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andrea_c's review against another edition
5.0
Required reading for all aspiring dystopian novel authors.
dioneira's review against another edition
4.0
Nach Mitternacht ist Irmgard Keuns erster im Exil geschriebender Roman. Der Zeit und dem Thema geschuldet, ist es zwar natürlich keine Komödie, aber sie konnte unfassbar abschätzig und humorvoll selbst SA-Offiziere und andere Nazis beschreiben und kritisieren
"Sie müssen ihm nur 1mal in die Augen sehen. Und IMMER tut der Führer auch was er sagt! Und wie er sich in seinen Reden aufopfert!"
"Berühmtheit fordert immer Opfer! Wie z.B. in langen Wagneropern sitzen, was deutsche Kunst ist, für die der Führer sich auch opfert!"
Auch wenn es nicht der gesamte Text sondern ein Hörspiel war, hab ich es wie auch schon die anderen Keun-Geschichten wieder sehr genossen und aufgesogen. Große Liebe!
"Sie müssen ihm nur 1mal in die Augen sehen. Und IMMER tut der Führer auch was er sagt! Und wie er sich in seinen Reden aufopfert!"
"Berühmtheit fordert immer Opfer! Wie z.B. in langen Wagneropern sitzen, was deutsche Kunst ist, für die der Führer sich auch opfert!"
Auch wenn es nicht der gesamte Text sondern ein Hörspiel war, hab ich es wie auch schon die anderen Keun-Geschichten wieder sehr genossen und aufgesogen. Große Liebe!
clarajp5's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
naschi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tonyf111's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
hemloc's review against another edition
5.0
Six reasons to read After Midnight:
1) Every character is different from the rest. Most are personable and loveable in their own way, and all serve a purpose. Each character represents an option, a way of surviving, or not, in Nazi Germany.
2) I love this line, especially within the context in which this book is set: "in an odd way fear is always mutual".
3) The POV character is very believably real. She's naïve, and that naïvety makes the hypocrisies and failings of the regime all the more obvious and cruel because the critiques come from a place of innocence.
4) Much like the quote, Algin's desire in his misery to kill someone worse than himself takes on a whole new depth within the book's historical context. Because he realises he can't do it, explaining that even though he has the power to kill, he has not the desire, the strength, or the right to go through with it. The story never preaches but nevertheless makes its points with absolute clarity.
5) Keun describes emigration as living somewhere that is not designed for you. "The roofs that you see are not built for you. The bread that you smell is not baked for you. And the speech that you hear is not spoken for you." It's a vivid view.
6) This book ruins the lie countries and people have been telling since WWII: "We could never have seen it coming." Yet this book was published in 1937, and it is all in here.
Two drawbacks to After Midnight:
1) For such a short book there are many names and characters. Not only is it difficult to keep track of them all, but it's not easy to care about them deeply enough to be affected when bad things happen to them.
2) The ending is action-packed yet quite crammed with lengthy descriptions. I may have skipped one or two of those for the sake of getting to the exciting parts.
1) Every character is different from the rest. Most are personable and loveable in their own way, and all serve a purpose. Each character represents an option, a way of surviving, or not, in Nazi Germany.
2) I love this line, especially within the context in which this book is set: "in an odd way fear is always mutual".
3) The POV character is very believably real. She's naïve, and that naïvety makes the hypocrisies and failings of the regime all the more obvious and cruel because the critiques come from a place of innocence.
4) Much like the quote, Algin's desire in his misery to kill someone worse than himself takes on a whole new depth within the book's historical context. Because he realises he can't do it, explaining that even though he has the power to kill, he has not the desire, the strength, or the right to go through with it. The story never preaches but nevertheless makes its points with absolute clarity.
5) Keun describes emigration as living somewhere that is not designed for you. "The roofs that you see are not built for you. The bread that you smell is not baked for you. And the speech that you hear is not spoken for you." It's a vivid view.
6) This book ruins the lie countries and people have been telling since WWII: "We could never have seen it coming." Yet this book was published in 1937, and it is all in here.
Two drawbacks to After Midnight:
1) For such a short book there are many names and characters. Not only is it difficult to keep track of them all, but it's not easy to care about them deeply enough to be affected when bad things happen to them.
2) The ending is action-packed yet quite crammed with lengthy descriptions. I may have skipped one or two of those for the sake of getting to the exciting parts.
harry_gl's review against another edition
3.0
I liked Keun's writing style - kind of stream of consciousness, often flicking back to explain prior events. I found the story engaging, but I was expecting more to happen and found the ending a bit abrupt.