Your Honor

Jaume Cabré (b. 1947) is a shining star of Catalan literature, a screenwriter, philologist, and a subtle psychologist who deeply understands human nature; his books have been translated into dozens of languages, their circulation exceeds a million copies, and his monumental work "I Confess" has received numerous awards. The novel "Your Honor" (1991) was written much earlier, but even then the writer was concerned about the theme of the powerful, judicial corruption, and absolute power, for which only the law of the strong exists. Winter 1799. In Barcelona, prolonged rains have paralyzed the city, but social life is in full swing. It seems that the aristocrats have only one concern: how to celebrate the arrival of the new 19th century. In the cathedral, Te Deum is performed, in luxurious halls a series of receptions unfold... However, the festive atmosphere is overshadowed by the strange murder of a French singer—and a young poet, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, is arrested. He is unconditionally found guilty, especially since documents have been discovered that could lead to the downfall of "your honor"—Don Rafael Massó, the chairman of the Supreme Court. It is known that the judge, endowed with the power to execute or pardon, has one weakness: he adores beautiful women. So what will tip the scales: justice or power, the executioner or the victim, "I didn’t kill her!" of one or "I didn’t mean to" of the other?..