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straight_no_chaser's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
denishaskin's review
4.0
Knew nothing of this or the author until picking it up on the used table at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Very much enjoyed it, although frankly I had trouble keeping track of some of the characters. But I appreciated the glimpse of German postwar life from the German perspective.
asena's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dubiousdeeds's review against another edition
4.0
Through the perspective of two mothers whose husbands died in the war and their two children, Böll shows us the toxic atmosphere of post-war Germany: poverty, silence and euphemisms towards the Nazi past, the life of women who try to be free of the influence of men but are economically dependent on them and two children amidst it who try to make sense of it all.
Impressive language-wise in the switch of perspectives between children and adults, moving and dark.
Impressive language-wise in the switch of perspectives between children and adults, moving and dark.
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