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elodie2711's review against another edition
5.0
Je ne sais pas trop à quel moment de ma lecture j'ai basculé dans l'obsession avec ce livre. A quel moment le refermer pour revenir à la vie réelle est devenu une torture. Je l'ai acheté par hasard, parce que la couverture m'a attirée et le résumé plus encore - ma fameuse fascination pour tout ce qui touche à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. Je ne connaissais ni l'auteur ni le protagoniste, Georg Heuser, véritable inspecteur à Berlin en 1941 et qui va peu à peu basculer dans la monstruosité à partir du moment où on le promeut au sein de la SS. David Thomas met son talent de conteur au service de l'histoire fascinante et terrifiante de Heuser. J'ai terminé ce livre un soir tard, incapable comme je l'étais de le lâcher tant j'étais absorbée par le récit, les mots ensorcelants de l'auteur, la captivante descente aux enfers du protagoniste, et lorsque j'ai eu fini le bouquin, j'étais tellement impressionnée que même la pénombre inoffensive de ma maison me semblait menaçante, cachant les mêmes monstres dont je venais de lire l'histoire. Je suis assez impressionnable en général mais c'est dire le talent de l'auteur, véritable sorcier des mots !
Thomas a travaillé sur deux fronts : le récit de Heuser à la première personne, et celui du travail effectué par Paula et Kraus dans les années 50 pour le faire condamné. Le fait que l'on connaisse la vie de Heuser par sa propre bouche donne un point de vue intéressant. L'enquête de Paula et Kraus met en lumière les dilemme de l'Allemagne des années 50 qui divisait les tentatives du pays pour gérer les horreurs nazies. Oublier, se souvenir... Condamner, laisser le passé là où il est... D'intéressantes questions posées par cette partie.
Le lecteur commence donc par suivre le jeune Georg Heuser, tout frais arrivé au sein d'une brigade criminelle. Il trouve assez rapidement ses marques et il commence la traque d'un tueur en série qui sévit dans le train et qui assassine des femmes seules. Cette première partie sous forme d'enquête m'a paru un peu longue, voir ennuyeuse parfois - une procédure policière sans réel suspense. Mais il faut s'accrocher car c'est cette partie qui fait en quelque sorte "ressortir" la suivante - le plongeon SS de Heuser - qui la rend encore plus horrible et dérangeante. Durant l'enquête, Heuser est un flic bon, intelligent, tout entier dévoué à débarrasser Berlin d'un tueur. C'est la partie de sa vie où on voit un personnage bon, aimé et aimant, par contraste avec la noirceur de la seconde partie. Heuser pense ce que tout le monde aurait pensé à sa place : comment peut-on à ce point mérpiser la vie humaine ? Comment peut-on être capable de telles atrocités ?
Et puis, après la fin de la traque, Heuser est promu au sein de la SS et muté à Minsk. C'est l'horreur qui commence, avec les convois de Juifs qui arrivent et qu'il faut "traiter"... Le récit à la première personne prend toute son importance et son intérêt ici. On peut penser que Heuser tenterait de minimiser son implication dans l'Holocauste, justifier ses actes. En fait, cette espèce de biographie macabre est très lucide. Heuser devient peu à peu le monstre qu'il a mis tant d'efforts à poursuivre... C'est assez fascinant de le voir changer, pare qu'on n'imagine pas qu'on puisse passer d'une ligne de conduite si droite à une descente aux enfers si brutale. Heuser et ses camarades noient leur conscience dans l'alcool pour supporter...
J'adore ce genre de livres qui fait réfléchir son lecteur et lui retourne le cerveau. La question centrale du livre reste celle de la responsabilité : qui la porte ? Les chefs, les soldats, les deux ? Avaient-ils vraiment le choix, ces soldats... Tuer ou être tué ? Comment comprendre ces soldats qui ne faisaient qu'obéir aux ordres parce qu'ils pensaient que ce qu'on leur demandais de faire était nécessaire, et qui se sont retrouvés écrasés par le rouleau compresseur nazi qui faisait d'hommes bons et ordinaires des tueurs ? Et celle qui m'a le plus secouée : aurions-nous agi différemment, à la place de Heuser ?
Thomas a travaillé sur deux fronts : le récit de Heuser à la première personne, et celui du travail effectué par Paula et Kraus dans les années 50 pour le faire condamné. Le fait que l'on connaisse la vie de Heuser par sa propre bouche donne un point de vue intéressant. L'enquête de Paula et Kraus met en lumière les dilemme de l'Allemagne des années 50 qui divisait les tentatives du pays pour gérer les horreurs nazies. Oublier, se souvenir... Condamner, laisser le passé là où il est... D'intéressantes questions posées par cette partie.
Le lecteur commence donc par suivre le jeune Georg Heuser, tout frais arrivé au sein d'une brigade criminelle. Il trouve assez rapidement ses marques et il commence la traque d'un tueur en série qui sévit dans le train et qui assassine des femmes seules. Cette première partie sous forme d'enquête m'a paru un peu longue, voir ennuyeuse parfois - une procédure policière sans réel suspense. Mais il faut s'accrocher car c'est cette partie qui fait en quelque sorte "ressortir" la suivante - le plongeon SS de Heuser - qui la rend encore plus horrible et dérangeante. Durant l'enquête, Heuser est un flic bon, intelligent, tout entier dévoué à débarrasser Berlin d'un tueur. C'est la partie de sa vie où on voit un personnage bon, aimé et aimant, par contraste avec la noirceur de la seconde partie. Heuser pense ce que tout le monde aurait pensé à sa place : comment peut-on à ce point mérpiser la vie humaine ? Comment peut-on être capable de telles atrocités ?
Et puis, après la fin de la traque, Heuser est promu au sein de la SS et muté à Minsk. C'est l'horreur qui commence, avec les convois de Juifs qui arrivent et qu'il faut "traiter"... Le récit à la première personne prend toute son importance et son intérêt ici. On peut penser que Heuser tenterait de minimiser son implication dans l'Holocauste, justifier ses actes. En fait, cette espèce de biographie macabre est très lucide. Heuser devient peu à peu le monstre qu'il a mis tant d'efforts à poursuivre... C'est assez fascinant de le voir changer, pare qu'on n'imagine pas qu'on puisse passer d'une ligne de conduite si droite à une descente aux enfers si brutale. Heuser et ses camarades noient leur conscience dans l'alcool pour supporter...
J'adore ce genre de livres qui fait réfléchir son lecteur et lui retourne le cerveau. La question centrale du livre reste celle de la responsabilité : qui la porte ? Les chefs, les soldats, les deux ? Avaient-ils vraiment le choix, ces soldats... Tuer ou être tué ? Comment comprendre ces soldats qui ne faisaient qu'obéir aux ordres parce qu'ils pensaient que ce qu'on leur demandais de faire était nécessaire, et qui se sont retrouvés écrasés par le rouleau compresseur nazi qui faisait d'hommes bons et ordinaires des tueurs ? Et celle qui m'a le plus secouée : aurions-nous agi différemment, à la place de Heuser ?
ciska's review against another edition
4.0
Georg Heuser was told by his father that no matter what he had to try and get a Beamter status with the government to secure his future. Taking this serious after seeing his family loose everything his biggest dream was to become a lawyer/detective. Assigned first to the murder squat in Berlin during a big serial murder case and after a success there being promoted in ranks in the SS ending up as an officer in Ostland involved in the murder of thousands of Jews.
Now standing trial for war crimes the question arises. Was Georg just doing his job or is an evil hidden in him?
This story is based on a real people and a real case but has been fictionalized.
In 1960 Paula Siebert who is an investigator for the Central Office of the State Justice Administrations for the Investigation of National Socialist Crimes makes a case against Heuser and a few of his old staff members in one first trials Germany will hold against war criminals. She lost her father during the Second World War. Getting this group of people convicted feels like a retribution for her. I would have liked to know more about her investigation and less about her emotional turmoil. But her parts are small and her thoughts and discussions with other people about the situation do make for interesting discussion points.
The most interesting story is that of Georg Heuser though. Written more or less in diary idea he explains his motivations for wanting to be a Beamter and having a career. Up until his period with the murder squad in Berlin everything is fine but things start to get more difficult when he is send to Minsk in the Reichs Commisariat Ostland. Still wanting to make a career he has to make choices when certain orders are given. Further on he is the one giving orders. The descriptions of the situations Georg encountered are not leaving much to imagination.
There story is all about 'but it was an order', 'I was doing my job' which was the case for most people during the war. Is killing a spy in cold blood different than killing a Jew who just got off the train?
