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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was the second alternate history novel I read this year about a victorious Germany after WW2 and this one was much better than the first (The Man in the High Castle). Fatherland is very much a mystery/crime thriller rooted in a plausible, frightening world and while some of it is fairly familiar (the typical world-weary detective, fighting against the powers that be) Harris keeps the tension and reader interest high.
I really enjoyed this one! This was a great blend between crime fiction/police detective novel and alternate history/what-if-the-Nazis-won-WWII novel, and a lot better written than I had originally assumed going into it (sorry I doubted you, Harris, it's just that I didn't have terribly high literary expectations for the alternate history genre).
I also didn't expect how hard some of the later chapters about the Holocaust would hit me. Going into this, I fully expected those passages, but it's really difficult to read. I actually had to take a break after one of the more descriptive chapters.
To end on a happy note - I loved that Lady with an Ermine made an appearance in this! It's one of my favorite paintings .
Spoiler
My only quibble is that, of course the 40-something protagonist slept the with the pretty, vivacious, plucky can-do 25-year old (insert eye roll here). I can't really see what Charlie Maguire saw in him, other than a change of pace, but it does seem to be in keeping with her impulsive character, at least, and not totally out of the blue. Still, the "romance" aspect of the book was the thing I found the least interesting and most predictable. Alas.I also didn't expect how hard some of the later chapters about the Holocaust would hit me. Going into this, I fully expected those passages, but it's really difficult to read. I actually had to take a break after one of the more descriptive chapters.
To end on a happy note - I loved that Lady with an Ermine made an appearance in this! It's one of my favorite paintings .
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Alcohol
What a fascinating book. Some version of historical fiction/science fiction/ mystery/suspense. Apparently a journalist's first novel. Very well written and a nice balance between history (sorry of) and a good story. I do hope there are more novels.
This doesn't usually fit what I give five stars, but it's so unique, at least to me, I wouldn't know how else to rate it.
This doesn't usually fit what I give five stars, but it's so unique, at least to me, I wouldn't know how else to rate it.
Great concept, but Harris seems far more preoccupied with describing imagined Nazi architecture than exploring what the human experience of such a society might be like.
This is, no hyperbole, one of the best alternate history books I’ve ever read. It was one of my first forays into detective novels and telling that story in the backdrop of a victorious Nazi Germany was fantastic. When you reach the end, you’ll wish this was a series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, War
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes