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bookishfreedom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
At the Wolf’s Table follows Rosa, one of ten women conscripted as Hitler’s food taster during WWII. Rosa has lost everything to this war: her parents are dead, and her husband is sent to the front lines. And now she is brought to the Wolf’s Lair, where every bite could be her last.
this book is heart-wrenching an insightful and raw. it gets off to a bit of a slow start, as we get to know rosa and the predicament she’s found herself in. but things quickly accelerate from there, and I couldn’t put it down after that.
the story takes many unexpected twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat. rosa’s relationship with her fellow tasters is in turn fraught and intimate, and every moment, every bite, is ripe with danger. do be warned, this story handles some pretty dark and heavy topics.
this book is translated from its original Italian, and oh so beautifully written. it’s been a while since i’ve read a novel in translation, and I found myself thinking: if I’m this devastated by the translation, how much would this hurt in the original Italian??
i’ve seen some reviews of this book that complained about the time jumping being a bit jarring - which i can understand, but it didn’t bother me - and also it seems some people don’t like the ending, which was possibly my favorite part. my jaw DROPPED.
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Antisemitism, Abortion, and War
alexarcifre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, and War
Moderate: Abortion
libellumartinae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Extracordinarily written in a way that has you UTTERLY enveloped in the story, unable to identify where you end and where Rosa starts. The research is fantastic and attentive, my sole problem is the slightest sentimentality Brough upon it that ruptures a bit the general feeling of the book.
An amazing book to start the year with.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Abortion, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence
nuuamuikkunen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
But I think about half way the story finally picked up pace and I couldn’t stop reading. For me there is always an uneasy feeling present whenever I read a book I know is based on actually historical events, eventhough the story in the book is fiction. But it’s important to not sugar coat the history eventhough the actual story might not have happened af all the way it’s written in the book. And I think Rosella really did a great job with this.
Graphic: Infidelity, Vomit, Abortion, and War
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Miscarriage
reemgaga's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Abortion, and War
lorees_reading_nook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I did not know that Hitler had food tasters before reading this book but perhaps it should not have come as a surprise as his paranoia, especially at this stage of the war, is well known. What these women had to face, three times a day, seven days of the week is unimaginable. Can you imagine eating and constantly wondering whether that morsel will be your last? Can you comprehend the fear and the uncertainty, the desire to stay alive? I admit it left me slightly shaken and oddly frightened. Hitler never makes an appearance in this novel and yet his presence is keenly felt. It was not a nice feeling but it was well executed as I never doubted for a moment the terror that was the constant companion of these ten women, even if they didn't always show it.
In Rosa Sauer, Rosella Postorino presents a person with many flaws, someone who wants to fit into the rural environment of Gross-Parsch but who is always singled out as a Berliner and an outsider. Unsurprisingly, tensions arise between the ten women and Rosa finds herself in some difficult situations in which she makes a number of dubious decisions and, because of this, her character is not always pleasant. I couldn't decide whether I liked her or not but I would probably lean towards not. For instance, it isn't even clear what Rosa thinks of Nazism, one never know where her allegiances lie.
There is a feeling of suspense throughout the book that made me keep on reaching out for it but it almost always fizzles out. Reading this novel felt like being on the edge of a knife but you never get to cut yourself to experience how deep the pain can be.
Unfortunately, I felt that the story left a lot of loose ends and I suppose that real life during the war was like that. People came together under difficult and unexpected circumstances and then never saw each other again but I wanted some closure and didn't get it. Apart from that, it's a well-written book and I thought that the ending was especially poignant even if it was rather unexpected.
Graphic: Vomit and War
Minor: Blood, Antisemitism, Abortion, and Death of parent
chiara_dose's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Abortion
lucy12345's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Blood, Antisemitism, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, and Abortion
Minor: Vomit
csilvestrii's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Moderate: Vomit, Abortion, and War
Minor: Sexual assault