The Influence of the Pheasants

The new novel by the winner of the German Book Prize 2021

A fast-paced, light-footed, magnificently told novel about a woman who loses all certainties

English sample translation available

On the pleasure of power and the power of deception

Hella Karl is the head of the features section of a Berlin newspaper. When Kai Hochwerth, the director of a major cultural institution in Sydney, kills himself, Hella Karl is in a state of turmoil, which she does not even admit to herself. She senses that the public will blame her for the suicide. After all, she has – quite contrary to her professional ethics and nature – set in motion an article and thus a debate about Hochwerth that pointed to his misogyny and ultimately led to his dismissal. But Hella Karl is not unnecessarily loyal, and she always got along quite well with Hochwerth. Like Hochwerth before her, Hella is now an outsider. But Hella Karl won't let herself be bullied; she fights for her reputation. But is she really not to blame for his death?

As entertaining as Doris Knecht, as stylistically sophisticated as Antje Rávik Strubel, as funny as Lucy Fricke. Atmospheric, impartial, contemporary.

"[...] what blindness out of self-protection means has rarely been described as accurately as in this personality revelation." - FAZ, Andreas Platthaus

"There hangs a laugh over this book, but it is unmistakably bitter." -  tagesspiegel.de, Lena Schneider

"A cleverly composed, psychologically subtle and exciting novel about truth and guilt, love and deceit." - diepresse.com, Irina Kilimnik

"Told in clear language, the story keeps the suspense until the end." - Märkische Oderzeitung, Welf Grombacher