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oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
3.0
Very spare, pared back writing used to great effect. Emotionally powerful and realistic. Hard going. Not the 'ultimately triumphant' book I had the impression it would be. Not a bad thing, but may have to rethink giving it to my mother for her birthday...
mayflowergirl74's review against another edition
4.0
Often times, when you read a novel from the perspective of Germans during WW2, they are trying to help the Jewish people or despise Hitler. But in The Undertaking, the two main characters are ardent supporters of Hitler, their country and the war, and while neither seem to have an extreme hatred toward Jews, they are not opposed-and even help-in expelling them from their homes and taking their belongings. This made me hate both of them early on, wanting nothing but the worst to happen to them. But as we went on, there were traces of humanity, of their eyes beginning to open more as the war kept on, and it made me hopeful. This is a novel without much exposition--it's a quick read and not an especially happy one--there are a lot of very nasty people in this book. And by the end, I questioned whether or not one of the characters had grown at all. One thing is clear... women suffer a great deal during war and are often denied the forgiveness men would get. A good, quick read with no holds barred about the brutality of war.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Set During World War II, this novel tells of the lives of a man and his wife. Peter Faber is a teacher turned soldier who picks his wife Katharina based solely on a picture postcard. The two marry sight unseen and don't meet until Peter gets a honeymoon furlough. After his furlough, Peter is sent to the front in Russia.
I found the book to be engaging despite the often uncomfortable subject matter of life on the front or Katharina's life back in Germany where her family gets pulled under the wing of a Nazi doctor and his family.
I found the book to be engaging despite the often uncomfortable subject matter of life on the front or Katharina's life back in Germany where her family gets pulled under the wing of a Nazi doctor and his family.
samstillreading's review against another edition
5.0
When I saw The Undertaking on the Baileys Prize long list, I thought, ‘Aha! The book with the nice hat!’ (If you’re a long time reader of my reviews, you will know that my cover interests are piqued by fashion and cosmetics – shallow, but true). But this book deserves to be so much more than a book with a nice hat on the cover – it’s a fantastic story, covering a little known part of World War II that comes alive with Magee’s dialogue, which paints such a detailed image in so few words.
The story is about Peter and Katharina, who have never met but are getting married. He’s on the battlefield; she’s at home in Berlin. It’s a marriage not of love, but of convenience – Peter gets leave from the front line to meet his bride (and presumably consummate the marriage). Katharina gets a widow’s pension if he dies, ensuring her security and possibly an heir for the Motherland. It’s a business deal, but when the two meet, there’s a spark that ignites. Katharina’s mother isn’t particularly enthused by her choice, repeatedly saying she should have married the doctor’s son but her father and his benefactor take to Peter. Soon Peter is helping his father in law and Dr Weinart with some ‘jobs’, which allows him some extra leave. But for the majority of the book, Peter and Katharina are apart. Peter returns to his unit, where he is eventually blockaded in Stalingrad. Katharina fares better, as the family’s apartment is ‘upgraded’ and enjoys benefits from the Weinart family – food and clothes that many don’t have. But when her brother returns from the front for a rest, things change for the worse…
I can’t say that I’ve read many books that deal with the German side of World War II, and at first I felt a little disrespectful to those Australians (and the rest of the Allies) who fought for me so that I can sit here today typing this review. But then I thought that it’s ignorant to be biased and that we’re all humans anyway. The book doesn’t deal with Hitler, the Nazis or the Holocaust directly, just little snippets here and there in the background. It’s more about the day to day life of Katharina, blooming without knowing she’s living in a Jewish family’s apartment and wearing their clothes. She’s charmingly oblivious to the disappearances of others around her and instead, focuses on the benefits – a fur coat! Cake! Peter is becoming increasingly disenchanted with life as a soldier, beginning to question why he’s fighting and why the army isn’t caring for their soldiers as promised. Both Katharina and Peter come to realise the brutality of war later in the novel, when it all stops being a game and they’re forced to grow up – fast.
