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elat's review against another edition
5.0
Its a book about everything and nothing, the storyline is not a vast central drama, but rather a difficult year in lives lived as one must in such difficult locations as Paris, Berlin, Moscow and Kiev during 1942. The simplicity of the prose belies its depth. I'm tempted to pick it back up and start over again.
moonlitbooks_'s review
2.0
This book is closer to a 2.5 stars.
This is one of the strangest writing styles I’ve ever seen. There’s no speech marks and it’s like a long monologue almost. However, with its unusual structure it’s hard to know which character we’re following at times.
The concept is interesting as rather than following a central plot this follows a year, the year is 1942 and it focuses on three characters. Therefore, if relays very heavily on it’s character, unfortunately not all of them were up to par. Hans was the most underdeveloped character and had an interesting story that was neglected unfortunately, whilst Karl had a really boring story that was fully developed and that could have been switched easily. I did enjoy Katia’s story and I think her’s flushes our and entertaining, I almost wish there had been more of her.
This book could have been great, however the writing styles stops it from being a satisfying or engrossing read, and the lack of character development in Hand in particular makes the story full short.
This is one of the strangest writing styles I’ve ever seen. There’s no speech marks and it’s like a long monologue almost. However, with its unusual structure it’s hard to know which character we’re following at times.
The concept is interesting as rather than following a central plot this follows a year, the year is 1942 and it focuses on three characters. Therefore, if relays very heavily on it’s character, unfortunately not all of them were up to par. Hans was the most underdeveloped character and had an interesting story that was neglected unfortunately, whilst Karl had a really boring story that was fully developed and that could have been switched easily. I did enjoy Katia’s story and I think her’s flushes our and entertaining, I almost wish there had been more of her.
This book could have been great, however the writing styles stops it from being a satisfying or engrossing read, and the lack of character development in Hand in particular makes the story full short.
dawncox's review against another edition
1.0
I really didn't enjoy this. I only finished it because it was short. Bits intrigued me but were never taken further.
I'm sure some people will love it-but not me.
I'm sure some people will love it-but not me.
jordantaylor's review against another edition
2.0
It didn't take long to discover with great certainty how disappointing this book is. The stilted descriptions, the crazily unstructured plot, and most of all, the author's writing style (or perhaps it was the translation?).
A glance at the inside cover had intrigued me - it contained some of my favorite plot elements. World War II, spies, Paris, society... The author even dropped Coco Chanel's name.
Within just a few pages, however, I couldn't help but choose another book off my library pile to read. Yes, I have a vow to finish every book... But despite this one being relatively brief, I had to force myself to reach the last page.
Immediately after starting this odd book, I noticed the jolting, painful writing. For some reason, the author does not seem to be aware of quotation marks. They were invented for a reason - why does she think she doesn't need them?
Whatever the reason for her pointedly refusing to include one single quotation mark in the entire book, it does not work.
And since there is a lot of dialogue, it was not only extremely annoying, but also confusing and a large barrier between the characters and the reader.
For instance, this part of the book:
"...places the volume of Goethe on the table in front of her. It can't be true! For a long time my father has dreamt of finding this edition of Werther! She speaks the words slowly..."
The only indication of a difference between dialogue and narrative is the change of tense. An entire novel of this was beyond tedious.
Also, many, many things in the book simply do not seem to go across to the reader. Was I missing something?
For example, when Hans and Karl suddenly say "Look!" (without quotation marks, though), and point to a Jew walking down the street. Why did they do this? Shock? Anger? Fear? It has nothing to do with their conversation, or anything in the story at the moment.
It is a scattered gathering of little things such as this that often made me feel as if I was the third person visiting two lifelong best friends. Things they say, I do not understand or appreciate. And as a reader, this is not a good feeling to have about characters.
The characters themselves were set up to be something grand - a German man residing in Paris who is regarded as a kind of socialite star, his beautiful lover, a spy involved in the French Resistance...
And yet, none of them could hold my interest.
They all remained grounded firmly in the pages of the book, never taking on a life of their own. In fact, quite the opposite.
The plot itself was also pretty much nonexistent. Some authors can pull off this casual wandering through the story, but Bielski cannot. I would find it hard to describe the plotline of this book to anyone who asked, save that it took place in Paris, 1942.
The name dropping on the inside cover? Don't be pulled in... Coco Chanel does not make so much as one appearance in the book, her name is simply mentioned once and that is that.
The only reason that this book is getting 2.5 stars instead of 2, or perhaps 1.5, is because I actually liked the book a bit toward the end.
Did the characters grow more lovable? No.
Actually, they disappeared.
The author switches scenes and pulls out attention to another scene entirely. The reason cannot, like many astounding "creative" things she does, be grasped.
