Wir töten Stella and Das fünfte Jahr are two novellas by Marlen Haushofer. Both were very recently translated into English by Shaun Whiteside. I read the German original. 
Finished on: 15.5.2026

Wir töten Stella is one of Haushofer’s most famous works, I’d say and I saw a movie adaptation a few years ago. So, I knew what was coming, but reading it is definitely its own treat. Das fünfte Jahr I did not know at all and I expected a dark turn in the story that never came which left me unnecessarily tense. But I think I liked it even better than Stella overall.

Wir töten Stella

Anna has the perfect family: she’s married to successful lawyer Richard, they have a teenage son, Wolfgang, a beautiful home and more than enough money. So when their friend asks them to take in the 19-year-old Stella, a beautiful but unrefined and withdrawn young woman, Anna accepts and gives Stella a bit of a make-over. But Stella’s presence disturbs the carefully cultivated family appearance.

Wir töten Stella tells its story from Anna’s perspective and in hindsight. And it is pretty much all about how Anna excuses her own actions, or rather inactions, her willful ignorance of the catastrophe she could and should have seen coming. Anna frames it as a reflection, but it reads more like an exorcism. She needs to put everything to paper to get it out of her system – and get back to normal with no changes whatsoever, if she can help it. That it is possible to sympathize with her for a bit is thanks to Haushofer’s wonderful writing and her sharp insight into the characters. It reads really well.

Das fünfte Jahr

Marili is four years old. She lives with her grandparents on their farm in the mountains, exploring her world and making discvoveries in her fifth year.

I only recently read Die Züchtigung and The Bluest Eye, two books that are all about how hard life can be for children, especially girls. So, when I read about four year old Marili who lives on a farm with her grandparents, I was braced for all kinds of bad things. When it became clear that her grandparents are actually really nice, I pretty much assumed that Marili would not survive the story. I am happy to report that it is actually really just a story about a kid who has a pretty good year. Yes, there is darkness and sadness – I mean, there is a reason that Marili doesn’t grow up with her parents – but that’s just life, and hers is pretty good for all that. I really loved reading about her life.

Summarizing: Haushofer is just really good.