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A review by abby_rose
Diary of a Dead Man on Leave by David Downing
4.0
Historical fiction set in World War II seems to be eternally popular at the library. I try to keep an eye out for new titles that patrons will enjoy, and Diary of a Dead Man on Leave caught my eye. Told through diary entries of a communist spy stationed in Germany right before the war breaks out, Diary of a Dead Man follows the story of ‘Josef’ as he grows closer to the family that owns the boarding house and he starts to doubt the cause he’s devoted his life to.
As a general rule, I do not like books in a diary format. This is usually because I can’t buy into the fact that it’s actually a diary – no one can actually quote every conversation they had, writes back story, etc. Diary managed to avoid most of the things I dislike most of the diary format. Josef writes it with the expectation that someone else will read it, which made the stories of his past and discussion of political events more acceptable to me. The majority of conversations are summarized instead of directly quoted. Josef forgets to write every day like he planned (me in every diary I ever tried to keep). But I also felt it was the best possible way to present this story – a man’s struggle with the idea of a life he never thought he would have and his growing disillusionment with the life he has.
A few times it felt like there was too much info, or mention of an event just for the sake of it. But I think the character Downing chose is a good fit for what he tried to do. Josef's background and mission meant that yes, everything going on in Germany he would write in his journal, and he has the knowledge to examine them critically – it’s not just hindsight.
Once I started Diary of a Dead Man on Leave, I wanted to sit and finish it all at once. It was a great balance of history and heart touching characters that immediately had you invested in the outcome of the story. It will be a great addition to the collection.
As a general rule, I do not like books in a diary format. This is usually because I can’t buy into the fact that it’s actually a diary – no one can actually quote every conversation they had, writes back story, etc. Diary managed to avoid most of the things I dislike most of the diary format. Josef writes it with the expectation that someone else will read it, which made the stories of his past and discussion of political events more acceptable to me. The majority of conversations are summarized instead of directly quoted. Josef forgets to write every day like he planned (me in every diary I ever tried to keep). But I also felt it was the best possible way to present this story – a man’s struggle with the idea of a life he never thought he would have and his growing disillusionment with the life he has.
A few times it felt like there was too much info, or mention of an event just for the sake of it. But I think the character Downing chose is a good fit for what he tried to do. Josef's background and mission meant that yes, everything going on in Germany he would write in his journal, and he has the knowledge to examine them critically – it’s not just hindsight.
Once I started Diary of a Dead Man on Leave, I wanted to sit and finish it all at once. It was a great balance of history and heart touching characters that immediately had you invested in the outcome of the story. It will be a great addition to the collection.