BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Katharina Blum

**Posted by hypergreenfrog** July 19, 2012 7:57 am

This is not really a book recommendation, but something I remembered when watching the Reichenbach.
Has anyone here ever read "Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum" by Heinrich Böll (the English translation is called The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum appearently)?

I read it back in secondary school, so don't remember it all that well, but basically the story deals with the destructive powers of sensationalist journalism. A woman is dragged into a news story she initially has nothing to do with, and it ends up destroying her life completely.It's a little dated by now (it's from the 1970s if I remember correctly), but still fascinating to read.

I was immediately reminded of this book when I saw Kitty Riley and her sleazy ways of trying to get a story, never stopping to care about who gets hurt along the way.

Any thoughts on that, or maybe other book recommendations on the same topic?

**Posted by veecee** July 19, 2012 2:47 pm

And these days, it can happen even faster with the Internet.

**Posted by SusiGo** July 19, 2012 3:03 pm

I read the book and watched the film, but that was a long time ago. Katharina was associated with RAF terrorism, wasn't she? Fassbinder was a great director, I remember that I liked both. I'll think about other novels etc. dealing with this subject, there must be more of this.

**Posted by Mattlocked** July 19, 2012 3:21 pm

Never read the book (in school we didn't have to...), but had thoughts last night similar to veecee's post. I know what she means and this doesn't fit exactly because it's probably harmless, still, but:

In internet we found pics from Ben made a few hours ago (premiere in London). Same time I was informed that Alan Rickman has been spotted two days ago by a fan in Savannah (inclunding pics).
Though it's fascinating me I find it scaring sometimes.... So when I went to bed I told hubby "I think I wouldn't want to be a star these days...."

Far away from Katarina Blum, though.........

**Posted by SusiGo** July 19, 2012 4:04 pm

It seems to be the price you have to pay for being a celebrity. Some people argue that stars earn so much money and are so privileged that they simply have to accept the loss of privacy. This is or course debatable. I only hope that people like Ben are able to deal with this and preserve a sort of private life. I think for people who get famous at a very young age this might be more difficult than for him.

But with Katharina Blum it is different as she is a perfectly average, unknown woman whose life is destroyed by the despicable practices of a tabloid paper. It has always been a method of BILD Zeitung (the paper in question) to pillory people and this can be done in the Internet as well, one much faster and more wide-spread than in the press.

**Posted by Davina** July 19, 2012 6:41 pm

I will try to get this book on Amazon and read it. I really enjoy reading Heinrich Boell's work, especially his short stories which I have in a collection called Der Zug Kommt Punktlich ( at least I think that is the title). The power of the media including the Internet is incredible. Much has been made of that here in the UK recently with regard to the Murdoch newspaper empire and phone hacking etc.

**Posted by hypergreenfrog** July 20, 2012 6:48 am

SusiGo wrote:
I read the book and watched the film, but that was a long time ago. Katharina was associated with RAF terrorism, wasn't she? Fassbinder was a great director, I remember that I liked both. I'll think about other novels etc. dealing with this subject, there must be more of this.

I didn't even know that there is a film to the book, interesting.
Yes, if I recall correctly she was supposed to be involved with RAF terrorists, which shows the age of the story. But I guess you can replace the RAF with any current "threat", and it still works today.

SusiGo wrote:
It seems to be the price you have to pay for being a celebrity. Some people argue that stars earn so much money and are so privileged that they simply have to accept the loss of privacy. This is or course debatable.

I do believe that things are slightly different for artists who at least initially choose to stand in the lime light (though it should never be acceptable to spread lies about anyone) - but Sherlock Holmes did not ask for the publicity he received, he did not seek to be famous. The difference to Katharina Blum's case is maybe that because the media attention was positive at first, Sherlock enjoyed it and saw how it helped him get new, interesting clients even though John (and maybe others) did try to warn him that he was getting too much exposure, and that the press would eventually turn against him.

**Posted by kazza474** July 20, 2012 6:53 am

Yo frog, you have mail.