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Via Mala (novel)
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Wikipedia article
'Via Mala' is a novel by the Swiss writer John Knittel, which was first published in 1934. After the disappearance of a tyrannical sawmill owner in a village in Switzerland, his family is widely suspected of having murdered him.
The title 'Via Mala' refers to the Viamala, a historic route through the Rhine canyon in Switzerland. Literally, it means 'bad path'. All main characters in the novel walk on a 'bad path', not only the miller Jonas Lauretz, but also his family, guilty or not, and even the judge.
The criminal story is based on a case of murder reported from the Obermhle (Upper Mill) in Kirchensittenbach, Bavaria, in 1817.
Adaptations
The novel was turned into a film 'Via Mala' directed by Josef von Bky during the Nazi era. The film had a troubled production and was released only a month before the end of the Nazi regime.O'Brien p.232-233 The film was remade in 1961 and a television adaptation 'Via Mala' was broadcast in 1985.
References
Bibliography
* O'Brien, Mary-Elizabeth. 'Nazi Cinema as Enchantment. The Politics of Entertainment in the Third Reich'. Camden House, 2006.
Category:1934 novels
Category:Swiss novels adapted into films
Category:Novels by John Knittel
Category:Novels set in Switzerland
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