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renkenreads 's review for:
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
In the Garden of Beasts reads more like a novel than a history book, which is exactly what makes it so engaging. Larson brings 1930s Berlin to life in all its eerie, glamorous, and terrifying detail, following U.S. Ambassador William Dodd and his daughter Martha as they navigate the rise of Nazi Germany.
Martha, in particular, is fascinating. She’s bold, curious, and sometimes reckless, drawn in by the excitement of Berlin and the powerful people around her. Her flirtations with high-ranking Nazis make for some of the book’s most compelling and unsettling moments. She’s not always likable, but she’s never boring, and through her, Larson shows just how easy it is to get swept up in something truly dangerous, and not recognize it until you’re in deeper than you expected.
What really stuck with me, though, was how familiar some of it felt. The way people downplayed the threat, made excuses, hoped it would all blow over… it’s hard not to see the parallels to what’s happening in parts of America right now. It’s a quiet kind of horror, realizing how history can repeat itself when no one takes the warning signs seriously.
If you’re into history that feels real and urgent, this is definitely worth a read.
Martha, in particular, is fascinating. She’s bold, curious, and sometimes reckless, drawn in by the excitement of Berlin and the powerful people around her. Her flirtations with high-ranking Nazis make for some of the book’s most compelling and unsettling moments. She’s not always likable, but she’s never boring, and through her, Larson shows just how easy it is to get swept up in something truly dangerous, and not recognize it until you’re in deeper than you expected.
What really stuck with me, though, was how familiar some of it felt. The way people downplayed the threat, made excuses, hoped it would all blow over… it’s hard not to see the parallels to what’s happening in parts of America right now. It’s a quiet kind of horror, realizing how history can repeat itself when no one takes the warning signs seriously.
If you’re into history that feels real and urgent, this is definitely worth a read.