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piccoline's review against another edition
3.0
This works way better than it should. I can't really elaborate without spoilers, though. Let's just say it's a shockingly messed-up fresh take on dealing with the Holocaust, in part by weaving a Hammett-esque private dick story all through it.
But that really only scratches the surface of the bizarre places this tale takes you.
Let's leave it at this: if you read it, don't blame me. But if you read it, for goodness' sake, let's talk about it.
But that really only scratches the surface of the bizarre places this tale takes you.
Let's leave it at this: if you read it, don't blame me. But if you read it, for goodness' sake, let's talk about it.
perpetuallyreading's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't had a chance to read many stories with an alternate history plot, but A Man Lies Dreaming had me scrambling for more in this genre.
The story starts with Wolf, an anti-Semitic down-and-out detective, who accepts a job from a well-to-do Jewish girl to find her sister. The twist in this world is that the Nazis (and therefore Hitler) never came to power in Germany, and was beaten in the elections by the Communists. As we navigate this topsy-turvy world with Wolf, the story also cuts to the point of view of Shomer, a Jewish pulp-fiction author imprisoned in Auschwitz during WWII. You quickly realize that the topsy-turvy world is all in Shomer's imagination, his way of coping with the horrors of being in a concentration camp.
I really enjoyed the 1st and 3rd person voice Tidhar uses throughout the novel. There's sections of Wolf's diary included in the narrative, and I liked how it added even more depth to Wolf's true feelings towards everything that was happening throughout the novel. With that said, Wolf is definitely not a likeable character. He's rude, ignorant, racist, and sexist, and the fact that he is Shomer's interpretation of Hitler if he'd never came into power does not lighten your attitude towards him at all. However, watching Wolf (or Hitler) get disrespected, beat up, and spat upon by everyone else in the book is a bit satisfying.
The overall plot, mystery, and ending was throughly enjoyable and I loved every moment of this crazy ride. I definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy alternate histories, but also don't mind sexually explicit and brutal content. Tidhar was definitely unapologetic when it came to writing this book, and is a great commentary against racism and prejudice towards refugees.
The story starts with Wolf, an anti-Semitic down-and-out detective, who accepts a job from a well-to-do Jewish girl to find her sister. The twist in this world is that the Nazis (and therefore Hitler) never came to power in Germany, and was beaten in the elections by the Communists. As we navigate this topsy-turvy world with Wolf, the story also cuts to the point of view of Shomer, a Jewish pulp-fiction author imprisoned in Auschwitz during WWII. You quickly realize that the topsy-turvy world is all in Shomer's imagination, his way of coping with the horrors of being in a concentration camp.
I really enjoyed the 1st and 3rd person voice Tidhar uses throughout the novel. There's sections of Wolf's diary included in the narrative, and I liked how it added even more depth to Wolf's true feelings towards everything that was happening throughout the novel. With that said, Wolf is definitely not a likeable character. He's rude, ignorant, racist, and sexist, and the fact that he is Shomer's interpretation of Hitler if he'd never came into power does not lighten your attitude towards him at all. However, watching Wolf (or Hitler) get disrespected, beat up, and spat upon by everyone else in the book is a bit satisfying.
The overall plot, mystery, and ending was throughly enjoyable and I loved every moment of this crazy ride. I definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy alternate histories, but also don't mind sexually explicit and brutal content. Tidhar was definitely unapologetic when it came to writing this book, and is a great commentary against racism and prejudice towards refugees.
zivan's review against another edition
5.0
Alternate history is always a sensitive issue with me simply because I'm a history major and have my won knowledge and ideas about the what if game.
A setting that puts you in a first person perspective with her Wulf himself is definitly a mine field.
However Tidhar pulls it off incredibly well, managing to bring you so close to an evil character without grossing you out.
Perhaps the fact that the name Hitler isn't uttered even once helps maintain this separation.
Other characters and choices made by Tidhar that may be distasteful, can be explained as part of the Pulp Fiction angle of the story.
For an Alternate History, Tidhar manages to keep the name dropping to a reasonable level and relevant to the plot.
The fact that A Man Lies Dreaming didn't hurt any of my sensibilities can perhaps be attributed to the fact the I and Tidhar are both a product of the Israeli Jewish culture.
Very in depth alternate history, placed within the framework of a pulp fiction narrative. well played What If game by Lavie Tidhar.
