annaliesegabrielle's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
donutbob's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve read the author’s other books and enjoyed them, but this one I couldn’t finish. It dragged on and on and ON. So boring.
raven_morgan's review against another edition
5.0
I’m a longtime fan of Kate Forsyth (I vividly remember stalking the bookstore shelves waiting for each Witches of Eileanan book to be released), and particularly loved her last two books, The Wild Girl and Bitter Greens, and was thus extremely happy to be asked to read and review The Beast’s Garden.
I will admit up front, I went into this book with a small sense of trepidation. I had very high hopes, based on how good The Wild Girl and Bitter Greens were, but I did wonder about the premise of The Beast’s Garden– namely, combining a version of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast (specifically, The Singing, Springing Lark) and Nazi Germany during World War II. It wasn’t that I wasn’t sure that Forsyth could pull off such a story, I wondered if anyone could pull it off.
And now that I’ve read the book, the question: did Forsyth manage to pull it off? The answer is a resounding hell yes.
It should be noted that this book isn’t going to be for every reader. There are scenes set in a concentration camp, and while Forsyth doesn’t linger overlong on any of the atrocities, neither does she shield the reader from the true horrors of of WWII and the Holocaust. If any of this is a trigger for you, this isn’t going to be the book for you. But please, if you haven’t done so, go and read all of Forsyth’s other books. They’re more than worth it.
In the role of “Beauty” we have Ava, a German girl who is training as a singer. In looks, Ava takes after her dead Spanish mother, while her two sisters are blue-eyed and blonde-haired, fitting the Aryan ideal. Ava and her family are not safe beneath Nazi rule. Ava’s own darker colouring puts her at potential risk of being declaimed as having Romani blood, and one of her sisters has a daughter who is possibly learning disabled. More, Ava’s family are close to a Jewish family, the Feidlers. After Ava’s mother died, Ava was practically raised by Mrs Feidler, and regards Rudi Feidler (an out gay man) as a brother. Ava and Rudi are both musicians, and both attend illicit jazz clubs together. To protect all of her blood and found family, Ava marries a Nazi officer, Leo von Lowenstein.
Leo, naturally is the “Beast” of the tale, and it is the romance between Leo and Ava which drives much of the novel. At first, Ava fears Leo, only knowing him as a Nazi officer. As she gets to know him, and see beneath the public mask he wears, she discovers that he is a lot more than he first appeared. Like her, he is fighting against Hitler’s rule, and is part of an underground resistance movement.
The story follows Leo and Ava as they both navigate Nazi Germany and the various plots to disrupt Nazi rule and attempt to assassinate Hitler. We also get to follow Rudi after he is arrested for “subversive activities” and deported to the concentration camp, Buchenwald. Yet another story thread is shown via Rudi’s sister Jutta, who evades arrest and lives in hiding from the Nazis.
On the surface, it is hard to see much hope in any story set in WWII Germany. Forsyth doesn’t shy from any of the horrors: we get to see the Jewish people suffering both in the camps and in hiding, as well as the German people starving as their country begins to bend and break beneath the weight of Nazi rule and the war. But in the darkness, there is light. Even while deathly afraid, Ava finds ways to fight. And in Buchenwald, Rudi plays illicit music, saves others where he can (and is saved in turn) and even finds love.
Forsyth skilfully weaves in many historical figures and events into the narrative, giving a real weight to a book that, in less talented hands, could easily have become little more than a fluffy romance between the Brave German Girl and Nazi With a Heart of Gold, or something extremely problematic. If you’re worried about either of these issues, let me put your worries to rest right here.
With The Beast’s Garden, Forsyth cements herself as one of the most talented authors writing historical fiction (with a good dash of fairytale retelling) in Australia today.
I will admit up front, I went into this book with a small sense of trepidation. I had very high hopes, based on how good The Wild Girl and Bitter Greens were, but I did wonder about the premise of The Beast’s Garden– namely, combining a version of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast (specifically, The Singing, Springing Lark) and Nazi Germany during World War II. It wasn’t that I wasn’t sure that Forsyth could pull off such a story, I wondered if anyone could pull it off.
