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A review by alittlebitalexis
The Warsaw Anagrams by Richard Zimler
5.0
I would technically give it 4 1/2 stars if I could, but I opted to round up because it's a Holocaust book told through a unique story that is both an engaging thriller and a moving, disturbing accounting of things that went in during that time. While it may not be written to be historically accurate, there are links to actual people who were convicted of war crimes and I imagine pulls from a lot of historical or anecdotal data.
More importantly, it really gives unique insight into what it must have felt like to be in the Jewish ghetto in Poland at that time, to be treated as inhuman, the absolute suffering, the moral/ethical dilemmas you might be faced with, the difficulty in maintaining the will to live and how sometimes it seems revenge is the only thing that allows you to do it. And yet, just when you think that's true, you're reminded by someone of your own humanity and your desire to live and hope is renewed. Utterly heartbreaking and beautiful.
The only reason I don't think it's fully deserving of 4 stars - the writing early on leaves a little to be desired (mostly the prologue) and there are small sections where I think there could be a bit more development to the story as it jumps around quickly and becomes a little tough to follow. But those minor things are far outweighed by the message and the "page-turnability", which is why I read almost the entire book in one day.
More importantly, it really gives unique insight into what it must have felt like to be in the Jewish ghetto in Poland at that time, to be treated as inhuman, the absolute suffering, the moral/ethical dilemmas you might be faced with, the difficulty in maintaining the will to live and how sometimes it seems revenge is the only thing that allows you to do it. And yet, just when you think that's true, you're reminded by someone of your own humanity and your desire to live and hope is renewed. Utterly heartbreaking and beautiful.
The only reason I don't think it's fully deserving of 4 stars - the writing early on leaves a little to be desired (mostly the prologue) and there are small sections where I think there could be a bit more development to the story as it jumps around quickly and becomes a little tough to follow. But those minor things are far outweighed by the message and the "page-turnability", which is why I read almost the entire book in one day.