Michael Kohlhaas (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Classic German Novella of Legal Justice, Revenge, Moral Absolutism, and State Power in Early Modern SaxonyBy Heinrich von Kleist
Length5h 23m
About this audiobook
Heinrich von Kleist's Michael Kohlhaas is a taut historical novella set in sixteenth-century Saxony and Brandenburg, recounting the catastrophic quest for justice undertaken by an honest horse-dealer wronged by aristocratic abuse. Written in Kleist's compressed, legalistic, and psychologically charged prose, the work transforms a chronicle source into a profound meditation on law, violence, conscience, and the perilous absolutism of moral certainty. Situated between Enlightenment rationalism and Romantic intensity, it exposes the instability of institutions meant to guarantee justice. Kleist, born in 1777 into a Prussian military family, lived amid political upheaval, philosophical skepticism, and personal restlessness. His encounters with Kantian thought shook his faith in objective truth, while Napoleonic Europe sharpened his sense of authority, sovereignty, and disorder. These pressures inform Michael Kohlhaas, whose protagonist embodies both civic virtue and destructive fanaticism, reflecting Kleist's fascination with characters driven beyond social and psychological limits. This novella is recommended to readers interested in moral ambiguity, political thought, and the origins of modern narrative intensity. It is brief but inexhaustible, offering a gripping story whose questions about justice, resistance, and legitimacy remain urgently contemporary.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.8 (7.3K)
Includes Goodreads, StoryGraph, LibraryThing, Amazon
GenreLiterary Classics, Historical Fiction
Length5 hrs 23 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 7, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chaptersShow less
6Translator's Notes (pt. 1)
7Translator's Notes (pt. 2)
8Analysis
9Reflection
10Memorable Quotes
Michael KohlhaasHeinrich von Kleist, Georg Elmenhorst29m4.1 (18.2K)$5 · $0.00
9 Novellen: Michael Kohlhaas + Die Marquise von O... + Das Erdbeben in Chili + Geistererscheinung und mehr (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist12h 20m4.5 (112)$1 · $0.00
Das Käthchen von Heilbronn (Historisches Ritterschauspiel) (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist8h 4m3.9 (5K)$1 · $0.00
Heinrich von Kleist: Ausgewählte Novellen (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist12h 24m4.3 (114)$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke von Kleist (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist48h 52m4.4 (29)$2 · $0.00
Penthesilea (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist7h 18m4.1 (5.2K)$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke: Erzählungen, Dramen, Politische Schriften, Gedichte, Anekdoten & Briefe (Über 190 Titel in einem Buch) (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist48h 55m$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke: Erzählungen, Dramen, Politische Schriften, Gedichte, Anekdoten & Briefe (Über 190 Titel in einem Buch)Heinrich von Kleist49h$1 · $0.00
Heinrich von Kleist's politische Schriften und andere Nachträge zu seinen WerkenHeinrich von Kleist3h 24m$2 · $0.00
Der unglücklichste Romantiker der Jahrhundertwende (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist7h 33m$1 · $0.00
Heinrich von Kleist: Gesammelte Dramen in einem Band (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist24h 49m$2 · $0.00
Heinrich von Kleist's politische Schriften und andere Nachträge zu seinen WerkenHeinrich von Kleist3h 25m$1 · $0.00
Heinrich von Kleist: Ausgewählte NovellenHeinrich von Kleist11h 1m4.3 (267)$2 · $0.00
Der zerbrochene Krug (Klassiker der Weltliteratur)Heinrich von Kleist5h 52m3.7 (15.8K)$2 · $0.00
Gesammelte WerkeHeinrich von Kleist48h 59m4.4 (85)$2 · $0.00
Der zerbrochene Krug (Klassiker der Weltliteratur) (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist6h 10m3.9 (14.9K)$1 · $0.00
Amphitryon – Ein Lustspiel nach Molière (Kommentiert)Heinrich von Kleist6h 18m3.9 (799)$1 · $0.00
