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lisanussd's review against another edition
4.0
There were three main sections (stories) in this book that were connected through the Holocaust in regards to Hungarian Jews. The tangible piece was a pendant. In my mind, there were 3 distinct stories and when one ended, I felt like I was jumping onto the next "island" of a story.
I enjoyed the 1st and 3rd stories. I was impressed the way Waldman was able to present her male characters. Jack, the WWII American stationed in Salzburg, was very believable and Waldman's portrayl of him invited me into the story. I was sad when his story ended. The 2nd story was set in the present, but I found the characters unbelievable, and I felt the story wasn't able to progress within the context of Israelis and the search for unclaimed Jewish treasures. In fact, I felt lost through most of the 2nd story.
It was well-written and enjoyable historical fiction although about a heart-wrenching period.
I enjoyed the 1st and 3rd stories. I was impressed the way Waldman was able to present her male characters. Jack, the WWII American stationed in Salzburg, was very believable and Waldman's portrayl of him invited me into the story. I was sad when his story ended. The 2nd story was set in the present, but I found the characters unbelievable, and I felt the story wasn't able to progress within the context of Israelis and the search for unclaimed Jewish treasures. In fact, I felt lost through most of the 2nd story.
It was well-written and enjoyable historical fiction although about a heart-wrenching period.
stevienlcf's review against another edition
2.0
Waldman's novel starts with promise in Salzburg in the aftermath of the war. An American soldier, Jack Wiseman, is charged with cataloging and protecting the contents of what has later come to be known as the Hungarian Gold Train, freight cars filled with valuables confiscated from the murdered Jews of Hungary. Jack's sense of honor and his Jewish identity are tested when he falls in love with an Hungarian refugee, Ilona, the only member of her family to survive the concentration camps, and the valuables which he is charged to safeguard are looted by his senior command. The novel then skips to the present and follows divorced, unemployed, and grieving Natalie Stein, Jack's beloved granddaughter, who travels to Budapest and Israel seeking to return an enamel pendant to its rightful owner. Natalie embarks on a romance with Amitai, a Syrian Jew who deals in lost and stolen art with a legitimate provenance. Amitai profits from seeking work that is selling well in the art market, researching Jewish collections, and negotiating a deal with the heirs of the legitimate owner. There is a silly section when Amitai and Natalie steal a painting that was seized from Jewish war victims. Although Waldman seeks to unify the sections of the novel with the stolen pendant, the book ends with a puzzling section about suffragism in 1913 Budapest and the relationship between a sympathetic psychoanalyst who treats a young, intellectual woman with aspirations to become a physician.
byashleylamar's review against another edition
3.0
Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman is yet another World War II fiction novel however unlike so many others this story takes place at the conclusion of the war and introduces readers to the little known “Hungarian Gold Train.” Opening in 1945 and then advancing 70 years this book exposes the lingering effects of World War II and the guilt that some still carry. Throughout the first two-thirds of the novel this book is gripping and addicting however it does falter a bit toward the end. The voice shifts toward the conclusion of the novel and becomes a bit stilted and forced but this is still a tremendous work and will be enjoyed by fans of WWII fiction.
Jack Wiseman, the central figure in Love and Treasure is a wonderful character! He is very three-dimensional and very easy for readers to invest in; he is conflicted and flawed. Initially charged with guarding the seized treasures he cannot resist temptation and lifts a peacock necklace from the riches. This act will haunt him for 70 years. Ilona, a Hungarian woman who lost everything in the Holocaust, is the counterpart to Jack. She is beautiful and strong; a wonderful addition to the novel however her time in the story was far too brief. Jack’s granddaughter, Natalie, lacked the depth of the other characters and felt as though she was more of an addition to the novel than a fully realized person in the story. It was harder to invest in her than the others however the story itself was still worth following.
There are so many parts of Love and Treasure that I adored and a few parts that simply didn’t quite work the way the author intended. The final chapters of the book are awkward and nearly pulled me out of the story. A psychoanalyst? A history lesson on the necklace? Strange and an abrupt shift in the storytelling yet as a whole this is a very good book. When researching the book on Amazon I saw that many readers purchased it along with All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and I understand the interest and comparisons between the two novels. They are both unique perspectives on WWII and I can see how those that loved one would love the other. I reviewed All The Light We Cannot See about a week ago and would agree that those who enjoyed that book would enjoy Love and Treasure as well.
Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover
Jack Wiseman, the central figure in Love and Treasure is a wonderful character! He is very three-dimensional and very easy for readers to invest in; he is conflicted and flawed. Initially charged with guarding the seized treasures he cannot resist temptation and lifts a peacock necklace from the riches. This act will haunt him for 70 years. Ilona, a Hungarian woman who lost everything in the Holocaust, is the counterpart to Jack. She is beautiful and strong; a wonderful addition to the novel however her time in the story was far too brief. Jack’s granddaughter, Natalie, lacked the depth of the other characters and felt as though she was more of an addition to the novel than a fully realized person in the story. It was harder to invest in her than the others however the story itself was still worth following.
There are so many parts of Love and Treasure that I adored and a few parts that simply didn’t quite work the way the author intended. The final chapters of the book are awkward and nearly pulled me out of the story. A psychoanalyst? A history lesson on the necklace? Strange and an abrupt shift in the storytelling yet as a whole this is a very good book. When researching the book on Amazon I saw that many readers purchased it along with All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and I understand the interest and comparisons between the two novels. They are both unique perspectives on WWII and I can see how those that loved one would love the other. I reviewed All The Light We Cannot See about a week ago and would agree that those who enjoyed that book would enjoy Love and Treasure as well.
Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover
orchid8's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I definitely learned a lot about what Hungarian Jews went through before and during the holocaust, which I appreciate. This book starts strong, but I found it hard to stick with — especially during the last part which is an unconvincing epistolary. I struggled with the contemporary dialogue, which didn’t ring true. The plot, number of characters, and ambitious weaving together of multiple eras and ideas ultimately overburdened the book.
virginiacjacobs's review against another edition
3.0
The first section of the book is really great. The second section of the book has a bit of mad-cap pacing. The third section of the book really does not tie everything together and was painful to read.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
3.0
Recommended by Connie. Read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1184406629?book_show_action=false&page=1
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Slove%20and%20treasure%20waldman__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Slove%20and%20treasure%20waldman__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
roisin_killen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
nicmedia123's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
juliwi's review against another edition
5.0
I requested this novel off Netgalley because I thought the cover looked absolutely stunning and the synopsis promised a lot of good things to come. I am so glad I did request it because Waldman's novel had me absolutely spell-bound.
Waldman's narrative in Love and Treasure is one that is absolutely fascinating. She weaves together the stories of a number of different characters who are all somehow related, despite living in different centuries. The actions of one character impact the others and yet it takes you till the end of the novel to figure out how all the different plot strands work together. Split into three different narratives, the reader is faced with love, anger, regret and everything in between. We find characters of different ages, genders, races and positions and because of this each character is fascinating. Waldman gives each of them their own story and all of them are at times almost impossible to like, although you can't help but love them either. There are moments which will break your heart and Waldman never sacrifices the reality of her chosen time-period for the sake of "plot". She describes the harshness and cruelty of a continent ripped apart, while never depicting humanity as utterly lost and depraved.
What Waldman manages to do in Love and Treasure is tell the story of the Second World War and the Holocaust in a way that is new and, in lack of a better word, refreshing. History is a story that is often retold and sometimes it can seem as if everything has already been told. The skill, then, for an author, lies in finding a new angle of telling a well-known story. Waldman picks up the, for some reason, relatively obscure story of the Hungarian Gold Train and from there spins her own tale. She doesn't shirk away from showing everyone from both their good and their bad sides, may it be the American soldiers, the Zionists or the late 19th century elite. As a consequence her characters are real, are human, and act surprisingly at times. Something I majorly enjoyed was Waldman's development of female characters. They are active and crucial to the plot of each of the narratives.
Waldman's writing style is both straight-forward and beautifully descriptive. Whether she is describing Salzburg as it once was or talking about the horrors of the concentration camps, there is something very honest to her writing. It is engaging and it is fascinating. The different characters' stories will stick with you when you are forced to put the book down to resume normal life and will mercilessly drag you back. Love and Treasure doesn't shirk back from showing humanity from its bad sides, yet Waldman always reminds the reader of the beauty in the world as well. Finally, the novel addresses a consequence of the Holocaust which is overlooked by many people: the utter loss of culture that Europe suffered through the destruction of the Jewish people. A whole generation of musicians, artists and craftsmen disappeared and after reading Love and Treasure this will be something you will severely lament.
Love and Treasure is stunning and is a novel that will stick with you for a long time. Waldman moves between narratives and characters with ease, explaining one by developing the other. Each of the time periods discussed are fascinating and Waldman has clearly done her research. I recommend this to everyone who is interested in historical fiction and in the Second World War.
Link: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-love-and-treasure-by-ayelet.html
Waldman's narrative in Love and Treasure is one that is absolutely fascinating. She weaves together the stories of a number of different characters who are all somehow related, despite living in different centuries. The actions of one character impact the others and yet it takes you till the end of the novel to figure out how all the different plot strands work together. Split into three different narratives, the reader is faced with love, anger, regret and everything in between. We find characters of different ages, genders, races and positions and because of this each character is fascinating. Waldman gives each of them their own story and all of them are at times almost impossible to like, although you can't help but love them either. There are moments which will break your heart and Waldman never sacrifices the reality of her chosen time-period for the sake of "plot". She describes the harshness and cruelty of a continent ripped apart, while never depicting humanity as utterly lost and depraved.
What Waldman manages to do in Love and Treasure is tell the story of the Second World War and the Holocaust in a way that is new and, in lack of a better word, refreshing. History is a story that is often retold and sometimes it can seem as if everything has already been told. The skill, then, for an author, lies in finding a new angle of telling a well-known story. Waldman picks up the, for some reason, relatively obscure story of the Hungarian Gold Train and from there spins her own tale. She doesn't shirk away from showing everyone from both their good and their bad sides, may it be the American soldiers, the Zionists or the late 19th century elite. As a consequence her characters are real, are human, and act surprisingly at times. Something I majorly enjoyed was Waldman's development of female characters. They are active and crucial to the plot of each of the narratives.
Waldman's writing style is both straight-forward and beautifully descriptive. Whether she is describing Salzburg as it once was or talking about the horrors of the concentration camps, there is something very honest to her writing. It is engaging and it is fascinating. The different characters' stories will stick with you when you are forced to put the book down to resume normal life and will mercilessly drag you back. Love and Treasure doesn't shirk back from showing humanity from its bad sides, yet Waldman always reminds the reader of the beauty in the world as well. Finally, the novel addresses a consequence of the Holocaust which is overlooked by many people: the utter loss of culture that Europe suffered through the destruction of the Jewish people. A whole generation of musicians, artists and craftsmen disappeared and after reading Love and Treasure this will be something you will severely lament.
Love and Treasure is stunning and is a novel that will stick with you for a long time. Waldman moves between narratives and characters with ease, explaining one by developing the other. Each of the time periods discussed are fascinating and Waldman has clearly done her research. I recommend this to everyone who is interested in historical fiction and in the Second World War.
Link: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-love-and-treasure-by-ayelet.html