Happy New Year everyone and a warm welcome to Chris and Vicki who were both trying us out for the first time!
As is usually the case, we had a big range of reactions to Alone in Berlin. Jane found it just too powerfully affecting to be able to finish it, and although everyone else had reached the end, some had found it a quick easy read, while others had struggled with the language or the large cast of characters.
Most of us found it an absorbing and interesting story, and appreciated the unusual perspective in that it told of the lives of ordinary Germans trying to live under the Nazi regime. The claustrophobic and paranoid atmosphere, and general sense of fore-boding was very well portrayed, and although it was hard to like many of the characters, we still found we were emotionally involved in the story. In particular we recognised the loneliness and bravery of the Quangels (who were based on real people), and despite the ultimate futility of their actions, the story had led many of us to question what we would do, or hope we would do, in the same circumstances.
The discussion widened out – The Pianist, The Book Thief and The Reader were all put forward as further reading on the same subject, as was the film The Lives of Others.
We then looked at book choices for our March to June books – once I’ve given absent members a chance to vote too I’ll work out which books we’re doing and email the results round, and post them up here. Our next book is Room by Emma Donoghue – see you all on 8th Feb!
Cathy x
