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gsilveira's review
5.0
Um dos melhores livros que li nos últimos anos. A história de uma família judaica durante o século XX, através das guerras, passando por Odessa, Paris, Viena e Japão, tendo como fio condutor 264 netsuke.
sarah_nera's review against another edition
5.0
I read several WWII-related books this year... and this was probably my favorite. A Holocaust story of family and tradition, following the path of the author’s netsuke collection. Beautiful and sad. I recommend getting the hardcover illustrated version - it’s a story that benefits from photos.
sunnysideup50's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was like a lullabye, the writing was so smooth and soothing. I particularly enjoyed the authors' seamless transitions between historical imaginings and present day musings. I love reading histories and biographies when they are so richly evoctive of the time/period. I found this book to be a wonderful example. De Waal brought to life what it was like to live as a wealthy young Jewish man in Paris in the 1880's, Vienna in the early 1900's and in Post-war Japan. He has a wonderful understading of the richness art ads to ones life. NOTE: I particularly enjoyed reading this book on my Ipad. It was so easy when a famous painting was mentioned, to google the image and get an instant color picture of the art that was being referred to. I was able to see one of De Walls talks that was on You Tube, and remind myself by checking google maps, where exactly Odesa was. It just made the reading of this book all the more satisfying!
lakmus's review against another edition
Notes to self:
- the reviewer here saying that the book builds up in the second half was right. The endless detail on assorted art that was putting me off in the beginning, in fact, had a point
- it must be difficult to belong to a Famous Family. The tracing of the lives of dead people you are related to is not biography the same way as it is for a random scholar studying them. It seems burdensome, to spend so much time steeped in struggles and successes that preceded your own life.
- in the beginning, I was incredibly annoyed by the tone of the book, that to me resembled the Russian emigre writing of the 'Russia that we have lost' variety. It got better later, although still. These are real people, of course, they did what they did - but it is frustrating to watch people ignore history going around them until it bitchslaps them in the face and then act all surprised like they were too busy being rich and didn't notice things going south.
- relatedly, while I see the beauty of this story and appreciate having read it, I am irrationally pissed over the fact that even in tragedy, there is privilege to richness. I respect the struggle of having to harass bureaucrats to gets even a smidge of your family possessions back, and the unfairness of them being taken away in the first place - that's not a fun time all around – but in light of whole families being wiped out wholesale; or if people survive, they have nothing except the clothes on their back and have to start their family history all over, without the support of aristocratic education and nice memorabilia– it's a bit...??? A lot of people would probably like to spend a year tracing their family histories, but often there is nothing left to trace after the assorted upheavals of the twentieth century around the world. I am not sure if it would be better if the author paid more attention to that – I think he is aware (there was mention that they know nothing of Anna, the family servant who saved the netsuke – but isn't it also telling? Even they don't know their servants' last names, why bother). But nonetheless.
- I learned about anti-semitism in the Austro-Hungarian empire, which I didn't realise had such a similar flavour to today's rantings in certain counties about the 'goddamn migrants taking our jobs', and was building up for such a long time.
- assimilation does not work on bigots, and no amount of wealth and cultural blending-in is perfect protection.
- the framing of family history through art is cool and interesting
- the reviewer here saying that the book builds up in the second half was right. The endless detail on assorted art that was putting me off in the beginning, in fact, had a point
- it must be difficult to belong to a Famous Family. The tracing of the lives of dead people you are related to is not biography the same way as it is for a random scholar studying them. It seems burdensome, to spend so much time steeped in struggles and successes that preceded your own life.
- in the beginning, I was incredibly annoyed by the tone of the book, that to me resembled the Russian emigre writing of the 'Russia that we have lost' variety. It got better later, although still. These are real people, of course, they did what they did - but it is frustrating to watch people ignore history going around them until it bitchslaps them in the face and then act all surprised like they were too busy being rich and didn't notice things going south.
- relatedly, while I see the beauty of this story and appreciate having read it, I am irrationally pissed over the fact that even in tragedy, there is privilege to richness. I respect the struggle of having to harass bureaucrats to gets even a smidge of your family possessions back, and the unfairness of them being taken away in the first place - that's not a fun time all around – but in light of whole families being wiped out wholesale; or if people survive, they have nothing except the clothes on their back and have to start their family history all over, without the support of aristocratic education and nice memorabilia– it's a bit...??? A lot of people would probably like to spend a year tracing their family histories, but often there is nothing left to trace after the assorted upheavals of the twentieth century around the world. I am not sure if it would be better if the author paid more attention to that – I think he is aware (there was mention that they know nothing of Anna, the family servant who saved the netsuke – but isn't it also telling? Even they don't know their servants' last names, why bother). But nonetheless.
- I learned about anti-semitism in the Austro-Hungarian empire, which I didn't realise had such a similar flavour to today's rantings in certain counties about the 'goddamn migrants taking our jobs', and was building up for such a long time.
- assimilation does not work on bigots, and no amount of wealth and cultural blending-in is perfect protection.
- the framing of family history through art is cool and interesting
patsmith139's review against another edition
3.0
Parts of this book really gripped me, other parts were almost a struggle but I certainly learned some new things about European history. I think an interest in art and antiques would have helped my enjoyment but as it is I found the descriptions of all the treasures the family acquired somewhat tedious. However the netsuke, including the Hare of the title, were certainly the most interesting of them all and have quite a tale to tell. By tracing the owners of the collection of over 200 netsuke the author follows the fortunes of the family of his paternal grandmother-extremely wealthy Jewish bankers based in Paris & Vienna. Anyone with even a vague knowledge of the history of the last two centuries will realise this covers some momentous events.
I would recommend a visit to the author's website, as recommended at the end of the book, as there are some wonderful pictures of some of the netsuke and some further family pictures not included in the book.
I would recommend a visit to the author's website, as recommended at the end of the book, as there are some wonderful pictures of some of the netsuke and some further family pictures not included in the book.
eulaamicah's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
gharrison17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
saharamitraintrack's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0