Scan barcode
ananya343's review
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
egmartin's review
1.0
1/5
I was excited to pick up this book because I have always been fascinated by WW2 and the Holocaust, and I love historical fiction. But I was disappointed. The concept and plot were intriguing and had so much potential, but the execution was lackluster.
First of all, the writing was odd in many ways. The author wrote in short, staccato-like sentences and only occasionally peppered in dependent clauses and commas. The dialogue was strange, too. The characters spoke in a way that no human does. For instance, when Madga and Karl are embracing and he suddenly reveals to her that she is pregnant, she asks him how he knows and he says “As we stood talking. It came to me.” Nobody talks like that.
Second of all, some of the events in this book (aside from the actual historical ones) were not plausible. Such as Magda’s friendship with Eva. Why would the girlfriend/lover/companion of Hitler (at that time one of the most powerful people in the world) befriend a taster? And just out of nowhere? She saw Magda in the kitchen or dining hall or whatever and decided she’d like to be her friend, give her clothes and ask her to be the witness to her and Hitler’s marriage? I understand this is fiction, but you’d still want the book to be somewhat believable.
I am surprised to see so many high ratings of this particular novel, with readers singing its praises, while I could go on and on about all the shortcomings of this book. I don’t know that I would recommend it to anyone.
I was excited to pick up this book because I have always been fascinated by WW2 and the Holocaust, and I love historical fiction. But I was disappointed. The concept and plot were intriguing and had so much potential, but the execution was lackluster.
First of all, the writing was odd in many ways. The author wrote in short, staccato-like sentences and only occasionally peppered in dependent clauses and commas. The dialogue was strange, too. The characters spoke in a way that no human does. For instance, when Madga and Karl are embracing and he suddenly reveals to her that she is pregnant, she asks him how he knows and he says “As we stood talking. It came to me.” Nobody talks like that.
Second of all, some of the events in this book (aside from the actual historical ones) were not plausible. Such as Magda’s friendship with Eva. Why would the girlfriend/lover/companion of Hitler (at that time one of the most powerful people in the world) befriend a taster? And just out of nowhere? She saw Magda in the kitchen or dining hall or whatever and decided she’d like to be her friend, give her clothes and ask her to be the witness to her and Hitler’s marriage? I understand this is fiction, but you’d still want the book to be somewhat believable.
I am surprised to see so many high ratings of this particular novel, with readers singing its praises, while I could go on and on about all the shortcomings of this book. I don’t know that I would recommend it to anyone.
augustopelle's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sorry my dear but oscar wild would've never been proud of this
saramschacht's review
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mcsangel2's review
2.0
I read a couple of historical fictions in 2016 that were so mediocre, it put me off the genre for awhile. Picked up this one on a whim, and while the writing is not particularly sophisticated, the story was pretty well thought out. I appreciated the look at Hitler's different residences and how the households worked; the story was not overly depressing nor overly optimistic - generally, pretty realistic.
That is, until I got to the part where the main character (fictional) is asked by Eva Braun to be a witness to her and Hitler's suicide, and actually becomes the person who shot Hitler. After giving him a speech about how evil he is and what a terrible thing he's done.
Hitler certainly was evil, but I feel like the true history is plenty dramatic enough without inserting a fictional person in that way. That part pretty much ruined the story for me.
That is, until I got to the part where the main character (fictional) is asked by Eva Braun to be a witness to her and Hitler's suicide, and actually becomes the person who shot Hitler. After giving him a speech about how evil he is and what a terrible thing he's done.
Hitler certainly was evil, but I feel like the true history is plenty dramatic enough without inserting a fictional person in that way. That part pretty much ruined the story for me.
katstacksbooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
I listened to this one and found that I never connected with the character and honestly never cared what happened to her.
enereida's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25