"The Influence of Pheasants" | Antje Rávik Strubel: When the Cutlery Slips Away

These magnificent animals are generally considered symbols of good luck: pheasants. In Antje Rávik Strubel's social satire "The Influence of the Pheasants," they flutter mysteriously and emblematically through the undergrowth here and there, but overall, they bring little luck to their observers.

The unstoppable nosedive of arts editor Hella Karl begins with a story in the newspaper she works for: "In faraway Australia, the husband of a famous German opera singer takes his own life in front of the magnificent backdrop of the Sydney Opera." Unfortunately, the Berlin journalist had only recently revealed that the theater director, known for his abusive behavior and who has now passed away so dramatically, had pressured an actress to have an abortion. The public quickly blamed Hella for the suicide of director Kai Hochwerth. Social media calls for a boycott of the "Abendpost" newspaper are underway.

Even Hella herself, who secretly wished death on this theater magnate, who despised the press, cannot completely free herself from feelings of guilt. And then the journalist, who should really know better, reacts very clumsily in a hastily arranged TV interview: When accused of being the first to write the incriminating headline about Hochwerth, Hella responds that she is "the best example" of "what I have repeatedly warned against in my articles over the past few months," namely "a headless press." She is subsequently placed on forced leave from her newspaper.

Hella comes from a humble background , has worked her way up, and always sought to conceal this. Her fears of social embarrassment permeate this multifaceted, but at times somewhat indecisive, novel. Hella always speaks of herself in the third person, as if trying to maintain her distance at all costs. There are her "limited English skills or her twisted words into idioms," which she tries to cover up: "In the moment of crisis, the tools she has acquired slip away from her. Unlike those around her."

This is an interesting parallel to the vulgar despot Hochwerth, who also comes from the lower classes. He deliberately provokes a woman at the premiere party: "You look like you've been blessed with a beautiful cunt." It's no coincidence that this character evokes memories of former directors of the Volksbühne, the Berliner Festspiele, or the Maxim Gorki Theater, who were also accused of abuse of power and toxic behavior.

But as is the case day after day in our media outrage circus, it's not about the sexist director Hochwerth and his female victims, but rather about socially ostracizing Hella Karl from the very beginning. She's increasingly losing support among her colleagues, with whom she likes to meet at the upscale restaurant "Borchardt," popular with media professionals. Furthermore, Hella's childless relationship with an attractive architect, with whom she lives on the shores of Potsdam's Wannsee, is falling apart.

The frosty relationship between Hella and her husband, whom she always calls T. because she then finds herself "a bit mysterious," would provide enough material for a novel of its own. The well-off couple exploits each other because they don't know any better. T. barely supports Hella in the smear campaign, and the egocentric Hella fails to notice that her husband, who is working on the controversial restoration of the Potsdam Garrison Church, is experiencing an existential crisis.

But even this strangely distant relationship is only briefly highlighted in the 240-page novel, leaving one a little disappointed that this and other motifs aren't explored in more depth. What story does Strubel, who won the 2021 German Book Prize with her powerful #MeToo novel "The Blue Woman," actually want to tell? Is it about the abuse of power in the cultural scene? The problems of the newspaper industry, which has to fight for clicks? The smear campaign against a journalist? Or is it, at its core, more about classism and vanity in the cultural sector?

And the male pheasants? One thing is certain: in these hectic times, they end up standing around like startled chickens, causing a fatal nuisance.

Antje Rávik Strubel: The Influence of Pheasants. S. Fischer, 240 pp., hardcover, €24.