Scan barcode
abby_rose's review against another edition
4.0
Historical fiction set in World War II seems to be eternally popular at the library. I try to keep an eye out for new titles that patrons will enjoy, and Diary of a Dead Man on Leave caught my eye. Told through diary entries of a communist spy stationed in Germany right before the war breaks out, Diary of a Dead Man follows the story of ‘Josef’ as he grows closer to the family that owns the boarding house and he starts to doubt the cause he’s devoted his life to.
As a general rule, I do not like books in a diary format. This is usually because I can’t buy into the fact that it’s actually a diary – no one can actually quote every conversation they had, writes back story, etc. Diary managed to avoid most of the things I dislike most of the diary format. Josef writes it with the expectation that someone else will read it, which made the stories of his past and discussion of political events more acceptable to me. The majority of conversations are summarized instead of directly quoted. Josef forgets to write every day like he planned (me in every diary I ever tried to keep). But I also felt it was the best possible way to present this story – a man’s struggle with the idea of a life he never thought he would have and his growing disillusionment with the life he has.
A few times it felt like there was too much info, or mention of an event just for the sake of it. But I think the character Downing chose is a good fit for what he tried to do. Josef's background and mission meant that yes, everything going on in Germany he would write in his journal, and he has the knowledge to examine them critically – it’s not just hindsight.
Once I started Diary of a Dead Man on Leave, I wanted to sit and finish it all at once. It was a great balance of history and heart touching characters that immediately had you invested in the outcome of the story. It will be a great addition to the collection.
As a general rule, I do not like books in a diary format. This is usually because I can’t buy into the fact that it’s actually a diary – no one can actually quote every conversation they had, writes back story, etc. Diary managed to avoid most of the things I dislike most of the diary format. Josef writes it with the expectation that someone else will read it, which made the stories of his past and discussion of political events more acceptable to me. The majority of conversations are summarized instead of directly quoted. Josef forgets to write every day like he planned (me in every diary I ever tried to keep). But I also felt it was the best possible way to present this story – a man’s struggle with the idea of a life he never thought he would have and his growing disillusionment with the life he has.
A few times it felt like there was too much info, or mention of an event just for the sake of it. But I think the character Downing chose is a good fit for what he tried to do. Josef's background and mission meant that yes, everything going on in Germany he would write in his journal, and he has the knowledge to examine them critically – it’s not just hindsight.
Once I started Diary of a Dead Man on Leave, I wanted to sit and finish it all at once. It was a great balance of history and heart touching characters that immediately had you invested in the outcome of the story. It will be a great addition to the collection.
amjamminbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, it’s outside my usual genre for sure! It was well written, but not a subject I’m familiar with. I ended up looking several things on my phone while reading it so it was a slow read for me. But I liked the characters and it had a satisfying ending!
bkphil's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
tonstantweader's review
3.0
“Dead man on leave” is another name for an undercover Soviet spy. They don’t expect to live long lives as they live at risk of exposure at any moment. Josef Hofmann was such a man. Born in Germany, he was a fervent communist who was recruited as a spy years earlier and worked undercover in North and South America before returning to Germany as the Nazis were consolidating power. He moves into a boarding house and slowly into the lives of the family, drawn in by the intelligence and admiration of the youngest son, Walter. He keeps a hidden diary, one that won’t be found until the late 80s, a Diary of a Dead Man on Leave.
He is at work at a trainyard looking for recruits and old connections, trying to identify who would be safe to form a cadre to carry out sabotage or terroristic attacks to weaken the Nazi military effort. While doing that, he is also helping with homework and family issues, falling in love, not with a woman, but with being part of a family of people he cares about and who care about him.
David Downing is one of my favorite writers of World War II espionage. I loved the John Russell series. Diary of a Dead Man on Leave covers some of the same ground, but from a different perspective. It is, despite it being all about spying, less of an espionage story and more of a love story, though not a romance. This is the story of a man who comes to love a family, who feels a fatherly love for young Walter. The real conflict is between Josef’s work as a spy and his role in the family. I might have liked this book better without the contemporary epilogue that catches us up on what happened. It could have ended at the end of the final chapter back in the past. That would have been dramatic and we would have assumed the end anyway. The epilogue adds nothing we would not have inferred. Because it is exactly what we expected, it is anticlimactic and deflating.
Diary of a Dead Man on Leave will be released April 2nd. I received an e-galley for review from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Diary of a Dead Man on Leave at Soho Crime
David Downing author site
★★★
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/9781616958435/
He is at work at a trainyard looking for recruits and old connections, trying to identify who would be safe to form a cadre to carry out sabotage or terroristic attacks to weaken the Nazi military effort. While doing that, he is also helping with homework and family issues, falling in love, not with a woman, but with being part of a family of people he cares about and who care about him.
David Downing is one of my favorite writers of World War II espionage. I loved the John Russell series. Diary of a Dead Man on Leave covers some of the same ground, but from a different perspective. It is, despite it being all about spying, less of an espionage story and more of a love story, though not a romance. This is the story of a man who comes to love a family, who feels a fatherly love for young Walter. The real conflict is between Josef’s work as a spy and his role in the family. I might have liked this book better without the contemporary epilogue that catches us up on what happened. It could have ended at the end of the final chapter back in the past. That would have been dramatic and we would have assumed the end anyway. The epilogue adds nothing we would not have inferred. Because it is exactly what we expected, it is anticlimactic and deflating.
Diary of a Dead Man on Leave will be released April 2nd. I received an e-galley for review from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Diary of a Dead Man on Leave at Soho Crime
David Downing author site
★★★
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/9781616958435/
More...