Tobias Knopp undergoes an operation that tragically goes wrong. The surgeon, held accountable, denies everything and accuses the patient of merely pretending. In his new book, Ernst Augustin portrays the subsequent court trial with his characteristic humor and skill. It is the record of the defense of a monstrous perpetrator who overreacts horrifically due to a wounded sense of honor. However, the defense document somewhat stubbornly obstructs its own cause and is not very helpful for the case. Here, it seems a defender is defending his own defense. He manages the feat of turning the supposed monster into a "monster" in the first place. It is an idyll, a courtroom idyll.