Michael Kohlhaas
by Heinrich von Kleist
Old Book of the Week , October 5, 2015
Michael Kohlhaas
The title of this month's Phinney by Post pick doesn't match the title of the book, because the real selection is one of the "other stories" in The Marquise of O— and Other Stories: Michael Kohlhaas, a hundred-page novella that may well be the most efficient narrative engine ever constructed. A favorite of Kafka's and an inspiration for E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, Kleist's tale is a strangely modern retelling of the real history of a 16th-century horse dealer who, spurred by injustice, goes on a hellbent spree of vengeance. Oh my goodness it's good.
The title of this month's Phinney by Post pick doesn't match the title of the book, because the real selection is one of the "other stories" in The Marquise of O— and Other Stories: Michael Kohlhaas, a hundred-page novella that may well be the most efficient narrative engine ever constructed. A favorite of Kafka's and an inspiration for E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, Kleist's tale is a strangely modern retelling of the real history of a 16th-century horse dealer who, spurred by injustice, goes on a hellbent spree of vengeance. Oh my goodness it's good.
— Tom
Michael Kohlhaas was reviewed in Newsletter #60 on October 5, 2015. For more like this, and other bookish news, sign up for the newsletter .
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