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cathd80's review against another edition
3.0
For Sigrid Schröder her life in 1943 Berlin is one of grinding tedium, working days as a stenographer and spending nights in a small apartment with her mother-in-law and withdrawn husband. Her only escape is a movie theater where she can sit quietly in the balcony with her own thoughts. There she meets Egon, a mysterious man with whom she embarks on a dangerous affair, for Egon is a Jew. For months they meet in a small shabby apartment and he provides the only source of life in her tedious existence. But even as their physical relationship grows stronger, he remains secretive about his life and past. Then with the same stealth that he slipped into her life, he is gone. So too is her husband who is sent to the Eastern Front.
Continue reading review at:
http://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2012/08/city-of-women/
Continue reading review at:
http://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2012/08/city-of-women/
teacat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
3.0
Surprisingly engaging, for something I was expecting to be a [b:Sarah's Key|556602|Sarah's Key|Tatiana de Rosnay|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317064109s/556602.jpg|2523229] knockoff somehow.
upgirlcd's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled with this book until the second half of it. I did not like the characters or their behavior. The second half of the book was almost like a different book entirely. It held much more WWII & German history; shared the struggles of betrayal of Party members, Jewish families, soldiers who were wounded physically & emotionally. Some of the book was harsh,sometimes touching. I could even relate to the protagonist's own struggles in the last third of the book. 3 stars
susannaopal's review against another edition
3.0
I think if I could, I would have given this novel 3.5 stars. It reminded me of "Those Who Save Us" by Jenna Blume, an equally morally ambiguous tale set during WWII in Germany. The choices people make in situations beyond our wildest imagination are easy to judge based on our safety and a black & white tunnel vision. This novel left me thinking, wishing to know more of the main character since the novel fully occurs during 1943 in Berlin just as the war is shifting in the Allies favor despite the Axis' denial machine. I did not feel a particular kinship to any one character but I did enjoy the book and found that after the first 100 pages it was difficult to part with and I would be interested to see if a sequel is every written.
brock111's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very suspenseful book about Berlin during 1943. There were lots of twists and turns along with the usual suspects. Whom would you trust and what would you do given the same circumstances?
pickettreads's review against another edition
5.0
The year is 1943 and in Berlin it is a city of women. The men are at war started by a crazy man and fueled with hatred. They are ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances and what they do is amazing. The author has you questioning yourself, What would I do if it were me watching people marching away to their death only because they were Jewish? What would I do if I walked into someone's home and they were hiding Jews? At what point does one arrive at a moral commitment? These are the questions that I asked myself while reading this book. A 5 star book for me not only is an entertaining and well written read, but it is a book that keeps me thinking long after the last page has been read. David Gillham has provided a book that accomplishes all of those things.
emdowd's review against another edition
3.0
For a story ostensibly about women during WWII, the storyline sure was driven heavily by men. Not a bad thing, in and of itself, but definitely not what I was anticipating/would have found more interesting. Some of the prose was repetitive as well (repeated similes all over the place). Decent plane reading from DC to CA, though.
zeljana's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this novel. First of all, the characters are realistic, even if not really likable (that being said, I did like Sigrid). There's no sugarcoating, especially of the main heroine, whose motivations are often obscured, but this does not mean they are less believable. I actually thought this is what it would probably be like for the most, and is kind of refreshing after reading dozens of novels where similar characters working for the resistance seem to be the embodiment of heroism and nobility.
The whole atmosphere of the wartime Berlin is depicted wonderfully, full of disillusioned inhabitants still gripping on to the empty promises of a great victory which would never happen.
The love story was a bit of a drag, with Sigrid constantly coming back to her cruel lover who was simply using her all the time. But if he hadn't been like this, the story would have less depth and would be a lot more melodramatic. I think it gave this extra dimension to her character, reminding me of Sylvia Plath's Daddy, Sigrid having fallen for a man who is, simply put, a brute (no matter the circumstances).
On the other hand, I felt like Sigrid was too lucky. In reality, it is very unlikely she would so easily get out of all the troubles the way she did in this story. This was a little too much, even if allow for the licentia poetica. Also, the end of the novel left a lot to be desired. The stories of some of the more interesting characters felt unfinished. Also, by the end of the novel I really wanted to know what would happen to Sigrid after, would she live to see the end of the war in Berlin and the Soviet invasion together with the atrocities German women had to endure later on.
The whole atmosphere of the wartime Berlin is depicted wonderfully, full of disillusioned inhabitants still gripping on to the empty promises of a great victory which would never happen.
The love story was a bit of a drag, with Sigrid constantly coming back to her cruel lover who was simply using her all the time. But if he hadn't been like this, the story would have less depth and would be a lot more melodramatic. I think it gave this extra dimension to her character, reminding me of Sylvia Plath's Daddy, Sigrid having fallen for a man who is, simply put, a brute (no matter the circumstances).
On the other hand, I felt like Sigrid was too lucky. In reality, it is very unlikely she would so easily get out of all the troubles the way she did in this story. This was a little too much, even if allow for the licentia poetica. Also, the end of the novel left a lot to be desired. The stories of some of the more interesting characters felt unfinished. Also, by the end of the novel I really wanted to know what would happen to Sigrid after, would she live to see the end of the war in Berlin and the Soviet invasion together with the atrocities German women had to endure later on.
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
4.0
Book #54 Read in 2013
City of Women by David Gillham
This historical fiction book is set during the time of the Holocaust. Sigrid is a German woman who ends up having an affair with a Jewish man and helping Jews escape the Nazis. Sigrid is a hard character to like at first but I ended up liking her. By the end of the book, she took control of her destiny. The horrors of the war and the hatred were detailed well in this book. The writing style was sophisticated. All of the characters were flawed in their own way, which made them very realistic. Overall, a good read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
City of Women by David Gillham
This historical fiction book is set during the time of the Holocaust. Sigrid is a German woman who ends up having an affair with a Jewish man and helping Jews escape the Nazis. Sigrid is a hard character to like at first but I ended up liking her. By the end of the book, she took control of her destiny. The horrors of the war and the hatred were detailed well in this book. The writing style was sophisticated. All of the characters were flawed in their own way, which made them very realistic. Overall, a good read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com