And now that I’ve read the book, the question: did Forsyth manage to pull it off? The answer is a resounding hell yes.
It should be noted that this book isn’t going to be for every reader. There are scenes set in a concentration camp, and while Forsyth doesn’t linger overlong on any of the atrocities, neither does she shield the reader from the true horrors of of WWII and the Holocaust. If any of this is a trigger for you, this isn’t going to be the book for you. But please, if you haven’t done so, go and read all of Forsyth’s other books. They’re more than worth it.
In the role of “Beauty” we have Ava, a German girl who is training as a singer. In looks, Ava takes after her dead Spanish mother, while her two sisters are blue-eyed and blonde-haired, fitting the Aryan ideal. Ava and her family are not safe beneath Nazi rule. Ava’s own darker colouring puts her at potential risk of being declaimed as having Romani blood, and one of her sisters has a daughter who is possibly learning disabled. More, Ava’s family are close to a Jewish family, the Feidlers. After Ava’s mother died, Ava was practically raised by Mrs Feidler, and regards Rudi Feidler (an out gay man) as a brother. Ava and Rudi are both musicians, and both attend illicit jazz clubs together. To protect all of her blood and found family, Ava marries a Nazi officer, Leo von Lowenstein.
Leo, naturally is the “Beast” of the tale, and it is the romance between Leo and Ava which drives much of the novel. At first, Ava fears Leo, only knowing him as a Nazi officer. As she gets to know him, and see beneath the public mask he wears, she discovers that he is a lot more than he first appeared. Like her, he is fighting against Hitler’s rule, and is part of an underground resistance movement.
The story follows Leo and Ava as they both navigate Nazi Germany and the various plots to disrupt Nazi rule and attempt to assassinate Hitler. We also get to follow Rudi after he is arrested for “subversive activities” and deported to the concentration camp, Buchenwald. Yet another story thread is shown via Rudi’s sister Jutta, who evades arrest and lives in hiding from the Nazis.
On the surface, it is hard to see much hope in any story set in WWII Germany. Forsyth doesn’t shy from any of the horrors: we get to see the Jewish people suffering both in the camps and in hiding, as well as the German people starving as their country begins to bend and break beneath the weight of Nazi rule and the war. But in the darkness, there is light. Even while deathly afraid, Ava finds ways to fight. And in Buchenwald, Rudi plays illicit music, saves others where he can (and is saved in turn) and even finds love.
Forsyth skilfully weaves in many historical figures and events into the narrative, giving a real weight to a book that, in less talented hands, could easily have become little more than a fluffy romance between the Brave German Girl and Nazi With a Heart of Gold, or something extremely problematic. If you’re worried about either of these issues, let me put your worries to rest right here.
With The Beast’s Garden, Forsyth cements herself as one of the most talented authors writing historical fiction (with a good dash of fairytale retelling) in Australia today.
bookswithpetra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nessa_arandur's review
2.0
It's not that the story is inherently bad, it's just utterly not the genre I'm interested in. I got to about chapter 10 before giving up. I might try Kate's fantasy books some time, but historical fiction, especially one with romance being a big feature just really isn't interesting to me.
novel_nomad's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book over two days. It held me under a fierce spell, keeping me reading into the wee hours. I cried and even became distressed for the characters and the horrific experiences they were witness or made to endure. Not many books have been able to enchant me with such swift ferocity, as Kate Forsyth’s Beast’s Garden, and not many have been able to inform me and touch my heart so profoundly.
I have had a long fascination with the war and have studied the memoirs of many survivors who were witness to the atrocities of WWII. The Beast’s Garden once again gave a life and vivacity to the people who you can normally find in history textbooks, as they interacted with Kate Forsyth’s characters it was as if she was honouring their strength and sacrifice.
The story follows the basic outline of the Beauty and the Beast but having a stronger impression of the Grimm’s tale ‘The Singing, Springing Lark’. It moves away from the original tales to take a form of its own, not wanting to stress the importance of devotion to arranged marriage (as the French version) rather the courage, independence and individuality that Ava, Leo and all the resistance fighters held in the face of social conformity and government brutality.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book, even if you have no background knowledge of WWII and the internal power of the Nazi party, read the Beast’s Garden to find the courage to be your own person in the face of social pressures.
