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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Powerful, tiny novel consisting of a series of letters between a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco and his friend and former business parter recently relocated back to Germany in the early 1930s. If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, I highly recommend reading it - it will only take you about a half an hour.
I was interested in reading this story because it was written at the time that the holocaust was taking place. I normally am not interested in stories and books around WW2, but the fact that this was a contemporary story caught my attention. It is concise and packs a punch in 66 short pages and I was blown away by the author’s accurate prediction of the dangers of Nazism. The ending was so well written and thought out. It is up to the reader to fill in the blanks since we only know the story through the letters. I would recommend this book to all, especially considering how short of a read it is.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
There are so many fascinating things about this powerful, little book. Even though it was published in 1938, it is important to consider modern day parallels. An epistolary novel, two friends and former business partners exchange letters. Max is a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco and Martin has recently returned to Germany, as Hitler is rising to power. When Kressmann Taylor had the idea for this story, she wondered "How can such a thing happen? What changed their hearts so? What steps brought them to such cruelty?" What starts as friends exchanging letters, soon drastically shifts in tone as Martin falls to extremist ideologies. I was truly struck that this was written by a woman and first published in 1938. Originally published under a penname, Katherine Kressmann Taylor was able to see its original success in the 1930s and again on its 50th anniversary when she was in her 90s.
I'll think about this novella forever, probably
A little gem. It’s hard to believe this book was first published in 1938. I can’t imagine how painfully timely it must have felt. Now, it is timeless. Simple, poignant, and powerful - this is the story of betrayal, of extremism, of the power of language. What more can you say. I tiny book that packs a punch, the force of it still echoing today.
How had I never heard of this book before?
It’s described as “timeless” in the introduction and that’s a perfect word for it. Normally, I don’t feel as gripped by epistolary novels, but this one has proven me wrong.
It’s described as “timeless” in the introduction and that’s a perfect word for it. Normally, I don’t feel as gripped by epistolary novels, but this one has proven me wrong.
“But there is another realm where we can always find something true, the fireside of a friend, where we shed our little conceits and find warmth and understanding, where small selfishnesses are impossible and where wine and books and talk give a different meaning to existence. There we have made something that no falseness can touch. We are at home.”
This novel is short but powerful. It tells the story of an overseas friendship over time. And it provides a brief, yet accurate history of the start of WWII and Hitler’s power in a personal narrative. You might be reading along and think you know the history and you know the plot. Just when you get settled in and you’re comfortable it punches you in the gut.
This novel is short but powerful. It tells the story of an overseas friendship over time. And it provides a brief, yet accurate history of the start of WWII and Hitler’s power in a personal narrative. You might be reading along and think you know the history and you know the plot. Just when you get settled in and you’re comfortable it punches you in the gut.
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes