Alone in Berlin

[Deaddei]

this was recommended by a friend as the best book she'd read.....started well, but I just lost it in the middle.
It did pick up at the end but it was a long read.
Written in 1948 by a German, and I do struggle a bit with translations.
Has anyone read it?
About a factory worker who starts leaving postcards in Berlin, denouncing Hitler and the Nazis.

my dd is 16 and she devoured this!! didnt see her all weekend!

I loved it! I love history though, and espcially liked the fact it was written by a contemporary to the war so had lots of details about what it was like for ordianary Germans I'd never heard before

I love history too, but I thought there was too much emphasis on the guy who kept going from woman to woman, rather than the couple writing the postcards.

I'm trying to read this at the moment but just can't get into it. The main guy has gone a bit weird and is not talking to his wife at the moment, and doubling back on journeys to make sure he's not being followed. I reckon I'm near to the part where it all starts but it's been a long slog to get this far!

Having seen the other comments I'll perservere....

Love history, love Berlin, love reading, but I just couldn't get to the end of this book.Sorry!

having seen Cejay's comment, may not bother. Have umpteen other books to get on with!

I loved this book - but agree that the translation/wroting is a bit dull and flat. Ruthie32 - read the end section about the real couple the novel is based on (I enjoyed that more) and also the brief biography of Hans Fallada.

Penelope - I also learnt lot a about what it was like for ordinary germans - so frightening. I always wondered why there seemed to be so little oppostion to Hitler - I know now - I was never taught this although my DD2 who is doing GCSE did have to write a little about the police state during the nazi regime for homework last week.

A great book, although a terrifyingly bleak read. I read it on honeymoon in Berlin which made everything described seemed very real. I think it fantastically conveyed the hopelessness of anyone trying to rebel even in tiny ways, as well as the way that 'ordinary' sub-criminal life went on.

A book I'll never forget.

has anyone read other Hans Fallada books? Are they any good - they seem fairly pricey and I'm on a strict book budget at the moment.

This was a strange book for me, I'm glad I read it but cant say I actually enjoyed it.
I wanted to know what happened but was almost relieved when I'd finished it.
Very good story but very, very bleak.