The Little Liar Chapter 38 Summary: Vienna, 1978 – The Hunter and the Hunted

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

By 1978, Sebastian Krispis has become a full-time staffer for the Nazi Hunter, living alone and consumed by his cause. When a new Nazi party plans to march in Skokie, Illinois—a town with thousands of Holocaust survivors—Sebastian persuades the Hunter to let him travel to the United States. He hopes to gather evidence of former SS officers, and privately longs to see his ex-wife Fannie and daughter Tia. Meanwhile, Udo Graf, now living near Washington, D.C., as a well-paid adviser to a senator, hears of the march and decides to attend, driven by nostalgia and a desire to witness a Nazi resurgence. The rally devolves into a chaotic street confrontation. Sebastian spots Udo and screams his name, but Udo escapes by claiming Sebastian has a gun. Sebastian manages to take at least twenty photos of Udo. He calls the Hunter, who warns him to proceed cautiously. Sebastian then calls the last number he has for his ex-wife in California.

Key Events

Sebastian Krispis works obsessively for the Nazi Hunters, living alone. He keeps a photo of Fannie and Tia by his bed but rarely speaks to them.
A new Nazi party plans a march in Skokie, Illinois, a town with nearly 7,000 Holocaust survivors.
Sebastian convinces the Hunter that the rally could draw former SS officers; he travels to the U.S. with secret hopes of finding Udo Graf, Nico Krispis, and reconnecting with Fannie.
Udo Graf, now in his early sixties, maintains a strict fitness routine and dyes his hair. He works as a “special adviser” to a senator and unofficially for an American spy agency.
Udo feels proud of the rising neo-Nazi sentiment. He decides to attend the Chicago rally, rationalizing it as a visit to his wife's family.
The rally is chaotic: anti-Nazi groups, police, and a small, disorganized group of men in Nazi uniforms. Udo is disgusted by their sloppiness and by the leader, who is rumored to be the son of a Jew.
Sebastian sees Udo across the park and shouts his name. Udo panics, tells a police officer that Sebastian has a gun, and escapes on a bus.
Sebastian, winded and frustrated, realizes he has a camera and has taken at least twenty photos of Udo.
He phones the Hunter, who is pleased but warns him to proceed cautiously, fearing U.S. authorities might have harbored Udo.
After the call, Sebastian drinks vodka and asks the hotel operator to connect him to the last number for his ex-wife in California.

Character Development

Sebastian Krispis: His obsession has deepened. He is consumed by the pursuit of justice, to the point of depression and self-blame for misaligning his life. The narrator notes that “his mind was not his own” and that war takes hostages long after it ends. Seeing Udo in person reignites both his hope for justice and his emotional turmoil, culminating in a call to his ex-wife—a rare step toward connection.
Udo Graf: Aging but disciplined, Udo maintains his physical appearance and delusions of being a warrior. He is disgusted by the unprofessional neo-Nazis and the son-of-a-Jew leader, revealing his rigid, racial fanaticism. His escape shows his continued cunning: he lies about Sebastian having a gun. He learned from past mistakes (the “pugnacious Jew” who captured him in 1945) and now controls his temper.
The Nazi Hunter: Remains cautious and methodical. He warns Sebastian that seeing the devil and capturing him are two different things, and that U.S. authorities may be complicit.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The persistence of hatred: The narrator observes that “evil travels like dandelion seeds” and that hatred is an ancient melody. The Skokie march is a new shoot of the same Nazi ideology, though degraded from the Wolf’s original fervor.
War as a continuing hostage: Sebastian’s trauma is described as having “taken hostages long after the war is over.” His obsession is not his fault; it is a symptom of unhealed wounds.
Photography as evidence: The camera becomes Sebastian’s weapon. The twenty photos represent a chance at justice, but also the fragile, indirect nature of legal proof.
Disguise vs. recognition: Udo dyes his hair and stays fit but is still recognized. Sebastian, older and no longer a teenager, is still identified by Udo as “The Brother.” The face endures.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the first direct, in-person confrontation between Sebastian and Udo Graf since Auschwitz. It shifts the story from Europe to America and from memory to active pursuit. It confirms that Udo is alive, well, and still dangerous, while also showing Sebastian’s emotional isolation. The cliffhanger—Sebastian calling his ex-wife—bridges the personal and professional quests. The chapter also critiques how new forms of hatred can rise in new countries, emphasizing the cyclical nature of extremism.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Sebastian feel depressed and guilty about his obsession with hunting Nazis, even though he believes it to be a noble cause?
Sebastian is depressed because the obsession has cost him his family and leaves him unable to connect with Fannie or Tia. He blames himself for misaligning his life, but the narrator implies this guilt is misplaced: his mind has been wounded by war, and the trauma continues to control him.
What does Udo Graf’s reaction to the neo-Nazi rally reveal about his character?
Udo is disgusted by the rally’s disorganization and the leader’s rumored Jewish father. This reveals his fanatical adherence to Nazi racial purity—he cannot tolerate even a caricature of the ideal if it is compromised. His quick lie to the police shows he has learned self-preservation and still treats survival as a soldier’s tactic.
Why does the Nazi Hunter tell Sebastian to “proceed cautiously” after learning about the photos?
The Hunter knows that U.S. authorities may have harbored Udo Graf and used him for anti-communist intelligence. Exposing Udo could embarrass the government and endanger the hunters’ work. He advises Sebastian to verify whom he can trust before taking the evidence to American officials.