205 reviews for:

33 Place Brugmann

Alice Austen

3.9 AVERAGE

doreeny's review

3.5

informative

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This novel, set during World War II, focuses on the residents of an apartment building in Brussels. They are a diverse group of people of different ages and from different backgrounds. There’s a Jewish family, the Raphaëls, who disappear one night, leaving everything behind but their valuable art collection. There’s a Russian immigrant and a widowed war veteran. There are a number of students, including Charlotte, a colour-blind art student. There are professionals: an architect, an art dealer, an attorney, and a notary. There’s a nosy busybody. Once the Nazis occupy the city and life becomes more difficult with restrictions on movement and food rationing, each resident must choose whether to submit to the regime or resist. Some people make sacrifices and endanger themselves to save others and some people betray others to save themselves. 

There are multiple points of view. At least one person from each apartment provides his/her perspective. This narrative technique provides an opportunity for the reader to encounter the thoughts of the best and worst of people, both heroes and cowards. Though they are not narrators, the Nazis are also represented, and even there, we see differences – a Nazi officer who shows compassion more than once and a collaborator who shows none to either human or animal. 

There’s a disjointed feeling to the novel because of the constant shifts between so many narrators. What also affects the narrative flow is the insertion of dreams and visions, sometimes in stream-of-consciousness passages. Charlotte, for instance, at the beginning of the novel sees that “blood is seeping out under [the massive church doors], too, flowing from the church and flooding the square. Blood is everywhere. The passersby wade through blood, and it spatters their pant legs and skirts, but they take no notice.” This vision obviously symbolically foreshadows what is to come, but others are less clear. 

What is also less clear is the philosophical musings. There are repeated references to Wittgenstein and I found these less than interesting. Charlotte dislikes Wittgenstein’s writings and comments, “I’d rather read a magical book with the illusion of a beginning and an end. Not pithy little bursts that force me to consider every damn sentence.” When encountering another discussion of Wittgenstein’s philosophy, I found myself agreeing with Charlotte. 

Charlotte is a central figure in the novel. Her point of view is included several times, and it is her life that provides considerable action to the plot; she’s involved in the romance story and the most suspenseful scenes. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to relate to her. Others speak so highly of her, but I found it difficult to grasp her personality. For me, she remains an indistinct character, always hazy and lacking definition. 

There are quite a few coincidences which troubled me. Julian’s arrival at Herman’s apartment stretches credibility. And then there are the connections among Dirk and Putzeis and the Gorilla and Masha. 

I have read quite a bit of historical fiction set during World War II, but I believe this is the first set in Brussels, so I learned a great deal from this book. I learned about the VNV, the Flemish nationalist party which became the leading force of political collaboration in Flanders during the German occupation of Belgium. I also learned about the 1943 solo bombing of the Nazi headquarters in Brussels by Jean de Selys Longchamps. 

Though there are elements of the book I did not enjoy, it does offer a look at how Nazi occupation affected ordinary people whose survival was threatened in many different ways. It also inspires the reader to consider how s/he would react in similar circumstances. Would one choose submission or resistance? Some statements certainly made me draw parallels with current events in the US: “When we stop trying to understand how others see the world, when we lose our compassion, our empathy, we become animals. Worse than animals” and “Elected. The meaning of the word has changed for me since [the election of Hitler]. Or else my understanding of my fellow humans’ basic intelligence has changed. I don’t know if it will come to shooting, but I know it might.” 

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. 

kristina_reads23's review

4.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

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what a wonderful and heartbreaking book!

seeing life in brussels before world war II and during it through the eyes of the residents of the apartment building was harrowing, tense and memorable. so many different people and so many different views on survival, honor and goodness. there are a lot of pov’s, but they never felt overwhelming or mixed up. some fates made me very sad, some almost hopeful.

my only critique is that (1) the book is a bit slow-paced for my taste and (2) i wanted more from the ending (but i do understand that in a time of war happy endings are not promised).

thank you netgalley and grove atlantic for this arc.

janetsomerville's review

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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An assured debut written with a polyphony of convincing first person voices about the residents of a Beaux Arts apartment building in Brussels during WWII

itsjxssica's review

3.5

mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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33 Place Brugmann follows the stories of the various residents of an apartment building in Brussels during WWII. I loved the little details and overlapping stories, and I feel the tension got really intense especially closer to the end. It’s definitely heartwrenching to see how each person reacts in the face of war, genocide, and acts of terror throughout the Nazi occupation. I was most invested in the stories of Charlotte, her father, Julien, and the General. 

There is a large cast of characters and the POVs change at each chapter, so it was hard to keep track of who was who at the beginning. I also felt like the book got slow during the middle, and it felt like characters were mostly explaining their thoughts about world events going on around them. Some POVs weren’t as interesting as others, and I wanted to get back to the characters I did enjoy. I also had some mixed feelings on the ending, but overall it was an entertaining read.  

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC!

emilytcroteau's review

4.0

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what an incredible but heartbreaking book. this book takes place before WWII and follows the residents of a building in Brussels through the war. It accounts the horrible things the people endured during this time. Its written from multiple POVs which was a little hard to keep up with at first but, once i got invested into these characters it really just sets the scene. 

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!

daniellelouis_'s review against another edition

2.0

slow-paced

sophiesargant's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

elo_0113's review

3.0

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

maryfelicep's review

3.5

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A beautiful story set in Nazi occupied Brussels, about a group of people living at 33 Place Brugmann.  When Nazi occupation becomes a reality, the lives of the residents are changed when they must decide whether to take the easy road ans submit to their new lives or risk everything to save one another.

I love historical fiction and enjoyed this novel, although it's story developed at a slower, more leisurely pace.  Not a huge amount of action in this storyline. There were quite a few characters introduced early throughout the book that took some time to get my head around.  I had to keep referencing the page at the front of the book which outlined who lived where and their familial connections.  Having said that, the characters are unforgettably beautiful.  I loved how each chapter was dedicated to a developing storyline from a particular character's point of view.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

lous_world's review against another edition

3.0

dark sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No