The Execution of Justice

1985 novel by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Not to be confused with the play Execution of Justice.

The Execution of Justice

First edition

Author| Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Original title| Justiz
Translator| John E. Woods
Language| German
Genre| Fiction novel
Publisher| Diogenes Verlag

Publication date

| 1985
Publication place| Switzerland

Published in English

| 1989
Pages| 369
ISBN| 3-257-01692-1

The Execution of Justice (German: Justiz) is a 1985 novel by the Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt. It tells the story of an attorney who is tasked to reinvestigate a man sentenced for murder. The book criticises elements of the legal system and ponders on the nature of justice. It was adapted into the 1993 film Justice, directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer.[1]

## Reception

[edit]

Ursula Hegi reviewed the book in the Los Angeles Times: "Durrenmatt focuses more on politics than on the characters who play bizarre roles in the machinery of Swiss justice. He is highly critical of his country that 'withdrew from history when it went into big business. . . . Our country's ideals were always practical ones . . . an immoral but healthy way of life.' He looks at pompous manners and traditions, at corruption so smooth that it has worked its way into everyday life." Hegi wrote about the plot: "As the murder is reinvestigated, the act of violence is removed from theory, and only the theory is dealt with--a clean, passionless residue that has less and less to do with the crime. And this is what happens to justice too--it becomes detached from its source, loses its reason for being and exhausts itself in a game." The critic also wrote: "Despite his focus on politics, Durrenmatt has the gift to create unforgettable characters within a few lines".[2]

## See also

[edit]

* 1985 in literature
* Swiss literature

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Justice (Justiz)". german-films.de. German Films Service + Marketing. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
2. ^ Hegi, Ursula (1990-01-15). "A Society Sinks in Its Corruption". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-03-06.

## External links

[edit]

* The Execution of Justice at the publisher's website

* v
* t
* e

Works by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Drama|

* Romulus the Great
* The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi
* The Visit
* The Physicists
* Play Strindberg

Prose|

* The Judge and His Hangman
* Suspicion
* "The Tunnel"
* Once a Greek
* A Dangerous Game
* The Pledge
* The Execution of Justice
* The Assignment

Screenplay|

* It Happened in Broad Daylight

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany

|

This article about a crime novel of the 1980s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template