu" hat nochmal alle Maßstäbe übertroffen. Das Buch war spannend, aber dabei auf das Wesentliche reduziert. Er hat trotzdem eine mitreißende Stimmung konstruiert, wie es kein anderer auf diese Art kann. Das Ende, aber auch das Buch, hat noch einige Zeit nachgewirkt.