A review by duskk_novels
Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

3.5/5 - 1940, a harrowing era of world war ||. A working-class couple, Otto and Anna Quangel, receive the news of the death of their son, killed in action on French battlefields. As grief torrents into rage, their mounting resistance against the Nazis forces them to leave anonymous postcards around Berlin, slandering the name of Hitler and his murderous tyranny that robbed them of their only son and the lives of many innocent people. Ambitious gestapo inspector Escherich is determined to expose the criminals behind this silent show of defiance, and a deadly hunt for the couple ensues. As the lies grow and more innocent end up murdered, the noose around the Quangels’ necks tighten when they make their first and last damning mistake

A chilling, gripping novel that was slow-paced with endless intrigue. Great main characters with focus on other side-characters whose stories merged with the plotline well. This book was a love-hate for me. The series of events were built-up nicely and I was completely absorbed and it was interesting to read on the side characters and their place on the timeline of events. The main characters were fascinating with an emotional chain of events and simple worldbuilding. However, what made me dislike the book was the strange writing style and childish dialogue. It was hard to adapt to this unusual style and the dialogue in this felt unserious and at points, comedic. Also, there were times where there was too much focus into the side characters’ lives that it became tedious to read. Unfortunately, not a style I enjoyed

I would not recommend this book solely because of the peculiar, overdramatic, exaggerated prose which I believe dilutes the engrossing plotline, disturbing events and intriguing characters. But I am glad I read it and it was definitely worth my time. I would only recommend this if you want to try out a new, unique writing style or if you like reading classics