Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Fatherland by Robert Harris is a brilliant read. I love thrillers and having just studied Weimar and Nazi Germany as part of History GCSE, I thought I would give this historical thriller ago. I had been reluctant to read historical fiction beforehand as I thought it would require a decent amount of background knowledge and although I think my knowledge helped, Harris' detailed descriptions and clear references would make this suitable for anyone. This book also has a scattering of German words throughout which was also a plus for me as I take German GCSE and am very passionate about the language!
Concerning the story, his masterful use of vocabulary and control of tension meant that I was gripped throughout and sometimes I would find that I had read for hours at a time as I waited for another mystery to unravel! His brilliant descriptions meant that the characterisation was clear and it was easy to get attached to some characters and despise others. The characters were very realistic. He also managed to create the dismal and chilling atmosphere of a corrupt society which intensified as the conspiracy was unveiled.
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as Harris not only explored the fantasy of 'What if Hitler had won?' but he also slowly unveiled another mystery which kept me guessing right until the end. His writing style was clear and concise, yet he seemed to give enough description to create an incredibly vivid atmosphere. Personally, I found that the only downside to this book is that some of the concepts mentioned (that turned out to be quite key points in the unravelling of the mystery)were difficult to understand if you're a teenager without any prior knowledge to politics! I had to look up a few of the terms mentioned as it began to get a bit confusing.
Concerning the story, his masterful use of vocabulary and control of tension meant that I was gripped throughout and sometimes I would find that I had read for hours at a time as I waited for another mystery to unravel! His brilliant descriptions meant that the characterisation was clear and it was easy to get attached to some characters and despise others. The characters were very realistic. He also managed to create the dismal and chilling atmosphere of a corrupt society which intensified as the conspiracy was unveiled.
Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as Harris not only explored the fantasy of 'What if Hitler had won?' but he also slowly unveiled another mystery which kept me guessing right until the end. His writing style was clear and concise, yet he seemed to give enough description to create an incredibly vivid atmosphere. Personally, I found that the only downside to this book is that some of the concepts mentioned (that turned out to be quite key points in the unravelling of the mystery)were difficult to understand if you're a teenager without any prior knowledge to politics! I had to look up a few of the terms mentioned as it began to get a bit confusing.
3.5 Stars
A typical crime thriller, this, but based in an alternate history of the German Reich in 1964. Imagining and writing a work of a world with an alternate history is not easy, having to take into consideration numerous factors of happenings and its effects. The point of divergence for this book is somewhere in 1942, after which Germany wins the war in 1946, and conflicts in the East of the Ural mountains with Soviet Russia are still ongoing in 1964.
I found the thriller aspect of the book to be typical, for my type of a reader, who is unable to extract much from a thriller to a large extent any more. Someone who loves and enjoys reading thrillers could easily give this one a minimum of 4-stars. :)
What I liked more about this book is the usage of authentic material (documents, characters, time-tables, etc) to make a part of the story. While most of the leading characters are fictional, some did historically exist, the murdered included, while several are a part of the background. An imagined reconstruction of post-war Berlin in the book is portrayed based upon Albert Speer plan, a German architect of the time.
The story is devised based upon ignorance of the Final Solution during the war within the German society, the artifacts that were grabbed by the Germans, and the corruption in the post-war Reich government.
I did ended up comparing this book with [b:The Man in the High Castle|216363|The Man in the High Castle|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1448756803s/216363.jpg|2398287], since it too deals with a hypothetical Axis victory in WWII, and which is something that I have read, and not to judge but I personally enjoyed that one more. Although "Fatherland" was 'more German', which gave a different feel, which "... High Castle" did not. So yay! to both.
Yet, a good book, and practically glad to see the authenticity of the Holocaust embedded within a fictional scenario, for in this way it becomes easier to propagate the truths of history.
A typical crime thriller, this, but based in an alternate history of the German Reich in 1964. Imagining and writing a work of a world with an alternate history is not easy, having to take into consideration numerous factors of happenings and its effects. The point of divergence for this book is somewhere in 1942, after which Germany wins the war in 1946, and conflicts in the East of the Ural mountains with Soviet Russia are still ongoing in 1964.
I found the thriller aspect of the book to be typical, for my type of a reader, who is unable to extract much from a thriller to a large extent any more. Someone who loves and enjoys reading thrillers could easily give this one a minimum of 4-stars. :)
What I liked more about this book is the usage of authentic material (documents, characters, time-tables, etc) to make a part of the story. While most of the leading characters are fictional, some did historically exist, the murdered included, while several are a part of the background. An imagined reconstruction of post-war Berlin in the book is portrayed based upon Albert Speer plan, a German architect of the time.
The story is devised based upon ignorance of the Final Solution during the war within the German society, the artifacts that were grabbed by the Germans, and the corruption in the post-war Reich government.
I did ended up comparing this book with [b:The Man in the High Castle|216363|The Man in the High Castle|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1448756803s/216363.jpg|2398287], since it too deals with a hypothetical Axis victory in WWII, and which is something that I have read, and not to judge but I personally enjoyed that one more. Although "Fatherland" was 'more German', which gave a different feel, which "... High Castle" did not. So yay! to both.
Yet, a good book, and practically glad to see the authenticity of the Holocaust embedded within a fictional scenario, for in this way it becomes easier to propagate the truths of history.
Excellent mystery told through the alternate history of a victorious German Third Reich. It reminded me somewhat of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Knowledge of actual history takes the punch out of certain reveals, but it's quite consistent internally.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Classism
4.5 stars—very entertaining alternative history/police procedural set in a Third Reich that won the Second World War.
I really liked this book. The characters felt very real, and so did the surviving Third Reich.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, never slowing down. There were some intensely sad moments, always with the potential to split into an action scene at a moments notice.
I'd recommend it to any Alternate History fans, or to any fans of detective thrillers.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, never slowing down. There were some intensely sad moments, always with the potential to split into an action scene at a moments notice.
I'd recommend it to any Alternate History fans, or to any fans of detective thrillers.
How would the world have looked like when Germany won WW II? This question is answered in the novel Fatherland. As allways Robert Harris writes a suspenseful well written book. He also did his research very well. I enjoyed this novel in which .
We see a suffocating world where everyone is afraid of everyone, racism is the norm and women are breeding stuff:-( We’ll never know how it would have been, but I enjoyed the ‘what if?’
Spoiler
Joseph Kennedy was the president of the US and the concentration camps were still a secretWe see a suffocating world where everyone is afraid of everyone, racism is the norm and women are breeding stuff:-( We’ll never know how it would have been, but I enjoyed the ‘what if?’