From the blurb, you can probably work out that this isn't a noir styled book. A lot of the attraction comes from the eccentricity of both Gerhard Self, and the style of storytelling, which is often slightly arch and funny.Which is rather unexpected given that Self is a widowed private detective, and ex-Nazi prosecutor. He is also the brother-in-law of the man who runs a major chemical company, part of the reason he's called in to help when the company falls victim to a computer hacker with his own sense of the bizarre. A clash of troublemakers if you like. The investigation into hacking sort of wanders through a series of intricate, inward looking musings about Self's own life, and the society in which he lives. It's hard not to love a man who dreams up different ways of decorating his Christmas tree every year, even if it means he, and his cat Turbo exist on a diet of sardines for sufficient time to build up the number of empty tins required for this year's effort. It's also hard not to love a man who is both self-aware and blissfully ignorant of his affect on others, whilst also being incredibly insightful and as thick as a brick. The blurb is a little misleading in that the charismatic Turbo didn't seem to get much of a chance to weave his magic though, and one gets the distinct impression that Self confronting his own demons is something he's spent a lifetime doing.Unusually styled, and not at all what this reader expected, there's a subtle sense of humour, and some pointed observational elements to SELF'S PUNISHMENT. Using an elegant comparison between the eccentric and slightly chaotic Self, and an investigation with similar traits this won't be a book for fans of starting at the beginning and proceeding in an orderly fashion. There's a lot of byways and side alleys being explored here, which soon get to the Company's activities during the war, and some questionable behaviour on the part of a lot of people. There's also some sub-threads that meander around in the way of Self, seemingly having not a lot to do with anything much, although, to be honest, a fair amount of the plot in this book seems to rely on a somewhat touristy trail. I suspect that's part of the point, Self isn't solving just crime, he's having a good look at the past and its effects on the present. Which is one of this reader's favourite viewpoints.http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
This review originally appeared on my blog at http://thetop100bookclub.wordpress.co... Please join the community and let us know the books you love. There was a risk in picking up a book by Bernard Schlink after ‘The Reader.’ For over a decade, this book has remained one of my favourites and the only novel I have read by the author... until now. Perhaps I should have known that ‘Self’s Punishment’ wasn’t going to be another book that wedged itself firmly amongst my favourites, and yet there is something of ‘The Reader’ in it – like the smell of a sweet perfume that lingers in a room. ‘Self’s Punishment’ is a mystery story – it has the likable private detective with a shady past and a modern day crime to be solved. But there is something of the heart-thumping anxiety of a mystery that is missing and noticeably so in this novel. In many respects, this has been made up for in a story that snowballs upon itself and grows as you flip through the pages leading to an outcome you wouldn’t expect. Hidden within the tale, the reader is forced to confront how many pro-Nazi Germans carried on their lives after World War II, dealt with guilt and a sudden change in ideology, and sought exoneration for any ills they may have committed as agents of an evil government. This starts as an undertone and builds into powerful food for thought as the story progresses. It may not be one of my favourite books, albeit written by the man responsible for one of my all-time bests, but it caught my attention and filled my time for a while. In all of my ambivalence, I can’t help but recommend it.
What do You think about Self's Punishment (2005)?
This is the first in a series featuring aging German PI Gerhard Self, who had served as a prosecutor under the Nazi's in WWII, and like many characters in other books by Bernhard Schlink (The Reader), is haunted by the individual and collective guilt created by the Nazi's. Self gets intertwined with an industrialist, an old friend, and detection ensues. Truly, there is very little mystery in this tale, much more an atmospheric deep dive into the daily life of an interesting old guy and more importantly, a Rohrschak for modern Germany. It was diverting enough for me to download the sequel for iPhone reading (i'm beginning to like having a novel in my pocket), but not high on my list of genre gems.
—Nick
Self is a player and a guy who can hold his own in a bar fight and he's 68 years old. What I enjoyed most about this book was the mundane and menial things he does in the course of a day and that are all effortlessly communicated to the reader. In the middle of his many cases he takes a vacation to Greece too! It was refreshing to have a detective who should be retired and going on holiday wrestling with demons from his past as well as cavorting with younger women. The ending was truly a shocker. Too bad theren't are many more of these and let's hope the author reconsiders his plan of terminating the series after Self's Murder, the third in the series just out this past month.
—Chris
I unintentionally read book 2 before book 1 which I normally don't like doing. However, I still greatly enjoyed this book. Schlink has created a very memorable detective character - Gerhard Self - a man who is extremely professional in his job but is also feeling his age and is burdened by his past as a Nazi public prosecutor.[return][return]Self is called into the Rhineland Chemical Works by the director and his former brother-in-law, Korten. There has been a spate of computer hackings in the company and Self is hired to find the hacker. Despite knowing next to nothing about computers, Self quickly catches the person responsible and closes the case. However, when the person turns up dead, Self realises there is more to the case than he initially thought. When he goes digging, he uncovers wartime secrets at the Rhineland Chemical Works which involve SS conspiracies, forced Jewish labour and murderous secrets.[return][return]A small unrelated side-plot (which I didn't really see the point of) concerns a homosexual ballet dancer who is suspected of breaking his own leg in order to collect the insurance money. Self is employed to find out if the dancer really did break his leg or if it was just an accident. This involves a trip to San Francisco where Self takes the opportunity to meet former Jewish prisoners from the RCW.[return][return]An excellent, well-written book and I can't wait for book 3 to come out in 2008.
—Mark O'Neill
