drinker mother and wealthy father who imports velvet. As he grows up he becomes impressed with what he perceives as Nazi strength especially as he sees himself as ‘small’. In January 1942 he goes to Berlin ostensibly to attend art school but in reality to seek ‘truth’ and there he meets Kristin/Stella Goldschlag and Tristan von Appen.
Friedrich is a good, clear narrator capturing Berlin in the 1940’s, in places the language is staccato which matches the scenario of the intensifying Nazi yolk especially on Jews. I really like the round up at the beginning of each month which sets out the demands on the German population alongside world events. One that really resonates is the release of Disney’s Bambi making such a stark contrast to the edicts and wartime events. I like Friedrich's father’s letters from Turkey which records a very colourful life which is at odds with Berlin and Friedrich’s growing feelings of betrayal. It soon becomes apparent that our narrator is naive in his youthfulness as it takes him a while for him to see what Kristin is in reality and the same for von Appen. He appreciates he has been foolish and wrong about everything and acknowledges his initial blindness to reality. Kristin’s truth becomes clear in snippets interspersed with the narrative and it is a shock. There is nothing new in what we learn here as it’s well documented but what is different in this novel is how the characters are portrayed, their openly confessed ideas to Friedrich conflict with their pragmatic actions in a desire for self preservation. The storytelling changes from Friedrich’s intense obsession with Kristin to a very dark tale which is compelling reading. It becomes less his story and more about Kristin/Stella who is complex, complicated and an enigma.
My only negative is that sometimes the dialogue is a bit odd but that may be down to lost in translation and there are a few weird events that I’m not sure what to make of.
Overall, this is a well written and interesting novel with the focus becoming the wartime story of Stella Goldschlag, a singer, artists model, a beauty, a liar, a betrayer and seller of ‘Neschume ‘ - souls. I like the blending of fiction with the unedifying fact of Stella’s actions.
Friedrich is a good, clear narrator capturing Berlin in the 1940’s, in places the language is staccato which matches the scenario of the intensifying Nazi yolk especially on Jews. I really like the round up at the beginning of each month which sets out the demands on the German population alongside world events. One that really resonates is the release of Disney’s Bambi making such a stark contrast to the edicts and wartime events. I like Friedrich's father’s letters from Turkey which records a very colourful life which is at odds with Berlin and Friedrich’s growing feelings of betrayal. It soon becomes apparent that our narrator is naive in his youthfulness as it takes him a while for him to see what Kristin is in reality and the same for von Appen. He appreciates he has been foolish and wrong about everything and acknowledges his initial blindness to reality. Kristin’s truth becomes clear in snippets interspersed with the narrative and it is a shock. There is nothing new in what we learn here as it’s well documented but what is different in this novel is how the characters are portrayed, their openly confessed ideas to Friedrich conflict with their pragmatic actions in a desire for self preservation. The storytelling changes from Friedrich’s intense obsession with Kristin to a very dark tale which is compelling reading. It becomes less his story and more about Kristin/Stella who is complex, complicated and an enigma.
My only negative is that sometimes the dialogue is a bit odd but that may be down to lost in translation and there are a few weird events that I’m not sure what to make of.
Overall, this is a well written and interesting novel with the focus becoming the wartime story of Stella Goldschlag, a singer, artists model, a beauty, a liar, a betrayer and seller of ‘Neschume ‘ - souls. I like the blending of fiction with the unedifying fact of Stella’s actions.