The Gordian Knot by Bernhard Schlink

This document contains excerpts from Bernhard Schlink's crime novel, "The Gordian Knot," translated by Peter Constantine. The text provides biographical information about the author and lists his other works, along with publication details for "The Gordian Knot" itself. The core of the excerpts follows Georg, a translator, whose life unravels after his girlfriend, Françoise, disappears, revealing her involvement in an industrial espionage plot surrounding helicopter designs. Georg’s pursuit of Françoise leads him from France to New York, where he becomes entangled with various figures from a private detective agency and eventually confronts the conspiracy, leading to violence and a re-evaluation of his understanding of complex situations. The narrative culminates in Georg’s reflection on the "Gordian knot" metaphor, suggesting that seemingly impossible problems can be overcome or reinterpreted.