But maybe she should have stuck with these characters the entire time, because I liked them, and their stories, much better.
A sorrowful old man who used to play the violin falls in love with a beautiful young opera singer, and a loving daughter seeks to take care of him amidst the terrors of being a Jew in 1942. When her father's soprano love is killed during a Jewish roundup, she tells him that she is simply off singing in another city, and that the war is over.
It is a bittersweet, heartfelt story that I found much more realistic than the first. I can't exactly call it well-written: the writing is simply too jarring.
And, of course, an author can't just introduce completely new characters in the middle of the book for no reason, good characters or bad.
It turned out that the characters DID have a relation to the story - the daughter treats Karl (the previous main character) for a rash.
I wonder where the author got this plot from... A dream, perhaps? It is certainly scattered and bizarre enough to be a possibility.
All in all, this is quite a bad story. I will not be reading anymore from this author.
NOTE - I know that this book was translated from French. If the bad writing is their fault, just switch the word "author" for "translator" through-out this review... Though it is more likely the fault of both.
A glance at the inside cover had intrigued me - it contained some of my favorite plot elements. World War II, spies, Paris, society... The author even dropped Coco Chanel's name.
Within just a few pages, however, I couldn't help but choose another book off my library pile to read. Yes, I have a vow to finish every book... But despite this one being relatively brief, I had to force myself to reach the last page.
Immediately after starting this odd book, I noticed the jolting, painful writing. For some reason, the author does not seem to be aware of quotation marks. They were invented for a reason - why does she think she doesn't need them?
Whatever the reason for her pointedly refusing to include one single quotation mark in the entire book, it does not work.
And since there is a lot of dialogue, it was not only extremely annoying, but also confusing and a large barrier between the characters and the reader.
For instance, this part of the book:
"...places the volume of Goethe on the table in front of her. It can't be true! For a long time my father has dreamt of finding this edition of Werther! She speaks the words slowly..."
The only indication of a difference between dialogue and narrative is the change of tense. An entire novel of this was beyond tedious.
Also, many, many things in the book simply do not seem to go across to the reader. Was I missing something?
For example, when Hans and Karl suddenly say "Look!" (without quotation marks, though), and point to a Jew walking down the street. Why did they do this? Shock? Anger? Fear? It has nothing to do with their conversation, or anything in the story at the moment.
It is a scattered gathering of little things such as this that often made me feel as if I was the third person visiting two lifelong best friends. Things they say, I do not understand or appreciate. And as a reader, this is not a good feeling to have about characters.
The characters themselves were set up to be something grand - a German man residing in Paris who is regarded as a kind of socialite star, his beautiful lover, a spy involved in the French Resistance...
And yet, none of them could hold my interest.
They all remained grounded firmly in the pages of the book, never taking on a life of their own. In fact, quite the opposite.
The plot itself was also pretty much nonexistent. Some authors can pull off this casual wandering through the story, but Bielski cannot. I would find it hard to describe the plotline of this book to anyone who asked, save that it took place in Paris, 1942.
The name dropping on the inside cover? Don't be pulled in... Coco Chanel does not make so much as one appearance in the book, her name is simply mentioned once and that is that.
The only reason that this book is getting 2.5 stars instead of 2, or perhaps 1.5, is because I actually liked the book a bit toward the end.
Did the characters grow more lovable? No.
Actually, they disappeared.
The author switches scenes and pulls out attention to another scene entirely. The reason cannot, like many astounding "creative" things she does, be grasped.
But maybe she should have stuck with these characters the entire time, because I liked them, and their stories, much better.
A sorrowful old man who used to play the violin falls in love with a beautiful young opera singer, and a loving daughter seeks to take care of him amidst the terrors of being a Jew in 1942. When her father's soprano love is killed during a Jewish roundup, she tells him that she is simply off singing in another city, and that the war is over.
It is a bittersweet, heartfelt story that I found much more realistic than the first. I can't exactly call it well-written: the writing is simply too jarring.
And, of course, an author can't just introduce completely new characters in the middle of the book for no reason, good characters or bad.
It turned out that the characters DID have a relation to the story - the daughter treats Karl (the previous main character) for a rash.
I wonder where the author got this plot from... A dream, perhaps? It is certainly scattered and bizarre enough to be a possibility.
All in all, this is quite a bad story. I will not be reading anymore from this author.
NOTE - I know that this book was translated from French. If the bad writing is their fault, just switch the word "author" for "translator" through-out this review... Though it is more likely the fault of both.
virgi's review
3.0
Due fronti della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, due storie flebilmente collegate fra loro. Nulla di speciale, forse pure poco memorabile, ma il libro è ben scritto, scorre via facilmente.
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