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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I can't believe a book about nazis feels relevant today, mere 80 years after the end of the war. It's terrifying.
That said: I love the authenticity, attention to detail, historical accuracy, and the general storyline. The characters, however, are fairly flat. The main character is a bad nazi --a good person, which is a bit of a missed opportunity; he lacks the depth his upbringing could've added to him, and his journey of discovery is less earth-shattering than it should've been. Obviously he had to be a decent person (otherwise: why would he even care?), but even decent people have their internalized prejudices they have to work through when challenged.
Similarly, the American journalist Charlie and the nazi got along a bit too well from the get-go. Sure, they didn't trust each other at first, but the progression of their relationship was fast and surprisingly frictionless.
To summarize my experience: the story was intense, but the writing lacked emotion. With a very emotional premise, I was expecting more nuance, but it ended up being more of an action movie made into a novel rather than anything deeper.
The bit aboutthe hair was excellent, though. It was the only moment that came close to making me feel the absolute horror and revulsion any empathetic human being would feel when learning of the ruthless efficiency of the Final Solution for the first time.
That said: I love the authenticity, attention to detail, historical accuracy, and the general storyline. The characters, however, are fairly flat. The main character is a bad nazi --a good person, which is a bit of a missed opportunity; he lacks the depth his upbringing could've added to him, and his journey of discovery is less earth-shattering than it should've been. Obviously he had to be a decent person (otherwise: why would he even care?), but even decent people have their internalized prejudices they have to work through when challenged.
Similarly, the American journalist Charlie and the nazi got along a bit too well from the get-go. Sure, they didn't trust each other at first, but the progression of their relationship was fast and surprisingly frictionless.
To summarize my experience: the story was intense, but the writing lacked emotion. With a very emotional premise, I was expecting more nuance, but it ended up being more of an action movie made into a novel rather than anything deeper.
The bit about
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide, Vomit
This was probably a lot better around the time of publication. The character work was alright, plotting fine, and prose serviceable. It was fairly predictable and felt like a retread of ground, but it was readable.
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Kinda boring tbh. Hard to get through but still liked the premise. I think it dragged too long without much substance.