A review by dingosenior79
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

3.0

Having read most of Erik Larson’s other work, and found it without exception to be compelling reading, I was surprised when I repeatedly had to push myself to get through each chapter of this book. I’m not sure what the difference here is, but I think it has little to do with Mr. Larson’s writing, which remains crisp and deft in use of quotation and historical fact. I think it is more reflective of the change in his subject matter. As in previous works, the juxtaposition of a historical event with a personal experience during that event allows a view into how contemporary figures experienced events, lending immediacy to the events. But in the past, the personal study has been one of intrigue, a criminal investigation, a murder mystery, or a personal tragedy. Now, events unfold for Ambassador Dodd that are important, and his daughter engages in affairs that it might be imagined were exciting, but none of these really reach the level that begins to match the overall story of the rise of the Third Reich. While in past books, I found both story arches compelling, however tenuous their connection sometimes was, here I found the more traditional history fascinating, while the biographical segments left me feeling flat. It’s hard to imagine the personal events that would have had to transpire to make an American diplomat’s career moves, or his daughter’s philandering, gain equal footing with the stunning rise of a fascist regime. When climactic events include terse exchanges at a dinner party, it does seem like there might have been a more compelling personal story to highlight.