Reviews tagging 'Death'

Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey

4 reviews

bookmaddie's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

This novel is a lovely character study that follows three individuals—Greta Hahn, the wife of an SS officer at Buchenwald concentration camp; Dietrich Hahn, her husband and a high up officer at Buchenwald; and Leonard Weber, a doctor imprisoned at Buchenwald. The story is very well researched and each character's sections are told in unique ways—Greta's as an imaginary diary, Dietrich's as a recording of his confession/interview to someone after the trials at Dachau, and Leonard's as letters to his daughter.

Through these three characters, Chidgey explores complacency, and how community influences how people think. There are short sections written from the collective mind of the citizens of Weimar, the German town that sat below the concentration camp. These sections really highlighted the willful obliviousness and ignorance of the townspeople, who ignored rumors of the atrocities taking place up the hill from their homes.  Chidgey has created a thoughtful explanation of how people can be blind to the evil happening on their doorstep, and what happens when that ignorance is exposed. A thoughtful, beautifully written and researched, and insightful story. It's not your average entry into World War II historical fiction, which is always refreshing!

Another great read from Europa Books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Antisemitism, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Death, Terminal illness, Cancer, Child death, Violence, and War

katewhite77's review against another edition

informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I wasn't going to read this at first even though it had been longlisted for the for the Woman’s Prize and I wanted to read the lot.  I thought I would find it far to much given what is going on in the world but strangely as I started reading I found it calming in an odd sort of way knowing that there is nothing worse in this book than I have already read in the newspaper over recent weeks. 

To see World War Two from the German perspective was very interesting and how powerful propaganda can be. 

Again this book is not for everyone it is a long harrowing read, but one I don't regret. We must not forget history next time and also remember there no winners in a war. Humanity only loses. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Physical abuse, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Child death, Rape, Torture, War, and Antisemitism

rozereads's review

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

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

4.25

To quote the blurb:  It "compels us to question our continuing and willful ability to look the other way in a world that is once more in thrall to the idea that everything--even facts, truth and morals--is relative."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Cancer, Genocide, Torture, Grief, Body horror, Gore, Death, and Excrement

Moderate: Medical trauma, Terminal illness, War, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Rape

your_true_shelf's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Torture, and War