Penguin Modern Classics: The Case of Sergeant Grischa

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Arnold Zweig's "The Case of Sergeant Grischa" is the second novel in his "Great War of the White Men" series about World War I. The plot, based on a true story, revolves around the hapless Russian soldier, Sergeant Grischa. Grischa is laboring away in a prisoner of war camp, but, anticipating the end of the war, Grischa can't wait to be reunited with his wife and daughter. He escapes and while on the run from the Germans falls in with a motley assortment of other escapees, criminals and deserters. Worried about what will happen to him if he is recaptured and discovered to be an escaped prisoner, Grischa assumes the identity of a dead Russian. Well, it turns out that he is recaptured and the Russian he is masquerading as was a known deserter. The Germans, who are facing their own problems with deserters, have issued a policy to execute any deserter. In this simple case of mistaken identity, Grischa is sentenced to death. While he is able to reestablish his true identity, it is too late, Grischa is caught in the wheels of military justice. The spiritual and moral struggles of the various characters involved in this passion play are what add depth to the story.