Reviews

The Greater Hope by Ilse Aichinger

choukou's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Literature regarding the holocaust often portrays either perpetrators or victims, but what about those trapped between those extremes? The  protagonist of this book has two „wrong“ grandparents and two „right“ ones,  which makes her half-jewish, half-aryan by nazi race politics and follows devestating developments in WWII germany from the view of a child who tries to cope with unspeakable circumstances. 

The story invokes fear, grief and feelings of oppression, so it‘s definitely a heavy read and not something for a relaxing afternoon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Holocaust

juliahoermayer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

elisasays's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

rahela1208's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

3.5

fionaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

leherb's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

marvesel's review against another edition

3.0

This book was a school assignment and it was rather difficult to understand. Not in the vocabulary sense but in the metaphorical sense. And I found it difficult to connect to the characters which is sad because it is a story about a girl during WWII. There were things that confused me which made reading this book more difficult. I understand the point and plot but it feels like I have holes in my that need to be filled.

phettberg's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0