Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

The Postcard by Anne Berest

45 reviews

amburns118's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Grief, and Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Dementia

tracie_mcd's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

While appreciating the story and the history and  certainly understanding the devastating heartbreak and loss, I did not entirely understand the hype for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

michellecurtis983's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, and Deportation

thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

A mysterious postcard arrives with no return information with the names of Anne's great grandparents and their children inscribed. While researching who could have sent the postcard, the fate of her family is revealed. It's stories like this that allow memories to stay alive and present in our lives. While this book is certainly challenging, I highly recommend reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Antisemitism, and Murder

Moderate: War

lillygm's review

emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Antisemitism, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault

evelynritzi's review

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

What a unique book, unlike anything on the Holocaust I’ve read before. I would call this “autofiction” because it’s so closely based on the author’s life with some embellishments where history has no record. I just took off a few points because a couple chapters towards the end of the novel take an odd sexual turn that I’m not sure was entirely necessary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Antisemitism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content

hi_miche's review against another edition

Just can't read any more about the Holocaust. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

lostinthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wasn't sure at the start but this book really grew on me. There are a lot of themes around identity, citizenship generational trauma, family relationships and more. Although it does jump around a lot, once I got the hang of it I appreciated the present characters reflecting on the past (although I was always keen to get back to Miriam's story.)

the scenes at the concentration camps and of detainees returning to Paris were visceral and a highlight of the novel

. I feel like I learnt a lot more about a period of history that can be overdone in literature and it all felt very personal to the author (potentially semi-autobiographical given that she shares a name with the protagonist). I did become less invested in the mystery of the postcard as the story went on but the way it was concluded was just perfect! Overall a very worthwhile read that I look forward to discussing with my book club. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism

jesstaurant's review

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Genocide, Suicide, Antisemitism, Dementia, Grief, and War

kerri_m's review against another edition

5.0

I've read many books about the catastrophe, and this is one of the best.

It's a story about identity, survival, memory, responsibility, hope. It's about telling their story. It's about not looking away (even when the telling makes you shake and feel sick). 

While many of the details may have been imagined and the research process likely went in a slightly different order, it's miraculous that the Rabinoviches got as much information as they did. We will never hear countless stories of other lives that were stolen.

Reading it now, in 2024, feels like a call to action.

Indifference is universal. Who are you indifferent toward today, right now? Ask yourself that. Which victims living in tents, or under overpasses, or in camps way outside the cities are your ‘invisible ones’? The Vichy regime set out to remove the Jews from French society. And they succeeded.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment