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whtyrd's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
sim_96's review against another edition
4.0
An interestingly riveting tale of how ones family can impact your life. A story of brutality, grief, despair, desperation and of guilt and how it can shape a family.
buchimist's review against another edition
5.0
Ein sehr berührendes Buch, dass sich mit den Fragen 'Verdrängung oder Aufarbeitung' und 'Aufarbeitung um wessen Willen' sensibel und vor allem ohne Scheu auseinandersetzt.
wirsindgefangene's review against another edition
5.0
Batthyany stellt die richtigen Fragen, auch wenn er oft die Antwort schuldig bleibt. Aber wie auch soll er sie beantworten können, wenn er sie über 5 Jahre lang ständig mit sich herumgetragen hat?
Ein wunderbares Buch für Leute, die sich für die Kriegsvergangenheit ihrer Großeltern interessieren, sich aber entweder nicht trauen danach zu fragen, oder aber schlichtweg nie die Gelegenheit dazu hatten.
Außerdem habe ich viel neues, vor allem über Ungarn, erfahren und fand den Schreibtstil einfach großartig. Meine vollste Empfehlung!
Ein wunderbares Buch für Leute, die sich für die Kriegsvergangenheit ihrer Großeltern interessieren, sich aber entweder nicht trauen danach zu fragen, oder aber schlichtweg nie die Gelegenheit dazu hatten.
Außerdem habe ich viel neues, vor allem über Ungarn, erfahren und fand den Schreibtstil einfach großartig. Meine vollste Empfehlung!
ullrichm's review
3.0
This book had very little to do with a crime involving the mass killing of 180 jews in Hungary. It mostly focused on the author's quest to be at peace with his conscience and family's past. The author writes about his travels with and without his father and several sessions of counseling he underwent. I found it hard to focus when reading this book. Parts seemed to drag on. I gave it 3 stars because I learned a couple facts about the Russian Gulags.
atticusmammy's review
2.0
I found both the story of The Hostess from Hell and the entries from the old journals interesting.
What bothered me was the author’s inner turmoil concerning “what’s still left in my bones from earlier times” and “what influence past events have in making us what we are”. Margit was married to his grandfather’s brother- there is no blood connection there! I think I’d rather have read a book about the events leading up to, during, and after the massacre. The author’s battle of conscience, so to speak, seems fabricated just as an excuse to write a book and draw attention to it by using “family”.
This book is translated into English and many times I do feel as if details and nuances of fact are truly “lost in translation” and this may be the case here.
What bothered me was the author’s inner turmoil concerning “what’s still left in my bones from earlier times” and “what influence past events have in making us what we are”. Margit was married to his grandfather’s brother- there is no blood connection there! I think I’d rather have read a book about the events leading up to, during, and after the massacre. The author’s battle of conscience, so to speak, seems fabricated just as an excuse to write a book and draw attention to it by using “family”.
This book is translated into English and many times I do feel as if details and nuances of fact are truly “lost in translation” and this may be the case here.
snobbles's review
3.0
I went into this book with high hopes about learning about the mystery of what happened to those 180 Jews that were murdered. Alas, it was not to be...
Instead, I found myself a little put off at the beginning of this book as everything seemed jumbled, the transitions were done poorly, and the story was meh at best.
Thankfully about halfway through the story gained some steam and actually began to be worth the read. I do like some of the things stated in this book about identity, and being haunted and effect by the ghosts of our past. Overall, not the best or worst read.
Instead, I found myself a little put off at the beginning of this book as everything seemed jumbled, the transitions were done poorly, and the story was meh at best.
Thankfully about halfway through the story gained some steam and actually began to be worth the read. I do like some of the things stated in this book about identity, and being haunted and effect by the ghosts of our past. Overall, not the best or worst read.