During the story your conscious is triggered every other page. Though it all feels wrong I still felt for Georg getting upset with myself for doing so.
Now standing trial for war crimes the question arises. Was Georg just doing his job or is an evil hidden in him?
This story is based on a real people and a real case but has been fictionalized.
In 1960 Paula Siebert who is an investigator for the Central Office of the State Justice Administrations for the Investigation of National Socialist Crimes makes a case against Heuser and a few of his old staff members in one first trials Germany will hold against war criminals. She lost her father during the Second World War. Getting this group of people convicted feels like a retribution for her. I would have liked to know more about her investigation and less about her emotional turmoil. But her parts are small and her thoughts and discussions with other people about the situation do make for interesting discussion points.
The most interesting story is that of Georg Heuser though. Written more or less in diary idea he explains his motivations for wanting to be a Beamter and having a career. Up until his period with the murder squad in Berlin everything is fine but things start to get more difficult when he is send to Minsk in the Reichs Commisariat Ostland. Still wanting to make a career he has to make choices when certain orders are given. Further on he is the one giving orders. The descriptions of the situations Georg encountered are not leaving much to imagination.
There story is all about 'but it was an order', 'I was doing my job' which was the case for most people during the war. Is killing a spy in cold blood different than killing a Jew who just got off the train?
During the story your conscious is triggered every other page. Though it all feels wrong I still felt for Georg getting upset with myself for doing so.
littlestar2911's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
abookishtype's review against another edition
4.0
There is one question about World War II that will never be satisfactorily answered. That is: how did good people turn into the kind of monsters that could perpetrate the Holocaust and all its related inhumane crimes? The kind of evil that it took to murder all those millions after stealing every scrap of dignity and hope from them should have been impossible. David Thomas' Ostland is one of the best explorations of this question I've seen yet. This is a hard book to read. It's upsetting in a number of different ways. But it is a very good book, based on the very real life of George Heuser...
Read the rest of my review at
Read the rest of my review at
gcanton's review
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
raven88's review against another edition
5.0
To simply label Ostland as a crime thriller would not only do a great disservice to the sheer power and scope of this novel, but would in turn devalue a book that truly encompasses the very best elements of both the crime and historical fiction genres. This is without a doubt one of the most affecting novels that I have read, so much so, that at times I had to take a breath, emotionally undone by the, at times, harrowing depictions of one of the greatest evils perpetrated in the history of mankind, which is so strongly brought to the reader’s consciousness. This is not a book that just deserves to be read but a book that also needs to be read…
From its deceptive beginning as a seemingly straightforward and compelling crime read, Thomas not only manipulates our emotions to the central protagonist, Georg Heuser, but then allows us to bear witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime during the latter stages of World War II. Opening with the real-life investigation of a brutal serial killer, stalking the S-Bahn network, Heuser makes his entrance as a young idealistic detective, driven by an innate sense of morality in the hunt for a killer. At the close of the S-Bahn killer case with the apprehension of the murderer Heuser tries to come to terms with his encounter with “a genuinely evil human being” and that to enter the killer’s mind was to “enter a world of violence, degradation and filth, a world without pity, morality, or any feeling whatsoever for his fellow human beings- a world with which I had nothing in common at all” and a sentiment of the young Heuser that remained in my mind throughout the book. With the indelible links between the German security departments Heuser quickly comes to the attention of SS-Reinhard Heydrich and his cohorts, and being promoted to SS-First Lieutenant is despatched to Minsk, an area where half the population is Jewish and which quickly becomes a major processing centre for Reich Jews and the beginning point for Heuser’s descent into evil, previously such an anathema to him.
What strikes me most about this novel is the adept way in which not only Thomas assails our sensibilities in his description of the harrowing processing of the Jews, using at times the most understated of images to convey the horror, but how the almost banality of murder imprints itself on the consciences of those despatched to accomplish this task. Hence, our empathies and reactions to Heuser are consistently manipulated and changed, as we bear witness to his actions, and through a parallel post-war storyline involving the bringing of war criminals to justice. Suffice to say that our original perceptions of Heuser as a formerly steadfast harbinger of morality are significantly coloured by the extreme brutality that we witness in the latter half of the book- a brutality that Thomas evokes so deeply in our minds through the powerful and affecting nature of his writing, that at times is almost too uncomfortable to bear but so necessary to read. Thomas’ evocation of historical fact, and the prevailing atmosphere of evil, gives rise to some of the most powerful writing I have experienced, and a true study of the shifting nature of morality and its indelible role at the heart of our inherent instinct for survival.
