richardwells's review
5.0
A perspective of the occupation of Prague and the Holocaust that shines a light on the absurdity of oppression while not letting up on its horror. I had occasion to think of Catch 22 at a few points. An interesting and worthwhile read.
mjake's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Terminal illness, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Genocide
chloehyman's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
kathym91's review
4.0
4.5 stars
An astonishingly honest and tragic account of the Nazi occupation of Prague, made even more bitter and cruel by the sharp use of dark satire. Weil evokes not only the suffering of Jewish people, but the utterly absurd and horrific way in which Nazi ideology was implemented through a mix of bureaucracy and criminality.
An astonishingly honest and tragic account of the Nazi occupation of Prague, made even more bitter and cruel by the sharp use of dark satire. Weil evokes not only the suffering of Jewish people, but the utterly absurd and horrific way in which Nazi ideology was implemented through a mix of bureaucracy and criminality.
andrewrobins's review
5.0
In German occupied Prague, an SS man is sent, by Heydrich, to the roof of the concert hall to pull down the statue of the (jewish) composer Mendelssohn. Unable to tell which is Mendelssohn, and unable to ask for assistance without putting his well-being at risk, he makes the mistake of opting to pull down the one with the largest nose, which turns out to be Nazi hero Wagner.
This story is the starting point for a series of loosely connected stories which tell the story of the German occupation. Starting off light hearted, almost whimsical, the stories become increasingly grim, and end on a horribly depressing note. An excellent book which felt like it had been written by someone who was there at the time, with events fresh in the memory, telling the wider story through the experiences of a number of "ordinary people" being crushed by the oppression of the occupying forces.
One of the better books I have read this year - one of the others being HHhH, which was also set in occupied Czechoslovakia.
This story is the starting point for a series of loosely connected stories which tell the story of the German occupation. Starting off light hearted, almost whimsical, the stories become increasingly grim, and end on a horribly depressing note. An excellent book which felt like it had been written by someone who was there at the time, with events fresh in the memory, telling the wider story through the experiences of a number of "ordinary people" being crushed by the oppression of the occupying forces.
One of the better books I have read this year - one of the others being HHhH, which was also set in occupied Czechoslovakia.
almostannette's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I suspect this book is superb in its original language Czech, at times it felt somewhat clunky in English, or like I wasn't getting the "full story" if that makes sense. However, Weil managed to create incredibly memorable scenes (the Seder "recreation" at the museum, the statue of Justice inevitably ending back up in Gestapo storage, and the very last scene of the book). Great book!
danarama's review
4.0
Set in Prague during the Nazi occupation in World War 2 and follows the lives of several different, mostly Jewish, characters. It's almost more a collection of loosely connected short stories than a novel.
From the back cover: "Julius Schlesinger, aspiring SS officer, has received his new orders to remove from the roof of Prague's concert hall the statue of the Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn. But which of the figures adorning the roof is the Jew? Remember his course on 'racial science,' Schlesinger instructs his men to pull down the statue with the biggest nose. Only as the statue they have carefully chosen begins to topple does he recognize that it is not Mendelssohn; it is Richard Wagner."
I picked this up in a bookstore in Prague last summer. Read it on the train back to Berlin, got about 2/3 through it and then got distracted by other books when we got home.
Picked it up off my shelf last night.
From the back cover: "Julius Schlesinger, aspiring SS officer, has received his new orders to remove from the roof of Prague's concert hall the statue of the Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn. But which of the figures adorning the roof is the Jew? Remember his course on 'racial science,' Schlesinger instructs his men to pull down the statue with the biggest nose. Only as the statue they have carefully chosen begins to topple does he recognize that it is not Mendelssohn; it is Richard Wagner."
I picked this up in a bookstore in Prague last summer. Read it on the train back to Berlin, got about 2/3 through it and then got distracted by other books when we got home.
Picked it up off my shelf last night.
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