Heinrich von Kleist: Die Marquise von O.Heinrich von Kleist2h 4m3.8 (20.8K)$12 · $0.00
KleistHeinrich von Kleist1h 30m4.1 (152)$19
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m4.7 (8.9K)$46 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m4.6 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m4.6 (9.3K)$18 · $0.00
The Complete Histories / History Plays of William Shakespeare (Annotated)William Shakespeare29h 42m4.6 (2.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m4.7 (359)$29 · $0.00
The Old Man and the Sea (Annotated)Ernest Hemingway4h 27m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Twelfth Night (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography (Annotated)William Shakespeare, Sidney Lee16h 38m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 50m4.6 (1.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust16h 8m4.5 (10.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
Lessons in TruthH. Emilie3h 50m4.6 (1.4K)$4.70 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Anne of Green GablesL. M. Montgomery11h 1m4.5 (1.2M)$2.30 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The North American IndianEdward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge6h4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)Jackie French14h 58m4.6 (773)$33 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m4.5 (77.2K)$53 · $0.00
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m4.5 (359.1K)$33 · $0.00
Lieutenant Hornblower (Annotated)C. S. Forester11h 41m4.5 (2.9K)$2 · $0.00
Rilla of InglesideLucy Maud Montgomery11h 44m4.5 (48.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Viennese DressmakerKathryn Gauci11h 46m4.5 (2.1K)$23 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Under the Light of the Italian MoonJennifer Anton12h 28m4.5 (5.3K)$23 · $0.00
Jubilee, 50th Anniversary EditionMargaret Walker15h 43m4.5 (9.5K)$25 · $0.00
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen14h 44m4.4 (4.7M)$2 · $0.00
Flying Colours (Annotated)Cecil Louis Troughton Smith9h 26m4.4 (10.1K)$2 · $0.00
With Love from HarlemReShonda Tate13h 48m4.5 (2K)$6 · $0.00
Sweet Home Highland ChristmasMay McGoldrick, Jan Coffey2h 54m4.5 (1.4K)$7 · $0.00
Rilla of InglesideL. M. Montgomery12h 25m4.4 (67.5K)$2 · $0.00
Death Comes for the Archbishop (Annotated)Willa Cather9h 13m4.4 (4.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Alice NetworkKate Quinn15h 7m4.4 (887.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Goddess of WarsawLisa Barr13h 4m4.4 (36.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Ohio River Trilogy: Betty Zane, The Spirit of the Border & The Last TrailZane Grey29h 8m4.4 (1.8K)$1 · $0.00
The Attic ChildLola Jaye14h 46m4.4 (21K)$33 · $0.00
Martyr of the CatacombsJames De Mille3h 41m4.5 (744)$1 · $0.00
You may also like
Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare2h 4m3.7 (235K)$15 · $0.00
The Tragedy of CoriolanusWilliam Shakespeare4h3.9 (25.2K)$2 · $0.00
American WomanSusan Choi15h 21m3.6 (3K)$23
Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare2h 34m4.0 (281.5K)$1.80 · $0.00
CoriolanusWilliam Shakespeare3h 11m3.9 (24K)$15
CoriolanusWilliam Shakespeare3h 21m4.0 (26.5K)$18 · $0.00
Why I killed GandhiNathuram Vinayak Godse16m4.1 (16.5K)$2.30
Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare2h 13m3.9 (252.3K)$16 · $0.00
The KingJay Brinkley2h 33m4.3 (1.4K)$2.99
IntellectualsPaul Johnson18h 18m3.9 (9.1K)$28
King Richard the SecondWilliam Shakespeare2h 36m3.8 (28.3K)$18 · $0.00
The Prosecution of George W. Bush for MurderVincent Bugliosi10h 42m4.0 (1.4K)$30 · $0.00
The Keepers of the HouseShirley Ann Grau9h 18m4.1 (16.8K)$20
Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare2h 26m4.0 (245.8K)$15
Henry VI, Part 3William Shakespeare2h 55m3.9 (19.2K)$15
Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare2h 30m4.0 (255.1K)$2.30
The PrinceNicolo Machiavelli5h 12m4.0 (686.7K)Free
The Tragedy of King LearWilliam Shakespeare3h 20m4.2 (273.6K)$2.30
Richard IIWilliam Shakespeare2h 52m4.1 (49.9K)$15
A Book of American MartyrsJoyce Carol Oates24h 44m3.9 (8.2K)$5 · $0.00