A setting that puts you in a first person perspective with her Wulf himself is definitly a mine field.
However Tidhar pulls it off incredibly well, managing to bring you so close to an evil character without grossing you out.
Perhaps the fact that the name Hitler isn't uttered even once helps maintain this separation.
Other characters and choices made by Tidhar that may be distasteful, can be explained as part of the Pulp Fiction angle of the story.
For an Alternate History, Tidhar manages to keep the name dropping to a reasonable level and relevant to the plot.
The fact that A Man Lies Dreaming didn't hurt any of my sensibilities can perhaps be attributed to the fact the I and Tidhar are both a product of the Israeli Jewish culture.
Very in depth alternate history, placed within the framework of a pulp fiction narrative. well played What If game by Lavie Tidhar.
allisonthurman's review against another edition
5.0
I learned of this book through John Scalzi's blog (http://whatever.scalzi.com/2016/03/16/the-big-idea-lavie-tidhar/). Tidhar presented it as a horrible idea for a book that he decided to write anyway - and that garnered award nominations all over the place. So I knew I had to see just how bad, and just how good it was.
On the face of it it's hardboiled noir: a private eye working a murder case in a rough part of 1930s London. Then you realize the identity of the private eye, and just who he's looking for and why and how he came to be doing what he does.
Wow. Er.
I can see where this alternate history could not, should not, have been written. And yet it's riveting. Well written, and just the right amount of tension to draw you along despite the awfulness of the protagonist. I could say it was like reading a train wreck - I couldn't peel my eyes away from the seediness and bleak horror of the counter-story going on in the background (mind, I am trying not to offer spoilers here).
Five stars because this book will stick with me. Not in a happy way, but in a foggy, nightmare inducing way, and the sheer marvel that Tidhar took this premise and made such good work of it.
On the face of it it's hardboiled noir: a private eye working a murder case in a rough part of 1930s London. Then you realize the identity of the private eye, and just who he's looking for and why and how he came to be doing what he does.
Wow. Er.
I can see where this alternate history could not, should not, have been written. And yet it's riveting. Well written, and just the right amount of tension to draw you along despite the awfulness of the protagonist. I could say it was like reading a train wreck - I couldn't peel my eyes away from the seediness and bleak horror of the counter-story going on in the background (mind, I am trying not to offer spoilers here).
Five stars because this book will stick with me. Not in a happy way, but in a foggy, nightmare inducing way, and the sheer marvel that Tidhar took this premise and made such good work of it.
asgard793's review against another edition
3.0
Tidhar's book is a true mashup of noir mystery, alternate history, sci-fi and literary fiction. This combination is the book's strength and weakness where evocative description meets parallel stories that trip over one another to come to unsatisfactory conclusions. Surprisingly, this does not derail the story's momentum nor make the reader feel cheated by a fascinating premise. Instead, the final predicament experienced by Wolf is one that is related to otherwise two conventional plot-lines, but only appears swiftly and believably within the book's last two chapters. While the title may be a letdown for mystery lovers, A Man Lives Dreaming will have reader beg the question of what was and what might have been.
porsane's review against another edition
5.0
Adolf Hitler as a penniless private investigator working the streets of London on a grubby little missing person case. This is the most brutal, squalid, utterly fascinating book I have ever read. The sex scenes are loathsome, yet compelling, the attention to historical detail meticulous, the degradation of the most loathed man in history total. This book is not for the squeamish. Lavie Tidhar is the best "new" author I have discovered this year,
the_original_shelf_monkey's review against another edition
5.0
Few authors have hit me as “must-reads” as quickly as Lavie Tidhar..A Man Lies Dreaming delivers another amazing, mind-warping read. Blending classic detective noir with historical fiction, Tidhar crafts an intricate mystery that is also a brilliant Holocaust novel...another triumph for an author unafraid to confront issues that confound and overwhelm most writers. I’m calling it: Lavie Tidhar is one of the modern greats.
Read more at The Redeblog.
Read more at The Redeblog.
offmessage's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly fucking brilliant. Brutal, vile, but brilliant. And a fantastic ending, to boot.
stephend81d5's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is based in 2 parts , the first part is when Shomer is awake and he is in Auschwitz, but while he is dreaming he dreams of an alternative world where Hitler is known as Mr wolf and is a PI in London. I do like the alternative history part of this novel and is like a pulp fiction novel
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