In conclusion, I can only say that Ostland is a book that transcends our expectations as crime readers, and is a richly rewarding read. It effortlessly causes us to engage with it, never shying away from the realities of evil and the destruction of morality it brings in its wake. A novel that unerringly stimulates the thoughts and emotions of the reader, compounded by the harsh realities of human history that form its foundation. Quite simply, a must read.
From its deceptive beginning as a seemingly straightforward and compelling crime read, Thomas not only manipulates our emotions to the central protagonist, Georg Heuser, but then allows us to bear witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime during the latter stages of World War II. Opening with the real-life investigation of a brutal serial killer, stalking the S-Bahn network, Heuser makes his entrance as a young idealistic detective, driven by an innate sense of morality in the hunt for a killer. At the close of the S-Bahn killer case with the apprehension of the murderer Heuser tries to come to terms with his encounter with “a genuinely evil human being” and that to enter the killer’s mind was to “enter a world of violence, degradation and filth, a world without pity, morality, or any feeling whatsoever for his fellow human beings- a world with which I had nothing in common at all” and a sentiment of the young Heuser that remained in my mind throughout the book. With the indelible links between the German security departments Heuser quickly comes to the attention of SS-Reinhard Heydrich and his cohorts, and being promoted to SS-First Lieutenant is despatched to Minsk, an area where half the population is Jewish and which quickly becomes a major processing centre for Reich Jews and the beginning point for Heuser’s descent into evil, previously such an anathema to him.
What strikes me most about this novel is the adept way in which not only Thomas assails our sensibilities in his description of the harrowing processing of the Jews, using at times the most understated of images to convey the horror, but how the almost banality of murder imprints itself on the consciences of those despatched to accomplish this task. Hence, our empathies and reactions to Heuser are consistently manipulated and changed, as we bear witness to his actions, and through a parallel post-war storyline involving the bringing of war criminals to justice. Suffice to say that our original perceptions of Heuser as a formerly steadfast harbinger of morality are significantly coloured by the extreme brutality that we witness in the latter half of the book- a brutality that Thomas evokes so deeply in our minds through the powerful and affecting nature of his writing, that at times is almost too uncomfortable to bear but so necessary to read. Thomas’ evocation of historical fact, and the prevailing atmosphere of evil, gives rise to some of the most powerful writing I have experienced, and a true study of the shifting nature of morality and its indelible role at the heart of our inherent instinct for survival.
In conclusion, I can only say that Ostland is a book that transcends our expectations as crime readers, and is a richly rewarding read. It effortlessly causes us to engage with it, never shying away from the realities of evil and the destruction of morality it brings in its wake. A novel that unerringly stimulates the thoughts and emotions of the reader, compounded by the harsh realities of human history that form its foundation. Quite simply, a must read.
secretbookcase's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
whatsheread's review
Any book that discusses the Holocaust and those who implemented it invariably touches on the question of how good people could end up acting in such a cold-blooded manner. The answers are as varied as the number of books that exist about this topic, but the search for an understandable answer does not cease. Ostland is one more exploration of this topic as it discusses the background of one Georg Heuser and his rise from up-and-coming police detective to mass murderer on the Eastern Front.
Told in the guise of trial preparations, the story flips back and forth between Georg’s first-person narrative and the efforts of lawyer Paula Siebert to amass evidence against Georg for his trial twenty years later. As is often the case, the two stories are unequal. Paula’s discoveries and frustrations are not nearly as absorbing as Georg’s experiences. Readers will find themselves speeding through those short chapters of Paula’s in order to get back to Georg’s more disturbing ones. This does not mean that those scenes involving Paula’s efforts are less important than those told by Georg. In fact, there is an interesting message that arises from the court case itself – one that Paula and the readers are slow to discover. However, it is Georg’s experiences in Minsk that will draw a reader’s attention.
