Scan barcode
tapestryofwords's review against another edition
4.0
~3.5 stars. I thought the portrayal of Nazi Germany, and in particular one of its concentration camps, from the perspective of a child who didn't understand the atrocities going on, was very well done. Initially I wasn't that impressed by the reveal of how the two storylines fit together, but I warmed to it as the final pages played out. I do wish that the author had included a note at the end about the factual realities that the story was based on -- from my cursory research on Google I believe it was supposed to be a portrayal of Ravensbruck, where horrifying medical experiments were conducted, but I would have liked to have learned more about it.
sasanka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was a slog... Some of the ideas were interesting, but I really had to force myself to read this. I did end up finishing it because it became slightly less of a slog towards the end, and I'm sort of glad I didn't DNF it, but I do wish I had never started it.
malglories's review against another edition
5.0
exquisitely written, brilliantly conceived, and just godawfully harrowing, gretel and the dark is a marvel of a book. it follows two storylines: a doctor named josef breuer in 1899 vienna, and a young girl (and huge brat) named krysta in wwii germany, whose father works at a “zoo." josef breuer finds himself enchanted by a strange, nameless girl who claims she is a machine; krysta finds herself enchanted by fairy tales that comfort, delight, and warn her in equal turns as she faces terrible horrors and dangers.
krysta’s sections are just so well-written; you see everything from her point of view, which makes the horrors all the more horrible, because as a child, she doesn’t understand them, or she filters them through her fairy tales.
it's not for the faint of heart. but i am so, so, so passionate about this book. it's incredibly meaningful, and it had the power to both awe and frighten me. gretel and the dark is about the power of storytelling, and the beauty of it, and it's so heartbreakingly lovely and grotesque that it's impossible to put down.
krysta’s sections are just so well-written; you see everything from her point of view, which makes the horrors all the more horrible, because as a child, she doesn’t understand them, or she filters them through her fairy tales.
it's not for the faint of heart. but i am so, so, so passionate about this book. it's incredibly meaningful, and it had the power to both awe and frighten me. gretel and the dark is about the power of storytelling, and the beauty of it, and it's so heartbreakingly lovely and grotesque that it's impossible to put down.
sunnybopeep's review against another edition
4.75
This was dark and emotional and magical and gruesome and devastating. But it was also really, really good. I feel like Eliza Granville took so many risks with this book in order to convey her story, and they all paid off in the end. Despite being about WWII, the premise was so unique and original, and it was also stylistically interesting. Krysta’s censored child-perspective actually made the awful events bearable. The doctored fairytales were wonderful. The way that the two different stories tied in with each other was really seamless, and I liked both stories equally well. The pacing was also great. At about the halfway point, it picked up speed and kept hurtling forward until the very satisfying finale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, and Xenophobia
I mean, it’s a Holocaust novel…rickijill's review against another edition
5.0
This novel is one of the best debuts I've ever read. Its structure is a little complicated as there are two narratives woven together within the context of a fairytale. The turn of the century narrative in Vienna has magical realism elements. Lillie is found by Dr. Breuer's servant Benjamin and brought to Breuer's home. She's in pitiful shape when she arrives: She's naked, bald, and mute. As Lillie overcomes her selective mutism she confides to Dr. Breuer that she isn't human, and her mission is to kill. Her words do not match her beauty; Both Breuer and Benjamin are enchanted. The mysterious appearance of butterflies at the Breuer home adds to the magical realism atmosphere and mood, and their symbolism represents the co-narrative set in Nazi Germany. Benjamin is my favorite character in the book because he sees the world as it is and maintains his honesty.
In the Nazi Germany narrative Krysta's character isn't likable. I sympathize with her nanny Greet (her mother has passed) because Krysta is such a little pill. She tells Krysta many stories and fairytales in order to give her a moral education. When Krysta and her father move away to an insidious complex that houses "animals" not "humans," Krysta draws from Greet's stories to try and make sense of her circumstances because everyone in her world creates false narratives. Fairytales provide her construct for survival.
Beautifully written, Gretel and the Dark is as the title says: dark! I find Granville's premise about the Nazi's use of fairytales as propaganda both interesting and insidious. I highly recommend this book in spite of the disturbing narratives which merge in a surprising twist. Eliza Granville is an author I will continue to read because her voice is unique and exceptional!
In the Nazi Germany narrative Krysta's character isn't likable. I sympathize with her nanny Greet (her mother has passed) because Krysta is such a little pill. She tells Krysta many stories and fairytales in order to give her a moral education. When Krysta and her father move away to an insidious complex that houses "animals" not "humans," Krysta draws from Greet's stories to try and make sense of her circumstances because everyone in her world creates false narratives. Fairytales provide her construct for survival.
