Scan barcode
gal33's review against another edition
3.0
I felt as if this book was trying to forcefully be groundbreaking. It wasn't.
The thing is, if you're going to write through the point of view of Nazi soldiers, you have a very tricky job in front of you. On the one hand, your characters need to be relatable. On the other, you cannot underestimate the horrors of what they did.
But I feel like this book failed to do that. I couldn't connect with the characters, none of them, the writing was bland at best and not even the plot was captivating. And the thing that bothered me the most was the portrayal of the killing. The killing is described as something that harms just our narrators, they're poor souls who have been forced into murdering these people. Eye roll.
The only attempt of compassion our narrator shows, when he talks about feeling sorry for the victims' mothers, feels so forced and sudden, it's just not honest.
If you want a good book that is through the eyes of the 'bad guys', I suggest you just go read [b:All Quiet on the Western Front|355697|All Quiet on the Western Front|Erich Maria Remarque|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441227765s/355697.jpg|2662852] instead of this and do yourself a favor.
The thing is, if you're going to write through the point of view of Nazi soldiers, you have a very tricky job in front of you. On the one hand, your characters need to be relatable. On the other, you cannot underestimate the horrors of what they did.
But I feel like this book failed to do that. I couldn't connect with the characters, none of them, the writing was bland at best and not even the plot was captivating. And the thing that bothered me the most was the portrayal of the killing. The killing is described as something that harms just our narrators, they're poor souls who have been forced into murdering these people. Eye roll.
The only attempt of compassion our narrator shows, when he talks about feeling sorry for the victims' mothers, feels so forced and sudden, it's just not honest.
If you want a good book that is through the eyes of the 'bad guys', I suggest you just go read [b:All Quiet on the Western Front|355697|All Quiet on the Western Front|Erich Maria Remarque|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441227765s/355697.jpg|2662852] instead of this and do yourself a favor.
jbojkov's review against another edition
3.0
This was readable and not quite as difficult to read (from a content standpoint) as I was expecting. That being said, I'm a little fatigued when it comes to World War II books. I understand that it was a world-changing event and looms large in our world history, but I have had my fill. At least for awhile. If you enjoy reading bleak, historical fiction and want a small dose, this might be the book for you.
fictionvictim's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who enjoys WWII documentaries this novel lead me to asking even more questions. This was so beautifully written specially for being a translated text.
scottsltr's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
‘We explained to him that we would rather do the hunting than the shootings.’
Poland, World War II. Three German soldiers, Bauer, Emmerich and the unnamed narrator are members of an Einsatzgruppe. One day, instead of killing the Jewish people already rounded up, they have permission to track down and bring back more Jews in hiding.
‘We were no longer allowed to kill them where we found them, unless an officer was present to vouch for the fact. These days, we had to bring them back.’
They find a young man hiding in the woods. A young man, with a snowflake embroidered on his cap. They then decide to rest in an abandoned hut, out of the bitterly cold winter, for a while before returning to the camp. They break into the hut, and then set out to prepare a meal. As they break wood for fuel, melt snow to cook the food they have, they are joined by a Pole who offers them potato alcohol in exchange for some of their meal. The Polish man’s obvious and outspoken antisemitism heightens the tension.
‘Thus began the strangest meal we ever had in Poland.’
The focus of the novella is the preparation of this meal, the difficulty in preparing it, the logistics of sharing it given that they only have three mugs and a saucepan. Will they share their food with the young Jewish man? Will they let him free, or take him back to the camp? The narrator is moved by the snowflake on the young man’s cap: he sees it as a thoughtful maternal display. He may be able to forget about these personal touches later, but as he sees them, he is reminded of human similarities, not differences.
I finished this novella profoundly moved. The contrast between the ordinary, mundane (albeit difficult in the circumstances) task of preparing a meal contrasted with the horrific hunting of a Jewish person for execution. Somehow, the mundane details (starting a cooking fire, the snowflake on the cap, sharing food) made the purpose of the mission even more horrific.
Powerful. A disturbing reminder of how we ‘other’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Poland, World War II. Three German soldiers, Bauer, Emmerich and the unnamed narrator are members of an Einsatzgruppe. One day, instead of killing the Jewish people already rounded up, they have permission to track down and bring back more Jews in hiding.
‘We were no longer allowed to kill them where we found them, unless an officer was present to vouch for the fact. These days, we had to bring them back.’
They find a young man hiding in the woods. A young man, with a snowflake embroidered on his cap. They then decide to rest in an abandoned hut, out of the bitterly cold winter, for a while before returning to the camp. They break into the hut, and then set out to prepare a meal. As they break wood for fuel, melt snow to cook the food they have, they are joined by a Pole who offers them potato alcohol in exchange for some of their meal. The Polish man’s obvious and outspoken antisemitism heightens the tension.
‘Thus began the strangest meal we ever had in Poland.’
