Alfred Döblin is best known for his huge, sprawling novel Berlin Alexanderplatz, but this collection shows where he started. Die Ermordung einer Butterblume und andere Erzählungen is a box of fireworks—short, shocking, and brilliantly strange.

The Story

The book is a series of short stories, but the title piece is the star. It follows a man named Fischer on a walk. He sees a buttercup, and something in him snaps. What follows is a detailed, almost clinical account of him destroying the flower, which sends him into a spiral of guilt and existential terror. The other stories are a mixed bag: you get grim slices of city life, surreal fables, and psychological portraits that feel ripped from a case study. There's no single plot, but a unified feeling of people struggling against invisible forces—their own minds, society, or just the chaos of modern life.

Why You Should Read It

This isn't a relaxing read. It's a punch to the gut. But it's a fascinating one. Döblin writes with a raw, urgent energy. He doesn't just tell you a character is going mad; he makes you feel the jagged edges of their thoughts. The 'murder' of the buttercup isn't silly—it's a terrifying window into obsession and the fragility of sanity. Reading this, you can see the seeds of German Expressionism and the fragmented style that would define so much modern literature. It's like watching a master painter practice his wildest, most daring sketches.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for readers who love early modernism, psychological deep-dives, and stories that aren't afraid to be ugly and weird. If you enjoy the unsettling vibes of Kafka or the gritty reality of Robert Walser, you'll find a kindred spirit in Döblin. Fair warning: it's not a cheerful collection. But for a short, powerful blast of literary innovation from over a century ago that still feels fresh, it's absolutely worth your time.