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katiejames's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
katisha93's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
koppelwoman's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars
I’m glad I read this one, but there were definitely some issues. First, I really don’t like the title. Yes, maybe The Lady in Gold is catchier than Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bouer, but the Nazis changed the name to obscure the fact that it was a painting of a Jewish woman and that is the name you use for the title????? Not cool.
Second, the author suffers from a common problem in this type of history book… jamming the book with “interesting” tidbits that have nothing to do with the main focus of the book. Did we really need to know where Mark Twain stayed when he visited Vienna? No, I didn’t at any rate.
It felt like (always feels like) the author is trying to show off how much research they did. If it doesn’t add anything to our understanding of the historical event that is the focus of the book leave it out.
Third, the writing felt uneven. At various points it felt like straight non-fiction writing, more creative non-fiction writing, and even some memoir. It just didn’t make for a smooth, even reading experience.
Moving past that to the actual events, it was really shocking to me that so much of Austrian society just wanted to ignore these events and any hint of Austrian complicity in the theft of Jewish property. Was it willful ignorance or shame or guilt?
I’m glad I read this one, but there were definitely some issues. First, I really don’t like the title. Yes, maybe The Lady in Gold is catchier than Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bouer, but the Nazis changed the name to obscure the fact that it was a painting of a Jewish woman and that is the name you use for the title????? Not cool.
Second, the author suffers from a common problem in this type of history book… jamming the book with “interesting” tidbits that have nothing to do with the main focus of the book. Did we really need to know where Mark Twain stayed when he visited Vienna? No, I didn’t at any rate.
It felt like (always feels like) the author is trying to show off how much research they did. If it doesn’t add anything to our understanding of the historical event that is the focus of the book leave it out.
Third, the writing felt uneven. At various points it felt like straight non-fiction writing, more creative non-fiction writing, and even some memoir. It just didn’t make for a smooth, even reading experience.
Moving past that to the actual events, it was really shocking to me that so much of Austrian society just wanted to ignore these events and any hint of Austrian complicity in the theft of Jewish property. Was it willful ignorance or shame or guilt?
cloudss's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
excells at reimagining vienna before the war and how the elite lived there w salons and art etc. could have more substance around art restitution case etc. Story of family and their world pre war, during nazi regime, and each if their escapes to exile (or deaths) well done. Discusses history and austrias poor reckoning with it well & in an interesting way, saving much for the final chapters (ie everyone has a perpetrator or a victim in their family - often both). wild to hear from other side ‘not all black and white’ from family with nazi history. Seems unfinished in the end - as the families story still goes on
onlyahopelessromantic's review against another edition
I didn't care for the fact that it was 3rd person and not dialogue heavy.
beck4books's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75