One of the major strengths of The Undertaking is the dialogue that Magee creates. Much of the story is told in dialogue without the ‘he said/she said’, yet I never had to count back to work out who was talking. That is an amazing feat. What’s also amazing is that so much about not only the characters, but the setting and action is told through short, simple sentences spoken by the characters. This is one of the reasons I think this book is highly worthy of the Baileys Prize shortlist. Another is the ending – I don’t want to reveal the details, because I highly recommend this book for you to read, but it’s perfect. It fits in with what has happened to the characters through the novel and it clearly shows how they have changed. It also defies convention.
It’s hard to believe this is Audrey Magee’s first novel; I can’t wait to see what her next book is like!
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The story is about Peter and Katharina, who have never met but are getting married. He’s on the battlefield; she’s at home in Berlin. It’s a marriage not of love, but of convenience – Peter gets leave from the front line to meet his bride (and presumably consummate the marriage). Katharina gets a widow’s pension if he dies, ensuring her security and possibly an heir for the Motherland. It’s a business deal, but when the two meet, there’s a spark that ignites. Katharina’s mother isn’t particularly enthused by her choice, repeatedly saying she should have married the doctor’s son but her father and his benefactor take to Peter. Soon Peter is helping his father in law and Dr Weinart with some ‘jobs’, which allows him some extra leave. But for the majority of the book, Peter and Katharina are apart. Peter returns to his unit, where he is eventually blockaded in Stalingrad. Katharina fares better, as the family’s apartment is ‘upgraded’ and enjoys benefits from the Weinart family – food and clothes that many don’t have. But when her brother returns from the front for a rest, things change for the worse…
I can’t say that I’ve read many books that deal with the German side of World War II, and at first I felt a little disrespectful to those Australians (and the rest of the Allies) who fought for me so that I can sit here today typing this review. But then I thought that it’s ignorant to be biased and that we’re all humans anyway. The book doesn’t deal with Hitler, the Nazis or the Holocaust directly, just little snippets here and there in the background. It’s more about the day to day life of Katharina, blooming without knowing she’s living in a Jewish family’s apartment and wearing their clothes. She’s charmingly oblivious to the disappearances of others around her and instead, focuses on the benefits – a fur coat! Cake! Peter is becoming increasingly disenchanted with life as a soldier, beginning to question why he’s fighting and why the army isn’t caring for their soldiers as promised. Both Katharina and Peter come to realise the brutality of war later in the novel, when it all stops being a game and they’re forced to grow up – fast.
One of the major strengths of The Undertaking is the dialogue that Magee creates. Much of the story is told in dialogue without the ‘he said/she said’, yet I never had to count back to work out who was talking. That is an amazing feat. What’s also amazing is that so much about not only the characters, but the setting and action is told through short, simple sentences spoken by the characters. This is one of the reasons I think this book is highly worthy of the Baileys Prize shortlist. Another is the ending – I don’t want to reveal the details, because I highly recommend this book for you to read, but it’s perfect. It fits in with what has happened to the characters through the novel and it clearly shows how they have changed. It also defies convention.
It’s hard to believe this is Audrey Magee’s first novel; I can’t wait to see what her next book is like!
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
magdabirkmann's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
geisttull's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book - not a happy story. set during WWII, the main characters (both German) try to maintain a relationship while they are separated by war-torn Europe. this is a debut novel and is very well written. she doesn't make the characters likeable necessarily, but you certainly feel for them. and the conditions brought on by the war are not sugar-coated.
paulsnelling's review against another edition
4.0
Disturbing but very well written. How pale our troubles are in comparison
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
If this book is any indication of what is to come from new author, Audrey Magee then I am in for a nice ride. I instantly fell in love with Katharina and Peter's stories. In the beginning I thought they were both socially awkward and this was never going to work between them but just from the little brief moment of human interaction that they had, it did work. This is because the author keep them very involved with each other despite the distance. With the letters. Because I was able to connect with the characters and not just Peter and Katharina I was emotionally invested in them all as well. So when something happened to them, I was going through it with them. The ending was a bit sad. It was more than just a romance novel. The author captured the essence of the war and the people living through it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.