This novel is the story of Franz Biberkopf, a murderer who has recently been released from prison. "When his friend murders the prostitute on whom Biberkopf has been relying as an anchor, he realizes that he will be unable to extricate himself from the underworld into which he has sunk. He must deal with misery, lack of opportunities, crime and the imminent ascendency of Nazism. During his struggle to survive against all odds, life rewards him with an unsuspected surprise but his happiness will not last as the story continues." -- Wikipedia.
Original Version
Originally published: Berlin : Samuel Fischer Verlag, 1929.