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2.49k reviews for:
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Erik Larson
3.76 AVERAGE
2.49k reviews for:
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Erik Larson
3.76 AVERAGE
This was a very slow read. The story demands absolute concentration to recognize all of the German names and locations. I do not recommend this book, unless you love historical novels. I bought his book for book club, and thought it would be fun to read something outside my normal genre of reading style, but I was wrong.
See the rest of my review at www.vivacioushobo.com
See the rest of my review at www.vivacioushobo.com
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
You'll never believe how much of history you don't know, and how real it can be, until you read a book like this. Highly recommend, especially if you've been to Berlin. Having been to so many locations mentioned in the book really created a reality for me when I read it, including Larson's brief nod to the "lovely" short walk from the Wisconsin Historical Society to the UW Library, which I have made so many times. Mildred Fish-Harnack sounds like a true UWer to me.
dark
medium-paced
A tale of an overambitious history professor who becomes an ambassador to Germany as Hitler ascends to power. He’s out of his league, not only with dealing with the Germans, but also with his State Department peers and superiors.
His children come along with him and they’re not that lovable, enjoying a leisurely lifestyle thanks to their father’s position. Then there are the Nazis…
A little dry at times, and definitely not a feel good pick me up book, it is nevertheless an important book about the failure to discover the motives of an authoritarian regime.
tense
Not my favorite from Larson (again) although there were some jaw dropping moments for sure. I could never really get a grasp on what Larson or the Dodds were trying to say or where they stood. I was not convinced that Dodd really was that relevant in the end just because what he predicted came true. Also, absolutely sickening sense of deja vu reading this in 2025.
I have loved Eric Larson since I ready Devil in the White City. This did not disappoint. It entertained me and showed with nuisance what Germany was like in the early rise of Hitler.
I don’t like the way Erik Larson writes, there’s too much fluff with all the descriptions.
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced