You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I picked up this book because I adore the genre of alternate-history, but found a first-rate thriller that could stand up in any setting. It is all the more admirable that Harris's characters and the documents that further the plot are all real--the research put into this novel is almost unbelievable. It would be very difficult to find an alternate-history novel more grounded in history; Harris has created an incredibly realistic world that never happened.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately I was dissapointed by this book. My cousin reccomended it in one of his vlogs and I decided to read it as WWII history interests me a lot. Or tried to. The long German names make it impossible to tell one character from another therefore making it impossible to understand what's going on
I alternatively, through the various chapters, both liked and disliked this book. I was expecting something more like [b:The Man in the High Castle|216363|The Man in the High Castle|Philip K. Dick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448756803s/216363.jpg|2398287], but it's certainly no fault of [a:Robert Harris|575|Robert Harris|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445968924p2/575.jpg]'s that he didn't write a book more like The Man in the High Castle. I blame much of my disappointment on myself. I should read summaries and reviews more carefully.
What I ultimately didn't like about it was the big "reveal."
The secret people killed and died, to either protect or reveal - I just didn't believe it. Even in Harris' imagined alternate post WWII vision, that secret would never have stayed a secret; it wasn't a secret even as it was happening. The full, horrific depth of what occurred might not have been known until Allied forces made headway into German held territories, but the generalities were known. It would have taken a coverup of epic proportion to keep that "secret" for over 20 years. Too many people knew, and were involved either directly or indirectly, and some victims surely would have escaped - it would have been impossible for the Third Reich to silence them all. The particpants' screaming demons would have driven them mad, and they would have confessed over vodkas at the local bar, or to mistresses and wives, to loved ones on their deathbeds, to psychiatrists in insane asylums. It would not have stayed a secret.
Ultimately, if you don't believe the basic premise of the story, is it any good?
I gave him a three for pretty good writing, for keeping me engaged despite my disbelieve, and sort of for giving me hope that even if the Axis powers had won the war, eventually the brutality and inhumanity of Hitler would bring him down.
What I ultimately didn't like about it was the big "reveal."
Spoiler
The secret people killed and died, to either protect or reveal - I just didn't believe it. Even in Harris' imagined alternate post WWII vision, that secret would never have stayed a secret; it wasn't a secret even as it was happening. The full, horrific depth of what occurred might not have been known until Allied forces made headway into German held territories, but the generalities were known. It would have taken a coverup of epic proportion to keep that "secret" for over 20 years. Too many people knew, and were involved either directly or indirectly, and some victims surely would have escaped - it would have been impossible for the Third Reich to silence them all. The particpants' screaming demons would have driven them mad, and they would have confessed over vodkas at the local bar, or to mistresses and wives, to loved ones on their deathbeds, to psychiatrists in insane asylums. It would not have stayed a secret.
Ultimately, if you don't believe the basic premise of the story, is it any good?
I gave him a three for pretty good writing, for keeping me engaged despite my disbelieve, and sort of for giving me hope that even if the Axis powers had won the war, eventually the brutality and inhumanity of Hitler would bring him down.
Hoo boy. Makes you really glad Hitler didn't win the war.
I liked the worldbuilding in the beginning. The author had invented sights, newspaper events, and national holidays. There were also some interesting fun facts about autopsies.
But the writing wasn't very engaging which is why I got bored of it after forcing myself through the first half. It is extremely longwinded as everything that happens is described in minute detail - the first 165 pages are just two days, and it's all about police investigations, interviews and conversations. I was hoping for a more personal story about the actual everyday life at the time, and how it would be different. But instead it was just the ins and outs of someone doing their job, described in the most theoretical and unemotional way.
The idea itself has potential, but the writing style made me skip to the end, read only the last page, and ask my boyfriend to summarise the rest of the plot for me. When he did, I realised that even when told in the voice of a hot British man, it's just not that interesting.
But the writing wasn't very engaging which is why I got bored of it after forcing myself through the first half. It is extremely longwinded as everything that happens is described in minute detail - the first 165 pages are just two days, and it's all about police investigations, interviews and conversations. I was hoping for a more personal story about the actual everyday life at the time, and how it would be different. But instead it was just the ins and outs of someone doing their job, described in the most theoretical and unemotional way.
The idea itself has potential, but the writing style made me skip to the end, read only the last page, and ask my boyfriend to summarise the rest of the plot for me. When he did, I realised that even when told in the voice of a hot British man, it's just not that interesting.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to the BBC radioplay of this, which I recognize is not the same thing as reading the book.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A