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artemiscat's review against another edition
Not my cup of tea- perhaps because I saw the show first and went in expecting a nuanced study of PTSD and women characters with actual agency. I'm positive there's a lot to enjoy here for those of us who don't have an alternate version running simultaneously through our read.
jlosaw's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting mystery, but a bit confusing at times if you don't fully understand the geopolitical situation in Europe during Weimar Germany.
beingshort's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jdintr's review against another edition
3.0
After watching the first two seasons of Babylon Berlin on Netflix, and looking forward to a visit to Berlin in the coming year, I checked out Kutscher's novel. I found it to be a disappointment compared with the series, but a decent mystery nonetheless.
The central mystery in the book is the body dragged out of the Spree. Much of the book is spent simply trying to identify the murdered Trotskyite. Kutscher writes in a 3rd-person-limited point of view, which is one of the reasons why the more revelatory series has an advantage.
Charlotte Ritter's character is also far less developed than in the series. In this book she is a stenographer for the crime division (one subplor is Rath's desire to move up from the vice squad to murder detective) and who marks an "easy lay" for the dashing detective.
One advantage the book has is its evocation of golden-age Berlin. The set pieces at its theaters, and its explanation of the "vereins" or gangs seemed very realistic to me.
This book gets a solid "meh" from me. I may read later books, depending on how close I get to visiting Berlin again.
The central mystery in the book is the body dragged out of the Spree. Much of the book is spent simply trying to identify the murdered Trotskyite. Kutscher writes in a 3rd-person-limited point of view, which is one of the reasons why the more revelatory series has an advantage.
Charlotte Ritter's character is also far less developed than in the series. In this book she is a stenographer for the crime division (one subplor is Rath's desire to move up from the vice squad to murder detective) and who marks an "easy lay" for the dashing detective.
One advantage the book has is its evocation of golden-age Berlin. The set pieces at its theaters, and its explanation of the "vereins" or gangs seemed very realistic to me.
This book gets a solid "meh" from me. I may read later books, depending on how close I get to visiting Berlin again.
vilma_ellen's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
tsharris's review against another edition
4.0
I came to this book from the TV adaptation, and appreciated that it differed significantly enough from the show to be enjoyable on its own terms. The mystery is a bit hard to follow, and Charlotte is much flatter than in the show, but still compelling portrait of Berlin on the precipice.
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
4.0
3 1/2 stars. I wanted to like this book more than I actually did - which was a bit of a letdown since I actually loved the first half or so. Then it took a turn into much darker territory, and too many characters were either killed off or revealed to be not at all likeable. I have a feeling it might make a better screen production than a book, so I'll give the TV show a look.
tucholsky's review against another edition
1.0
I have rarely looked forward so much to a book only to find it is a tedious bore. 30 per cent through and the main character has not got serious about any of the definite murder or the possible murder by police or possible crossfire victims. Characters are introduced, the pretty stenographer, the uppity doctor who determines the police shot 2 victims, then they are never heard of. Its unclear from chapter to chapter which case Rath is eve working on, or whether he is following his ow agenda. So far nothing has happened; it hS taken a long time. Like an elephant having a phantom pregnancy
daniella84's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read - there were twists and turns I wasn't expecting and it was interesting to see how Inspector Rath changed throughout the novel. The history was cool too!