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cynka's review against another edition
3.0
Jestem zaskoczona tym, jak bardzo mi się podobało? Forma, w jakiej "Początek" został napisany jest naprawdę ciekawa i angażująca. Poszczególne opowieści na pozór ze sobą niezwiązane, łączące się między sobą, pokazujące ciągi przyczynowo-skutkowe, różne aspekty historii i motywacje działań bohaterów.
Czasami trochę ciężko mi się było połapać w różnych osiach czasowych, które były ze sobą bardzo przemieszane, pewnie gdybym nie czytała tego "na czas" i na zaliczenie, to odebrałabym to inaczej.
Czasami trochę ciężko mi się było połapać w różnych osiach czasowych, które były ze sobą bardzo przemieszane, pewnie gdybym nie czytała tego "na czas" i na zaliczenie, to odebrałabym to inaczej.
dreesreads's review
4.0
An excellent novel that looks at Poland (Warsaw) and the Polish during the German occupation of Poland during WWII.
The story is based around the blond and blue-eyed Jewish widow Mrs Seidenman, now known as Mrs Gromowski (sp?), a Polish officer's widow. Someone informs on her, and her community comes through to save her. Though this is the framework for the novel, each chapter looks at a different person living in Warsaw at the time--from Mrs S-G (as she goes by after the war, living in Paris), to Pawel (a teen who plays a part in her rescue), to her academic next door neighbor Mr Korba (who sets the ball rolling, and has no idea that she actually is Jewish), to a street criminal. We also meet a long-time pro-Poland fighter in the Underground who has been fighting for an independent Poland since 1905, Pawel's best friend Henio (and his father and 4-yo sister, who is smuggled from the ghetto to a convent, where she is converted to Catholicism to save her), to Johann (Jás) Müller (a German who has lived in Poland his entire life, and plays the key role in saving Mrs Seidenman).
It can get a bit confusing with multiple nicknames and aliases, but you get a real feel for the community that existed under occupation. During WWI, Poland was occupied by the Russians, and you see the fear from those events effecting some of the characters' actions. You see the confusion over what the Germans are doing to their Jewish friends and neighbors, and anyone who crosses the paths of the wrong German occupier.
The story is based around the blond and blue-eyed Jewish widow Mrs Seidenman, now known as Mrs Gromowski (sp?), a Polish officer's widow. Someone informs on her, and her community comes through to save her. Though this is the framework for the novel, each chapter looks at a different person living in Warsaw at the time--from Mrs S-G (as she goes by after the war, living in Paris), to Pawel (a teen who plays a part in her rescue), to her academic next door neighbor Mr Korba (who sets the ball rolling, and has no idea that she actually is Jewish), to a street criminal. We also meet a long-time pro-Poland fighter in the Underground who has been fighting for an independent Poland since 1905, Pawel's best friend Henio (and his father and 4-yo sister, who is smuggled from the ghetto to a convent, where she is converted to Catholicism to save her), to Johann (Jás) Müller (a German who has lived in Poland his entire life, and plays the key role in saving Mrs Seidenman).
It can get a bit confusing with multiple nicknames and aliases, but you get a real feel for the community that existed under occupation. During WWI, Poland was occupied by the Russians, and you see the fear from those events effecting some of the characters' actions. You see the confusion over what the Germans are doing to their Jewish friends and neighbors, and anyone who crosses the paths of the wrong German occupier.
dissidentreviews's review against another edition
5.0
Obwohl der Autor oft in die Zukunft abschweift und erzählt, was aus einer Figur später geworden ist, hält er die Spannung hoch.
Rezension auf meinem Blog: https://nouw.com/cwidmann/andrzej-szczypiorksi-die-schone-frau-sei-36378082
Rezension auf meinem Blog: https://nouw.com/cwidmann/andrzej-szczypiorksi-die-schone-frau-sei-36378082
thebobsphere's review against another edition
4.0
After already reading a book about the second World War, I wasn’t up to another one. Especially since this one focuses on Jews as well but The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman is so great that I forgot all my complaints and got absorbed into the novel.
As such you could say that the book is a collection of short stories but they are loosely linked as the same characters re-occur. The woman of the title is a Jew who has, through illegal ways, becomes a Polish citizen. Her lover is a young man who tries to understand this crazy situation, his friend is a spoilt young man who tries to escape the ghetto and so.
Not only does Szczypiorski speak about the present and the past, he also mentions the future destinations of his characters obviously unbeknownst to them. It is this factor which made me read this book compulsively as most of the themes here , doubt, fear, bravery have been tackled before in other holocaust novels. Incidentally the translation is great and flowing and that helped my enjoyment of the book.
A cult classic!
As such you could say that the book is a collection of short stories but they are loosely linked as the same characters re-occur. The woman of the title is a Jew who has, through illegal ways, becomes a Polish citizen. Her lover is a young man who tries to understand this crazy situation, his friend is a spoilt young man who tries to escape the ghetto and so.
Not only does Szczypiorski speak about the present and the past, he also mentions the future destinations of his characters obviously unbeknownst to them. It is this factor which made me read this book compulsively as most of the themes here , doubt, fear, bravery have been tackled before in other holocaust novels. Incidentally the translation is great and flowing and that helped my enjoyment of the book.
A cult classic!
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