Reviews

Gerta by Kateřina Tučková

karolina_can_read's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I read this book in my final year at college and it changed me. I knew what it is about but still it made me cry multiple times. Great also as a summary of history of 20th century in the Czech Republic, it’s a must read if you love Czech republic

iamother's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I get the purpose of this book. To highlight the perspectives of the unsung people of the war through a more realistic lens. The collateral damage that comes with war and wounds from it that never truly heal. That things don’t always work out the way that you hoped. But when it comes to a narrative that you are trying to paint, I don’t know if that was the intention of the author. Because for the most part it just felt like we were following these characters through various tragedies they endured, but it didn’t seem to be a point to it. It highlighted the disconnect between languages, cultures, and generations but all of them unresolved in a way that just felt like the author was testing our capacity to endure. The true victims of the story suffered in silence while a 3rd generation family member was the one coming to the epiphany and striving for real change. It took me out the story because it made me feel as though the main character was only there as a vehicle to speak to the pain of that entire period that was swept under the rug.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Xenophobia

Moderate: Violence

pravit's review against another edition

3.0

Started strong and started to drag about 3/4 of the way through, and it was a slog to the ending pages. I would have stopped reading had I not already had so much time invested. I admit I skimmed through a lot. Worth reading to be informed about a little known episode of history.

The ending chapters were very disjointed and it was hard to tell what time things were taking place. First she’s complaining about East German TV shows, then she’s upset because she’s receiving a letter from 1970 20 years late, and suddenly we’re informed it’s the year 2000. All in the same chapter, within the space of about 10 pages. Maybe it was intentional to show how time flies, but while reading it I was flipping back and forth like…what? It’s 2000? But she was just complaining about East Germany! What year is it?!

pernille's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

goneabroad71's review

3.0

The upside of this book: I learned a lot about a subject I didn’t know anything about - the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia after WWII. The downside: Somehow, the flat delivery style of the book managed to make a horrific story kind of boring. This is perhaps an Important Book, but it is not one that I looked forward to picking up as I was making my way through it.

heathssm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

alicia_joy's review against another edition

3.0

I really liked that this book was written from a much different perspective than the typical WWII historical fiction. However, I found it very slow-moving in places, and some of the story lines were never wrapped up. I definitely struggled to get through it at times, as it just was not my cup of tea.

amyisland206's review against another edition

5.0

This was a first for me. I’ve read many historical fiction novels centered in and around WWII, but this is the first time I’ve read something from the perspective of some of the German women and girls and their children who were left at the end of the war. Primarily where the Russians moved in, in this case, Czechoslovakia.

annamontana's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I did not enjoy this book. The book felt disjointed, and without much plot. I enjoy a good, character driven, slice-of-life book when it is well written. This did not hit the mark for me. Because of translation I can't tell if it is not good writing or not good translating. 

zhelana's review against another edition

2.0

Gerta is an interesting character, I guess, and learning about the expulsions of the Germans from Czech cities after WWII was interesting, but honestly after the first part of the book, nothing really happened. I guess it was sort of a slice of life type thing, except it followed her for her whole life. It also had these random chapters narrated by other characters that I never really cared about. Anyway, I think I regret spending so much time on this book. The premise had so much promise but then so little was done with it. And I found old Gerta to be so out of character given middle aged Gerta. So, honestly, not impressed.