Set sometime in the early Renaissance, Michael Kohlhaas is a horse trader who finds himself unfairly (he believes) required to pay a toll. When he contests the toll, his horses are confiscated, and things go from bad to worse as Kohlhaas goes to further and further extremes to seek justice, to the extent that soon the whole country is up in arms.

The book has been described as a portrait of a man "in the Hell of unsatisfied vengeance," beset by "bureaucratic obstacles and governmental corruptions," and is said to have influenced Kafka. Its story illustrates how all out combat can result from the most petty of personal disputes in a fanatical quest for justice.

Even though the book was short, I did not find it an easy read. The backs and forths of the machinations of both sides were not always so easy to follow, though the frustrations experienced by Kohlhaas are clearly conveyed. Read it if you are trying to check some books off the 1001 list, but although it is highly critically praised as being extremely influential, it is not a book I would categorize as "must read."

3 stars ( )

Early Kafka, but (even) more comedic and severe (in the sense that these innumerable functionaries actually exist), though tarnished by a "magic Gypsy" subplot and the narrative imperfection which brings back those schwarz horses in our final scene. ( )

On the surface this is a story of Michael Kohlhaas's run in with the political characters of his country. He is first taken advantage of and when he seeks justice he receives anything but justice. The other level that this is written from is regarding Napoleon and it is written in this veiled manner to avoid persecution for his writing. The story is basically realistic until toward then end when he has a piece of paper from a gypsy character that reportedly has a prophecy against one of Kohlhaas's tormentors which the man wants to get his hands on. It is a bit of supernatural with all the harsh realism that gives some home to a very harsh ending. ( )

Basierend auf historischen Ereignissen schlägt diese spannende Saga von Gewalt und Vergeltung eine Brücke zwischen der mittelalterlichen und der modernen Literatur und spricht so tiefgründig den Geist der Gegenwart an, dass sie die Grundlage zahlreicher Theaterstücke, Filme und Romane bildete.

Sie ist in der Tat zu einem Klassiker geworden: die Geschichte des ehrbaren Mannes, der gezwungen ist, das Gesetz in die eigenen Hände zu nehmen. In diesem aufrührerischen Prototyp verschärft sich ein kleiner Steuerstreit explosionsartig, bis der gleichnamige Held die Streitkräfte eines ganzen Königreichs und sogar den großen Martin Luther gegen sich versammelt findet. Doch schon bald wird auch Luther von dem wachsenden Heer der Bauern gefragt: "Hat Kohlhaas nicht Recht?"

Als eines der Meisterwerke der deutschen Literatur ist Michael Kohlhaas auch eine der ergreifendsten Geschichten, die je über das Streben nach Gerechtigkeit geschrieben wurden.

Interesting novella. Seeking justice for a wrong, circumstances and his own extreme actions get away from the main character. The bureaucracy and rulers of various German principalities presented. Supposedly darkly comic in spots, I missed that. I don't know if the author's original German was made up of such knotty sentences, but it was difficult to read. I enjoyed it anyhow. ( )