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A review by deecue2
Year Zero: A History of 1945 by Ian Buruma
2.0
The cover photo of the statue overlooking the destroyed remains of Dresden is very powerful.
The photo of the starved POWs in Malaya is startling. That alone provides a powerful message about the deprivations of WWII.
I learned some interesting tidbits along the way.
Those are the only positive things I can say about Year Zero. I felt like I spent a winter in Cleveland reading this book. At roughly 340 pages it isn't all that big but it was a challenge to get through.
Buruma created a dreary, dense thicket of complaints and pessimism that made my eyes glaze over more than I care to admit. Looking back on the reading experience I'm not sure how I am able to say the book had its good moments when the prevailing memory is plowing through for the sole purpose of getting to the end. Up to about the midway point I gave up hoping the book would suddenly get interesting and it never did.
Buruma presents history as if the reader is already keenly aware of its finer details. That's okay enough with lots of WWII history but when he started delving into Greece, Malaysia, Syria and China circa 1945 I was desperately seeking a life preserver. The book is more social commentary than history which may explain why helpful background history and context are sorely lacking.
The author's ceaseless criticisms of absolutely all major parties involved in WWII and his overall negative tone made me wonder if he's ever had a happy moment in his life. Ultimately I don't care because I'll never read another one of his books again.
The photo of the starved POWs in Malaya is startling. That alone provides a powerful message about the deprivations of WWII.
I learned some interesting tidbits along the way.
Those are the only positive things I can say about Year Zero. I felt like I spent a winter in Cleveland reading this book. At roughly 340 pages it isn't all that big but it was a challenge to get through.
Buruma created a dreary, dense thicket of complaints and pessimism that made my eyes glaze over more than I care to admit. Looking back on the reading experience I'm not sure how I am able to say the book had its good moments when the prevailing memory is plowing through for the sole purpose of getting to the end. Up to about the midway point I gave up hoping the book would suddenly get interesting and it never did.
Buruma presents history as if the reader is already keenly aware of its finer details. That's okay enough with lots of WWII history but when he started delving into Greece, Malaysia, Syria and China circa 1945 I was desperately seeking a life preserver. The book is more social commentary than history which may explain why helpful background history and context are sorely lacking.
The author's ceaseless criticisms of absolutely all major parties involved in WWII and his overall negative tone made me wonder if he's ever had a happy moment in his life. Ultimately I don't care because I'll never read another one of his books again.