I have had a long fascination with the war and have studied the memoirs of many survivors who were witness to the atrocities of WWII. The Beast’s Garden once again gave a life and vivacity to the people who you can normally find in history textbooks, as they interacted with Kate Forsyth’s characters it was as if she was honouring their strength and sacrifice.
The story follows the basic outline of the Beauty and the Beast but having a stronger impression of the Grimm’s tale ‘The Singing, Springing Lark’. It moves away from the original tales to take a form of its own, not wanting to stress the importance of devotion to arranged marriage (as the French version) rather the courage, independence and individuality that Ava, Leo and all the resistance fighters held in the face of social conformity and government brutality.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book, even if you have no background knowledge of WWII and the internal power of the Nazi party, read the Beast’s Garden to find the courage to be your own person in the face of social pressures.
twistinthetale's review against another edition
4.0
Inspired by the Grimm brothers' tale 'Singing, springing lark', this novel joins Ava, a young girl whose best friends and influences have predominantly been Jewish, with Leo, a Nazi officer and spy. The beauty and the beast type relationship proved very engaging and was developed in such a way as to feel entirely probable. The well researched novel is gripping and portrays the changing alliances well in an environment where tensions ebb and wane, following the rise and fall of the Nazi party. Loved all the major and minor characters and enjoyed watching the drama unfold amongst the landmarks around Berlin. Very satisfying read.
girlfriday4's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't love everything about this book, but I think that in retelling the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale as behind-the-lines resistance to the Nazi regime, it's a story for our time. With racism and intolerance currently driving forces in politics throughout the western world, we really need books like this to remind us not only of the consequences of hatred, but also of the importance of seeing the human being behind the mask of the 'beast', and of resisting injustice with integrity.
[SPOILERS]
I was also really pleased that there was a gay character whose story has a happy ending. While the main focus of the story is on anti-semitism, this character, another with Down syndrome, and several political activists, are all important reminders of the people targeted by Nazism that history often forgets. WWII may seem remote for most 21st century readers, but we can still learn a lot from revisiting it through fiction.
Aside from those serious themes, the evocation of sophisticated, bohemian youth culture in pre-war Berlin is fascinating, and I love how the book diverges from the traditional romantic trope in that the women get to save their men, instead of the other way around :)
The bits I didn't love? Well, I'm not a huge fan of romance novels, especially the love-at-first-sight genre, which I find a bit unconvincing. Also although the writing is good, I felt it was fairly conventional in style. Forsyth does bring her characters and settings vividly to life but there were not enough 'wow, what a sentence!' moments for me. (I guess I've been spoiled by [a:Alexis Wright|341920|Alexis Wright|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1457286347p2/341920.jpg]). But the provocative themes and gripping plot more than made up for these minor shortcomings. Now I'm eager to get on to Forsyth's next book.
[SPOILERS]
I was also really pleased that there was a gay character whose story has a happy ending. While the main focus of the story is on anti-semitism, this character, another with Down syndrome, and several political activists, are all important reminders of the people targeted by Nazism that history often forgets. WWII may seem remote for most 21st century readers, but we can still learn a lot from revisiting it through fiction.
Aside from those serious themes, the evocation of sophisticated, bohemian youth culture in pre-war Berlin is fascinating, and I love how the book diverges from the traditional romantic trope in that the women get to save their men, instead of the other way around :)
The bits I didn't love? Well, I'm not a huge fan of romance novels, especially the love-at-first-sight genre, which I find a bit unconvincing. Also although the writing is good, I felt it was fairly conventional in style. Forsyth does bring her characters and settings vividly to life but there were not enough 'wow, what a sentence!' moments for me. (I guess I've been spoiled by [a:Alexis Wright|341920|Alexis Wright|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1457286347p2/341920.jpg]). But the provocative themes and gripping plot more than made up for these minor shortcomings. Now I'm eager to get on to Forsyth's next book.