The focus of the novella is the preparation of this meal, the difficulty in preparing it, the logistics of sharing it given that they only have three mugs and a saucepan. Will they share their food with the young Jewish man? Will they let him free, or take him back to the camp? The narrator is moved by the snowflake on the young man’s cap: he sees it as a thoughtful maternal display. He may be able to forget about these personal touches later, but as he sees them, he is reminded of human similarities, not differences.
I finished this novella profoundly moved. The contrast between the ordinary, mundane (albeit difficult in the circumstances) task of preparing a meal contrasted with the horrific hunting of a Jewish person for execution. Somehow, the mundane details (starting a cooking fire, the snowflake on the cap, sharing food) made the purpose of the mission even more horrific.
Powerful. A disturbing reminder of how we ‘other’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
ipb1's review against another edition
4.0
A brief and shocking novella which looks at the Holocaust in microcosm, examining the larger atrocity through the lens of one tiny, incidental act.
Spoiler
Whilst well written the inevitable sympathy/empathy it invites for the three main protagonists combined with its intentional complete silencing of 'the jew' in the run up to the final act is deeply, deeply unsettling. Frankly it has got me thinking so much about the role and rights of fictional narrative in exploring such events that I am going in circles... Hmm, as I said - it is unsettling.mrcasals's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Es llegeix en mitja tarda. Tres soldats han de decidir si alliberen un presoner jueu o no. Està prou bé, però n'esperava més
siplebab's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
soulmeetsbooks's review against another edition
1.0
I found this book at the library in a list of "books to read this winter". I read the back and saw it was a WWII story and snatched it up. It was a short read so I figured I would give it a try, even considering the slightly lower Goodreads rating.
I honestly don't know what this book was. It was originally in French and was translated to English so I'm hoping there was just a lot lost in translation. It's basically a short story about 3 Germans who are sent out in to the woods to track down a Jew who has escaped. They are anxious to find this guy so they can be praised by their commander (general? I don't know military lingo) and be able to go out the next day as well instead of participating in the killing of the Jews.
Half of this book is basically a struggle for one of the Germans and how he needs to convince his son to not smoke, while smoking the entire book himself. Maybe quitting yourself would be a start? The other half is them making soup and waiting for it to cook. I kid you not, I know every detail about what went in this soup but can't tell you the characters names. Then a Polish guy shows up and wants to trade adding his potato liquor to the soup in exchange for eating some of the soup.
Based on all the reviews I have seen, this is supposed to be some book about moral dilemmas and how people have change of hearts and all that mushy crap. No. They find the Jew, store him in a pantry and give him food only because it makes the Pole mad that he has to eat with a Jew. Then the Germans go back and forth about how they should just let him go because it would make them feel a lot better. Just when you think, "wow, they're going to have a change of heart! I understand this book!" the book ends with them taking the Jew back to their commander or whatever and going out the next day to find more.
So many reviews I saw said that it was a deeply moving book and blah blah blah. Sure they gave the Jew some soup, but only to make the Pole uncomfortable. Then they didn't even save him. So I'm not really sure what I was supposed to take from this story other than most people were awful then just like I imagined.
It was pretty much 140 pages of making soup and discussing smoking and how grossed out they were by the Polish guy who was missing teeth. You're not missing anything.
Likes: I liked that it was only 140 pages so I didn't have to spend too much time trying to figure out what I just read.
Dislikes: Everything else.
More reviews at: https://soulmeetsbooks.wordpress.com/
I honestly don't know what this book was. It was originally in French and was translated to English so I'm hoping there was just a lot lost in translation. It's basically a short story about 3 Germans who are sent out in to the woods to track down a Jew who has escaped. They are anxious to find this guy so they can be praised by their commander (general? I don't know military lingo) and be able to go out the next day as well instead of participating in the killing of the Jews.
Half of this book is basically a struggle for one of the Germans and how he needs to convince his son to not smoke, while smoking the entire book himself. Maybe quitting yourself would be a start? The other half is them making soup and waiting for it to cook. I kid you not, I know every detail about what went in this soup but can't tell you the characters names. Then a Polish guy shows up and wants to trade adding his potato liquor to the soup in exchange for eating some of the soup.
Based on all the reviews I have seen, this is supposed to be some book about moral dilemmas and how people have change of hearts and all that mushy crap. No. They find the Jew, store him in a pantry and give him food only because it makes the Pole mad that he has to eat with a Jew. Then the Germans go back and forth about how they should just let him go because it would make them feel a lot better. Just when you think, "wow, they're going to have a change of heart! I understand this book!" the book ends with them taking the Jew back to their commander or whatever and going out the next day to find more.
So many reviews I saw said that it was a deeply moving book and blah blah blah. Sure they gave the Jew some soup, but only to make the Pole uncomfortable. Then they didn't even save him. So I'm not really sure what I was supposed to take from this story other than most people were awful then just like I imagined.
It was pretty much 140 pages of making soup and discussing smoking and how grossed out they were by the Polish guy who was missing teeth. You're not missing anything.
Likes: I liked that it was only 140 pages so I didn't have to spend too much time trying to figure out what I just read.
Dislikes: Everything else.
More reviews at: https://soulmeetsbooks.wordpress.com/