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lykkes_laeserier 's review for:
Fatherland
by Robert Harris
I have wanted to read “Fatherland” (1992) by Robert Harris for some time because of the contrafactual historical angle of the book. It takes place in 1964, but in a world where Nazi Germany has won World War II and Nazism permeates every part of German life. This makes the novel dystopian in nature and thus may bring to mind dystopian classics such as George Orwell’s “1984”.
The story is a classical thriller about Xavier March, a detective from Kripo – or Kriminalpolizei – who is starting to question the Nazi system and feeling alienated from the world around him. When a dead body is discovered and subsequently revealed to be that of a former prominent Party member, events are set in motion that threaten March’ entire world: Corruption, potential political scandal, hidden agendas, the Gestapo, the works.
We even get a love interest in the form of a young American journalist to add a little tension and outside interest. I actually found this aspect of the story the least interesting and most unconvincing. The journalist is much less fleshed out than main character March and has a touch of the male fantasy about her (attracted to older men, eager to get into bed, etc.) Given the context, their relation makes very little sense to me.
The thriller aspects of the novel are generally fine but nothing out of the ordinary, I would say. A solid 3 star read. The selling point – what truly sets this book apart from other political thrillers and earns it my 4th star – is without a doubt the contrafactual historical setting. Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of World War II will be able to appreciate Harris’ masterful world building. Even if thrillers are not your normal cup of tea, I would recommend the book for the world building alone.
The story is a classical thriller about Xavier March, a detective from Kripo – or Kriminalpolizei – who is starting to question the Nazi system and feeling alienated from the world around him. When a dead body is discovered and subsequently revealed to be that of a former prominent Party member, events are set in motion that threaten March’ entire world: Corruption, potential political scandal, hidden agendas, the Gestapo, the works.
We even get a love interest in the form of a young American journalist to add a little tension and outside interest. I actually found this aspect of the story the least interesting and most unconvincing. The journalist is much less fleshed out than main character March and has a touch of the male fantasy about her (attracted to older men, eager to get into bed, etc.) Given the context, their relation makes very little sense to me.
The thriller aspects of the novel are generally fine but nothing out of the ordinary, I would say. A solid 3 star read. The selling point – what truly sets this book apart from other political thrillers and earns it my 4th star – is without a doubt the contrafactual historical setting. Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of World War II will be able to appreciate Harris’ masterful world building. Even if thrillers are not your normal cup of tea, I would recommend the book for the world building alone.