It is very difficult today to find exceptional authors who write a life changing novel - may be this is because life in the 21st century, with all its technology and TV is so sterile. So I was glad I stumbled up this novel by Fallada - it kick started my brain and made me think about the lives we lead today in comparison to those lived pre-and during WWII. Living under such a regime must have been, not only extremely stressful, but terrifying and we can't imagine what impact that would have had on the lives of normal, everyday people trying to go about their business. This world is a start contrast to our own and serves to remind us of our own excesses. I won't forget this novel in a hurry, especially given that it is based on a truth that we just can't comprehend today.
The writing style is similar to that of Orwell and other writers of that time and I loved the way crafted his paragraph - switching from past tense into the present in the same paragraph, which put the reader right into the middle of the action, e.g. 'He was standing on the Pier looking into the water, just before the gun sounded. He feels a rush of blood and falls into the dark water beneath, his body swept away.......' All the characters were individuals and there were no stock characters - what I like to call 'stocking fillers' - each one had a life that had a purpose within the story told and each one was complete in his or her own right - not dependant on the actions of the other/others. Clever and timeless writing.
The subject matter was challenging and not always easy to read as you knew it wasn't fantasy. I was pleased he didn't go into graphic detail about how people were tortured - but then this didn't need to be written in - we can leave this to imagination, which in a way, can make the whole scene even more horrific.
Overall an incredible novel, but it doesn't make for easy/light reading.
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