In the wake of the Holocaust it was difficult to decide who was to blame. Should the guards be punished or was it just the men giving the orders? Did the fact that the law defended criminals who were following orders make a difference? The Investigation uses real testimony from the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials to create a terrifying play about the accused in one of the greatest atrocities committed by mankind. It addresses the complexities of the defense of the accused and the national identity of Germany after the Holocaust.

Peter Weiss titles each chapter as a song and the story appears to be in verse. After some research I learned that this is because the play was referring back to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Weiss is symbolically showing the parallels between the inferno and the camps. The stylistic choice is meant to be thought provoking, and with some knowledge of the background of the play it is. The problem is that without punctuation and due to the awkward structure it occasionally detracts from the storytelling. There is some difficulty actually reading the piece and the dialogue becomes choppy.

At the same time there are some very strong parts of The Investigation. The ending of each chapter leaves on a dramatic note. For a play this is especially important. It keeps the reader or viewer interested. The representations of the victims and the accused and of the scenes described within the camp are placed effectively and chillingly throughout the book. The ending of the play is inconclusive and successfully creates the tone of many other Holocaust representations. This story in particular is implying that the Holocaust is still an important topic in Germany.

Final Verdict
I went back and forth between enjoying this book and hating this book. There were parts that were very strong and made the book worth reading but stylistically I had a lot of difficulty with the play. After it was discussed in class I had a newfound appreciation for the play as a whole. There are some issues with coherence due to the structure of the story but overall it was a pretty good book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dramas or is interested in the arguments of the accused in the aftermath of the Holocaust. It is one of the most famous pieces of Holocaust literature and for those interested in the subject matter I would recommend it as another look at the atrocity from a different angle.

Favorite Quotation
I came out of the camp, yes, but the camp is still there.