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angus_mckeogh's review
2.0
A book written from the perspective of another book. Perhaps another book would have found it more interesting. Just seemed more like a gimmick that wouldn’t end.
canbelibrary's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
suprconman99's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shirleytupperfreeman's review
A book narrates this novel about its life. The book was written by a Jewish author but escaped the Nazi book burning when it was secreted away by a literature student. The book was then hidden away and subsequently passed down from grandfather to his artist granddaughter, Lena. Lena takes the book from NY to Germany to try and track down the story of a hand drawn map in the back of the book. While in Germany, the book is stolen, left in a park and then recovered. In between these travels, the book tells it's author's story, the story written in it's pages, and the stories of all the people whose lives have interacted with it. This multi-layered (understatement there) novel, read for the audio by Nicholas Guy Smith, makes for a clever and worthwhile listen.
erincataldi's review
2.0
A tattered old copy of Joseph Roth's, Rebellion, narrates its own history - from 1930's Germany, to the story itself about a barrel organ player, all the way to modern day New York. The novel's story weaves between readers of this particular first edition to a mystery included in it by one of the book's very first owners. The current owner of Rebellion, Lena Knecht, knows from her father that this edition was saved from a book burning in Nazi Germany and it is one of her prized possessions. She is determined to discover where the hand drawn map at the back of the book leads. When Lena misplaces the book it finds her way back to her via an unlikely ally and thus the book crosses another path. Rebellion delights in jumping timelines and telling the stories of those who have held this book in their hands. Some feature prominently and others are fleeting characters, just barely passing by - but all have been impacted by the book or have impacted the book itself. Brilliantly narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith, who delights in bringing a myriad of accents to life. At times, the narrative appears to get in its own way - but overall, a unique book about a book that bibliophiles will delight in.
deecreatenola's review
1.0
This was a community read for patrons of the #strongsenseofplace podcast and we'll have a book discussion in a couple of weeks. I love when a book is dropped into my lap from outside of my orbit. Unfortunately this one did not land for me.
The story is told by a book, Rebellion by Joseph Roth. This copy of the book was saved from book burning by the Nazis and has returned to its homeland with the granddaughter of the man who saved it.
It's a charming device to have a book tell its own story. Unfortunately the carry through of that device is uneven at best. There are things that book knows that it couldn't possibly get from its surroundings. It's clearly omniscient and can take it more than it experiences.
It tells not only its present story and not only its past story but also the story of its author. It's too many stories for one book to tell. It often gets confusing as to which story we were in.
The central story - of Lena traveling to Germany with the book to figure out the story behind the map written into the back pages of the book - is compelling enough, but the book was not always the best storyteller. There are long sections of the novel where the book is describing these long, very thorough conversations that Lena has with her friend Julia that is about a conversation she had with Armin and often about what Armin told her about his sister Malina. Such third hand reporting is first of all not authentic. We just don't have conversations where we give monologues reiterating conversations about third parties. And it's extremely distancing besides.
The end gets almost exciting, but by that point there have been so many different threads that I just didn't care. I didn't really like any of the characters and was not invested in their troubles.
Side note: the author discussed male vs female points of view - and interestingly, I felt this story was told from a very male POV!
The story is told by a book, Rebellion by Joseph Roth. This copy of the book was saved from book burning by the Nazis and has returned to its homeland with the granddaughter of the man who saved it.
It's a charming device to have a book tell its own story. Unfortunately the carry through of that device is uneven at best. There are things that book knows that it couldn't possibly get from its surroundings. It's clearly omniscient and can take it more than it experiences.
It tells not only its present story and not only its past story but also the story of its author. It's too many stories for one book to tell. It often gets confusing as to which story we were in.
The central story - of Lena traveling to Germany with the book to figure out the story behind the map written into the back pages of the book - is compelling enough, but the book was not always the best storyteller. There are long sections of the novel where the book is describing these long, very thorough conversations that Lena has with her friend Julia that is about a conversation she had with Armin and often about what Armin told her about his sister Malina. Such third hand reporting is first of all not authentic. We just don't have conversations where we give monologues reiterating conversations about third parties. And it's extremely distancing besides.
The end gets almost exciting, but by that point there have been so many different threads that I just didn't care. I didn't really like any of the characters and was not invested in their troubles.
Side note: the author discussed male vs female points of view - and interestingly, I felt this story was told from a very male POV!
aellereads's review
3.0
The Pages is a delightful and immersive book following the incredible journey of Die Rebellion, a first edition novel nearly burned by the Nazis in May 1933. Through multiple historical events that have immensely shaped the European culture, Hugo Hamilton looks at past and present nation, culture, race and ideology matters.
Hamilton gives voice to the novel, making him a poignant and extraordinary narrator. As a book lover, it was refreshing to imagine books as living entities, each with their own voices, stories, secrets and thoughts. Having a novel narrating his very own account spanning over a century gave a more intimate reading experience which I loved.
Though vastly detailed and researched, the many characters and individual timelines were sometimes confusing, unconnected and blurring the main storyline. I felt some stories could have been left aside to give a stronger narrative to the main cast. Regardless, The Pages beautifully combines the love of literature, art, history and memory in one unique and compelling story.
*I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Hamilton gives voice to the novel, making him a poignant and extraordinary narrator. As a book lover, it was refreshing to imagine books as living entities, each with their own voices, stories, secrets and thoughts. Having a novel narrating his very own account spanning over a century gave a more intimate reading experience which I loved.
Though vastly detailed and researched, the many characters and individual timelines were sometimes confusing, unconnected and blurring the main storyline. I felt some stories could have been left aside to give a stronger narrative to the main cast. Regardless, The Pages beautifully combines the love of literature, art, history and memory in one unique and compelling story.
*I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
alessiasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Quando un libro parla dice molto più di quel che puoi immaginare.
constantine2020's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Literary Fiction
"The Pages" by Hugo Hamilton is a story that spans both time and place and weaves together two different stories. At some point in the past, in 1933, Jewish novelist Joseph Roth wrote his final piece in Nazi Germany, surrendering his novel "Rebellion" to a hiding place within volumes that are prohibited from circulation. Meanwhile, in the current day, contemporary artist Lena Knecht inherits the book and finds a mysterious map hidden among its blank pages.
The concept of this novel is fantastic. The book itself acts as a character in the story and narrates everything in the past and present. The story is narrated in first person style, and through the book’s eye and experience with humans, we get to see how the book itself becomes a symbol of resistance against censorship and oppression. I think the author has done such a good job of highlighting the different ideologies that the book itself had to go through.
When it comes to the notion itself, the thought that lies behind it is quite good, and the prose that is written is exquisitely executed. On the other hand, I believe that the numerous characters that are present make it difficult to develop them through the course of a novel that is less than 350 pages long. And this is where the book is lacking in quality. Because I did not spend sufficient time with those characters, it was challenging for me to develop a sense of attachment to what they represented. In some respects, this plot brings to mind the novel Fahrenheit 451. They have similar concepts but different stories and executions. I am still of the opinion that you should read it and enjoy the rich themes it offers.
lauralvm's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly one of the best books I have read!
Written from a unique pov and having up‘s and down‘s throughout the story was clearly enough for me to start kicking my feet in the middle of public transport because the story got me hooked!
Written from a unique pov and having up‘s and down‘s throughout the story was clearly enough for me to start kicking my feet in the middle of public transport because the story got me hooked!