Beautifully written, Gretel and the Dark is as the title says: dark! I find Granville's premise about the Nazi's use of fairytales as propaganda both interesting and insidious. I highly recommend this book in spite of the disturbing narratives which merge in a surprising twist. Eliza Granville is an author I will continue to read because her voice is unique and exceptional!
zeirazeira's review
5.0
I received this book as the result of a First Reads giveaway.
I actually feel that at this point, nothing I can say will be able to explain this book to you, the curious reader. To state that this book is incredible makes me feel like I am not giving it enough praise.
This amazing tale has so many twists and turns. Speculation and mystery. Tension and violence. Fairy tales and love. And still, I feel as though I haven't enough of the right words to help you understand.
Characters that make you want to protect them. Others you wish to...well...I would hate to sound cruel... People you want to cheer on and others you want to understand more. Supporting characters like Greet and Josef with larger roles and even ones that play smaller bits, like Erika, will stay with you long after you put this book on your shelf. Again, I am understating what should be so easy to explain...and yet isn't.
The editing is superb, even though my copy was an unedited book. There are moments in the book that characters will speak in their native tongues, but Granville does an excellent job of making sure that the reader can figure out what is being said, without knowing the language.
It is a time of war and a time to survive. Reality penetrates through the pages and will saturate your memories. One will not forget this long after it has been read.
An easy placement in my shelf for 2014 favorites.
I actually feel that at this point, nothing I can say will be able to explain this book to you, the curious reader. To state that this book is incredible makes me feel like I am not giving it enough praise.
This amazing tale has so many twists and turns. Speculation and mystery. Tension and violence. Fairy tales and love. And still, I feel as though I haven't enough of the right words to help you understand.
Characters that make you want to protect them. Others you wish to...well...I would hate to sound cruel... People you want to cheer on and others you want to understand more. Supporting characters like Greet and Josef with larger roles and even ones that play smaller bits, like Erika, will stay with you long after you put this book on your shelf. Again, I am understating what should be so easy to explain...and yet isn't.
The editing is superb, even though my copy was an unedited book. There are moments in the book that characters will speak in their native tongues, but Granville does an excellent job of making sure that the reader can figure out what is being said, without knowing the language.
It is a time of war and a time to survive. Reality penetrates through the pages and will saturate your memories. One will not forget this long after it has been read.
An easy placement in my shelf for 2014 favorites.
space_quenby's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
The book took a couple of chapters to get into but I read it completely in one sitting. It's a really good read, but I wouldn't describe it as a 'fun' read due to content.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Antisemitism
kimmysanders's review
4.0
This is a pretty unique book. Two stories intertwine, and you won't see how until the end. One takes place in Vienna in 1899, where the eminent psychologist Dr. Josef Breuer takes in a beautiful young woman with no name claiming to be a machine, and the other is in 1940s Nazi Germany, where a spoiled girl named Krysta moves to a new home in Ravensbruck with her father, a medical doctor.
This is a book about the power of stories. They preserve memories, they function as escape hatches, they make things seem less bleak than they are. It's also a novel about the Holocaust, but from an unusual perspective. The antisemitism here is breathtakingly casual, and almost always in the background. When it emerges, it's in small gestures, but it serves as a slap in the face. How could a society lose its way that badly, to be so nonchalant about denying another's humanity? It's fascinating and horrifying at the same time, and the way Granville does it here, without putting it front and center, is pretty deft writing. It would just beat you down otherwise.
This was a story that stayed with me, unlike a lot of the books I've been reading lately. Some of the narrative doesn't make some sense in hindsight, but it's a pretty minor quibble. I'd recommend this book to people who can take the subject matter. Keep in mind: This is a novel that takes place at least in part in a concentration camp. Spoilers about possible triggers follow:
Grooming and sexual abuse of a female child (not explicit, but clear); medical experimentation on children (glimpsed and implied); antisemitic language and ethnic slurs in several languages throughout
This is a book about the power of stories. They preserve memories, they function as escape hatches, they make things seem less bleak than they are. It's also a novel about the Holocaust, but from an unusual perspective. The antisemitism here is breathtakingly casual, and almost always in the background. When it emerges, it's in small gestures, but it serves as a slap in the face. How could a society lose its way that badly, to be so nonchalant about denying another's humanity? It's fascinating and horrifying at the same time, and the way Granville does it here, without putting it front and center, is pretty deft writing. It would just beat you down otherwise.
This was a story that stayed with me, unlike a lot of the books I've been reading lately. Some of the narrative doesn't make some sense in hindsight, but it's a pretty minor quibble. I'd recommend this book to people who can take the subject matter. Keep in mind: This is a novel that takes place at least in part in a concentration camp. Spoilers about possible triggers follow: