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A review by andrewrobins
Mendelssohn is on the Roof by Jiří Weil
5.0
In German occupied Prague, an SS man is sent, by Heydrich, to the roof of the concert hall to pull down the statue of the (jewish) composer Mendelssohn. Unable to tell which is Mendelssohn, and unable to ask for assistance without putting his well-being at risk, he makes the mistake of opting to pull down the one with the largest nose, which turns out to be Nazi hero Wagner.
This story is the starting point for a series of loosely connected stories which tell the story of the German occupation. Starting off light hearted, almost whimsical, the stories become increasingly grim, and end on a horribly depressing note. An excellent book which felt like it had been written by someone who was there at the time, with events fresh in the memory, telling the wider story through the experiences of a number of "ordinary people" being crushed by the oppression of the occupying forces.
One of the better books I have read this year - one of the others being HHhH, which was also set in occupied Czechoslovakia.
This story is the starting point for a series of loosely connected stories which tell the story of the German occupation. Starting off light hearted, almost whimsical, the stories become increasingly grim, and end on a horribly depressing note. An excellent book which felt like it had been written by someone who was there at the time, with events fresh in the memory, telling the wider story through the experiences of a number of "ordinary people" being crushed by the oppression of the occupying forces.
One of the better books I have read this year - one of the others being HHhH, which was also set in occupied Czechoslovakia.