The idea of guilt for Nazi war criminals is always a tricky one. Does following orders automatically excuse one’s behavior or is there a fundamentally human requirement to challenge orders that are so basically wrong? Ostland does not attempt to answer such questions but lays out Georg’s case methodically and unemotionally in an effort for readers to draw their own conclusions. It starts with his rise to detective and his introduction to real-world police procedures and culminates in his Minsk leadership. Throughout his story, readers get the full gamut of Nazi atrocities as seen through the eyes and experienced through the mind of an ambitious young man anxious to make a name for himself and conditioned to follow orders to the letter without question and without fail.
Ostland, in spite of using as much real-life evidence as possible, never sets out to indict Heuser for his crimes nor to critique Siebert on her preparations. Instead, it forces readers to evaluate each piece of evidence on their own, to judge based on Georg’s state of mind, as presented in the novel with fictional license, as well as on the facts. It also requires readers to extrapolate their deductions based on Georg’s story and apply them to the entire German populace. That Heuser epitomizes the quintessential Nazi soldier is neither here nor there as his attitude towards leadership and rules is as much cultural as it is personal, thereby further complicating the issue of guilt.
As horrific as one imagines it will be given its subject matter, Ostland is still a compelling read for the picture it paints of a world gone mad by war and hate. It makes no excuses for what happened but serves to offer up a warning that it is easy to fall into the trap of following orders. It raises questions about individual responsibility versus the collective good and does so in a way that requires readers to stop and reflect. In such a mad world in which the rules plainly flout common sense, there are no easy answers, nor can there be. However, taking the time to think and assess is one step towards avoiding future atrocities because it forces readers to answer the tough questions before they become reality. To that end, Ostland provides a chilling reminder of not only what occurred during the Nazi regime but also that guilt, in such instances, is never as black and white as one likes to think it will be.
Told in the guise of trial preparations, the story flips back and forth between Georg’s first-person narrative and the efforts of lawyer Paula Siebert to amass evidence against Georg for his trial twenty years later. As is often the case, the two stories are unequal. Paula’s discoveries and frustrations are not nearly as absorbing as Georg’s experiences. Readers will find themselves speeding through those short chapters of Paula’s in order to get back to Georg’s more disturbing ones. This does not mean that those scenes involving Paula’s efforts are less important than those told by Georg. In fact, there is an interesting message that arises from the court case itself – one that Paula and the readers are slow to discover. However, it is Georg’s experiences in Minsk that will draw a reader’s attention.
The idea of guilt for Nazi war criminals is always a tricky one. Does following orders automatically excuse one’s behavior or is there a fundamentally human requirement to challenge orders that are so basically wrong? Ostland does not attempt to answer such questions but lays out Georg’s case methodically and unemotionally in an effort for readers to draw their own conclusions. It starts with his rise to detective and his introduction to real-world police procedures and culminates in his Minsk leadership. Throughout his story, readers get the full gamut of Nazi atrocities as seen through the eyes and experienced through the mind of an ambitious young man anxious to make a name for himself and conditioned to follow orders to the letter without question and without fail.
Ostland, in spite of using as much real-life evidence as possible, never sets out to indict Heuser for his crimes nor to critique Siebert on her preparations. Instead, it forces readers to evaluate each piece of evidence on their own, to judge based on Georg’s state of mind, as presented in the novel with fictional license, as well as on the facts. It also requires readers to extrapolate their deductions based on Georg’s story and apply them to the entire German populace. That Heuser epitomizes the quintessential Nazi soldier is neither here nor there as his attitude towards leadership and rules is as much cultural as it is personal, thereby further complicating the issue of guilt.
As horrific as one imagines it will be given its subject matter, Ostland is still a compelling read for the picture it paints of a world gone mad by war and hate. It makes no excuses for what happened but serves to offer up a warning that it is easy to fall into the trap of following orders. It raises questions about individual responsibility versus the collective good and does so in a way that requires readers to stop and reflect. In such a mad world in which the rules plainly flout common sense, there are no easy answers, nor can there be. However, taking the time to think and assess is one step towards avoiding future atrocities because it forces readers to answer the tough questions before they become reality. To that end, Ostland provides a chilling reminder of not only what occurred during the Nazi regime but also that guilt, in such instances, is never as black and white as one likes to think it will be.
camprocter's review
4.0
My only real qualm with this book is with Thomas' slightly old-school characterization of Paula - a brilliant lawyer who nevertheless still obsesses over her love life and angsts over her appearance. Yawn. Other than that though, it's not bad! A really enticing read. I struggled to put it down at times.