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booksadaisyes's review against another edition
5.0
Love the style of writing and want to now read Stasiland.
ljm57's review against another edition
4.0
It took me awhile to get into this book but I eventually became absorbed into the situation of the dual narrators, both of whom fought from within Germany & in exile as political refugees against the rise of Hitler & the Nazi party during the 1920s & 30s. Adding to the interest was the fact that most of these characters did exist & the novel is based on their heroism.
pratty_reads21's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book follows 2 timelines - first is ~2011 (I can't quite remember exactly) following an ageing Ruth Becker in Sydney. It jumps from present day to her recalling her upbringing in Germany, her life growing up and her connection to the revolution prior to WW2 in Germany. The second timeline is 1939, following Ernest Toller, the real-life poet and revolutionary. He is recalling his life, giving an account in a hotel room.
When Toller's book appears on Ruth's doorstep, she is thrust back into recalling her life and the incredible ways that they became acquainted and how they were connected on so many fronts. I couldn't believe that this book is based on real people and real events. It taught me about a side to the war that I had no idea about. History lessons in school focus so heavily on the war itself, not the years prior to it and how they so greatly impacted many actions taken to get to full blown war in the first place. I think this is an important book, and I'm so glad that I found it on a whim and read it.
When Toller's book appears on Ruth's doorstep, she is thrust back into recalling her life and the incredible ways that they became acquainted and how they were connected on so many fronts. I couldn't believe that this book is based on real people and real events. It taught me about a side to the war that I had no idea about. History lessons in school focus so heavily on the war itself, not the years prior to it and how they so greatly impacted many actions taken to get to full blown war in the first place. I think this is an important book, and I'm so glad that I found it on a whim and read it.
fhammond_36's review against another edition
4.0
Just finished it. Exhausted but glad. How sad for Ruth. I hate to think what I would have done at that time in the situation. I can't imagine being so brave.
paola_mobileread's review against another edition
4.0
[a:Anna Funder|132510|Anna Funder|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1332154947p2/132510.jpg] has been a wonderful discovery, she writes beautifully, and this is a pretty good book. I am knocking one star off though as something is amiss - beside the central character, Dora Fabian, being just too much of a good thing, even allowing for unreliable narrators, what is really missing is fear, the bottomless terror of utter annihilation. Yes, when Ruth narrates she tells us of the fear of others, but we never really feel it. When the foretold betrayal finally arrives, it does not quite fit - Hans who was the husband, Hans who had insulted and mocked Goring, Hans who was cynical and refined, this Hans turned. I would have loved to find more about this extraordinary, murderous u-turn, which instead just happens.
Still, a great read!
Still, a great read!
utahmomreads's review against another edition
5.0
Yesterday morning, I told my husband, "if you read one single book that I suggest to this year, read All That I Am."
All That I Am by Anna Funder is a novel based on the true story of small group of friends and political activists who must flee their native Germany as Hitler gains power in the 1930s but who continue to fight against the Reich from their exile in London. They would spend years in prison, give their lives or even their very souls during this harrowing and dangerous attempt to stop a madman by exposing his abuses to the naive world.
I was engrossed in this novel. It was terrifying to be reminded once again of the long and deadly reach of the Nazi Party as Hitler seizes power and reigns with terror. It was helpful to have recently read Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin so that I already had a familiarity with events such as the Night of the Long Knives or Röhm-Putsch--the night Hitler and the Nazis staged a crime to give them an excuse to murder hundreds of political opponents and critics. While All That I Am does an amazing job of bringing the very real human fear surrounding these events and others, I was grateful that I already had some background to place the story.
Anna Funder has an amazing ability to take her research regarding these very brave and real people and give them character on the pages. Her characters are strong, yet have very real human flaws. Toller's depression is intense and at the same time utterly and tragically believable. Though it plays only a small part in the theme of the story, Funder's details of Ruth's struggle with aging are ever so respectful and compassionate as she reminds the reader that the elderly have stories and value. I was very moved by Funder's work.
This novel is as gripping and intriguing as any spy novel but is so much more interesting because it is essentially true. Funder is an incredible writer and she successfully breathes life into a story that has waited too long to be told.
All That I Am by Anna Funder is a novel based on the true story of small group of friends and political activists who must flee their native Germany as Hitler gains power in the 1930s but who continue to fight against the Reich from their exile in London. They would spend years in prison, give their lives or even their very souls during this harrowing and dangerous attempt to stop a madman by exposing his abuses to the naive world.
I was engrossed in this novel. It was terrifying to be reminded once again of the long and deadly reach of the Nazi Party as Hitler seizes power and reigns with terror. It was helpful to have recently read Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin so that I already had a familiarity with events such as the Night of the Long Knives or Röhm-Putsch--the night Hitler and the Nazis staged a crime to give them an excuse to murder hundreds of political opponents and critics. While All That I Am does an amazing job of bringing the very real human fear surrounding these events and others, I was grateful that I already had some background to place the story.
Anna Funder has an amazing ability to take her research regarding these very brave and real people and give them character on the pages. Her characters are strong, yet have very real human flaws. Toller's depression is intense and at the same time utterly and tragically believable. Though it plays only a small part in the theme of the story, Funder's details of Ruth's struggle with aging are ever so respectful and compassionate as she reminds the reader that the elderly have stories and value. I was very moved by Funder's work.
This novel is as gripping and intriguing as any spy novel but is so much more interesting because it is essentially true. Funder is an incredible writer and she successfully breathes life into a story that has waited too long to be told.
oliviakur's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As with any good characters, the ones in this novel are flawed. There are times, particularly in relation to Toller and Dora, i felt a distinct disconnect and lack of belief for such characters. I was intrigued at the beginning and end but felt the pacing during the middle wavered my interest.
duncanaj's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lpaini_16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5