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jcoryv's review
5.0
Fascinating. Chilling. And scary to see Nazi sympathizers having a resurgence of sorts today.
what_katie_read_in_ca's review
5.0
Loved this edge of your seat snapshot of what it might have been like to be Jewish and German in Germany in the late 1930s—also written at the time these events were taking place. An important and powerful narrative!
thotfitzgerald's review
5.0
As a very slow reader, I finished this book in two days. A great inclination into the submerging energy this book carries and deals out.
I began reading at my work on a slow day, and I found myself fearful of when people came in, worried about what I said or they were doing, as if I too were on the run. It was an unreal experience and it was terrifying.
Truly a beautiful work of art.
I began reading at my work on a slow day, and I found myself fearful of when people came in, worried about what I said or they were doing, as if I too were on the run. It was an unreal experience and it was terrifying.
Truly a beautiful work of art.
vahala's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
pineapple789's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
madfil's review against another edition
4.0
(14 February, 2022)
Otto Silbermann, a non Jewish-looking person of the Jewish faith (hmmmmm, right now I'm thinking of something Whoopi Goldberg said recently - which was factually true, by the way) is on the run. His solution? Trains!
Deprived of rights, Silbermann might soon be deprived of his freedom, or worse. He has become a pariah, even to a few of his friends. A very sad side-effect of his predicament is he, at times, must also treat others of his faith the same way, but good sense and altruism wins out often too. A victim of a cruel system and of ignorant people, Silbermann begins to change. His increasingly unlikely survival depends on it.
The events in 'The Passenger' remind us that when pack mentality and mob thinking are the norm, one must detach one's self from the new 'normal'.
Otto Silbermann, a non Jewish-looking person of the Jewish faith (hmmmmm, right now I'm thinking of something Whoopi Goldberg said recently - which was factually true, by the way) is on the run. His solution? Trains!
Deprived of rights, Silbermann might soon be deprived of his freedom, or worse. He has become a pariah, even to a few of his friends. A very sad side-effect of his predicament is he, at times, must also treat others of his faith the same way, but good sense and altruism wins out often too. A victim of a cruel system and of ignorant people, Silbermann begins to change. His increasingly unlikely survival depends on it.
The events in 'The Passenger' remind us that when pack mentality and mob thinking are the norm, one must detach one's self from the new 'normal'.
redqueen0012's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nailahreema's review
3.0
It was difficult to assign The Passenger a rating. I appreciated that Boschwitz had provided something quite unique but I didn't find the writing engaging. If I put it down, I ended up forgetting about it. It might be because this is a translation. If I understood German, and read the original text, I may have felt differently. Boschwitz backstory is what made the story fascinating.
He wrote the Passenger during the Nazi's persecution of the Jewish people. His story telling was almost premonition like. There were several moments where the reader could see how Boschwitz had guessed what the Nazis might do for example in once scene one of the characters say that it would be so much easier if all Jews wore a coloured arm band, so it's easier to identify them. It makes you realise, how antisemitism is a really good example of how irrational prejudice can be. You can't identify a Jewish person simply by looking at them in the same way you could identify someone as Asian or Black.
In another scene, the main character Otto thinks how bloodless killing a man could become once you strip away his money and clothing. It was hard not to automatically think of the gas chambers in concentration camp.
Really, the story only takes place across a few days at most, but emotionally it feels never ending. Otto is stuck on one train after another, desperately trying to escape but with no real plan. He has lost his money, home, business, social circle. It feels exhausting following him on his journey, whilst making some bizarre choices. It's clear how his mental resolve is being worn down in the face of increasing persecution.
I can't say I wouldn't recommend this book, it's just not one I enjoyed reading.
He wrote the Passenger during the Nazi's persecution of the Jewish people. His story telling was almost premonition like. There were several moments where the reader could see how Boschwitz had guessed what the Nazis might do for example in once scene one of the characters say that it would be so much easier if all Jews wore a coloured arm band, so it's easier to identify them. It makes you realise, how antisemitism is a really good example of how irrational prejudice can be. You can't identify a Jewish person simply by looking at them in the same way you could identify someone as Asian or Black.
In another scene, the main character Otto thinks how bloodless killing a man could become once you strip away his money and clothing. It was hard not to automatically think of the gas chambers in concentration camp.
Really, the story only takes place across a few days at most, but emotionally it feels never ending. Otto is stuck on one train after another, desperately trying to escape but with no real plan. He has lost his money, home, business, social circle. It feels exhausting following him on his journey, whilst making some bizarre choices. It's clear how his mental resolve is being worn down in the face of increasing persecution.
I can't say I wouldn't recommend this book, it's just not one I enjoyed reading.