What do you think?
Rate this book
The Other Side of the Wall
Simon Schwartz was born in 1982 in East Germany, at a time when the repressive Socialist Unity Party of Germany controlled the area. Shortly before Simon's birth, his parents decided to leave their home in search of greater freedoms on the other side of the Berlin Wall. But East German authorities did not allow the Schwartz’s to leave for almost three years. In the meantime, Simon's parents struggled with the costs of their the loss of work, the attention of the East German secret police, and the fragmentation of their family.
In his debut graphic novel, Simon Schwartz tells the true story of his parents' coming of age in East Germany, their rejection of the communist way of life, and the challenges of leaving that world behind.
In his debut graphic novel, Simon Schwartz tells the true story of his parents' coming of age in East Germany, their rejection of the communist way of life, and the challenges of leaving that world behind.
112 pages, Library Binding
First published October 1, 2009
23 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
Simon Schwartz
16 books7 followersSimon Schwartz was born in Erfurt in 1982 and grew up in the Kruezburg neighborhood of Berlin. In 2004, he relocated to Hamburg to study illustration at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Five years later, he had completed his debut graphic novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
January 15, 2015
*Received from Netgalley for review.
I love a good comics memoir, and this is one of the good ones. Granted, I have more than the usual interest in Germany. I'm part German, closely enough that my Grandma had relatives who wrote to her (in German, of course) from East Germany. I'm just barely old enough to remember when the Berlin Wall came down, and realizing that the target audience for this book probably knows little or nothing at all about it, so I'm happy that a book like this exists. There is a timeline, which is incredibly helpful at making sense of a fairly complicated political reality. But that isn't really the main point of this book. Facts and timelines are all well and good, but the past really comes alive in the experiences of an individual.
That's where Schwartz's stroy is important, even if it isn't the most dramatic or exciting one possible. Born in East Germany, he and his parents emigrated to West Germany, legally, when he was very young. So no, there's no daring border crossing, no elaborate tales of hardship. This probably has much to do with the fact that Schwartz is telling his parents' story more than his own. He can relate their experiences, but it's very much the experiences of someone else, which comes with a slight remove from the immediate emotions. Still, he does a good job of relaying the very real fear and desperation his parents felt as they were trying to emigrate.
There's also the extended family dynamics. Both Schwartz's maternal and paternal grandparents lived in East Germany even after he and his parents went West. His mother could send him to see her parents (and she must have loved them very much, to send her son to see them with the fear that he wouldn't be allowed to leave East Germany again), but his paternal grandparents cut his father off after he decided to leave, and it was years before they saw each other again. Schwartz could have made this rather more dramatic than he did, but it's the coldness of his relationship with his paternal grandparents that's so heartbreaking. It's a terrible thing, when parents decide they'd rather be right than love their children.
The art is black and white, somewhat simplistic. It seems that these graphic novel memoirs almost always have relatively simple black and white art. This isn't a complaint. To me, it feels like the right fit for a project like this. Especially when the execution is spot on, as it is here. Schwartz is definitely a talented artist, especially on the backgrounds.
This is definitely not the most dramatic, or even the most representative story that could be told about East Germany. But it is an honest one, and it's told well.
I love a good comics memoir, and this is one of the good ones. Granted, I have more than the usual interest in Germany. I'm part German, closely enough that my Grandma had relatives who wrote to her (in German, of course) from East Germany. I'm just barely old enough to remember when the Berlin Wall came down, and realizing that the target audience for this book probably knows little or nothing at all about it, so I'm happy that a book like this exists. There is a timeline, which is incredibly helpful at making sense of a fairly complicated political reality. But that isn't really the main point of this book. Facts and timelines are all well and good, but the past really comes alive in the experiences of an individual.
That's where Schwartz's stroy is important, even if it isn't the most dramatic or exciting one possible. Born in East Germany, he and his parents emigrated to West Germany, legally, when he was very young. So no, there's no daring border crossing, no elaborate tales of hardship. This probably has much to do with the fact that Schwartz is telling his parents' story more than his own. He can relate their experiences, but it's very much the experiences of someone else, which comes with a slight remove from the immediate emotions. Still, he does a good job of relaying the very real fear and desperation his parents felt as they were trying to emigrate.
There's also the extended family dynamics. Both Schwartz's maternal and paternal grandparents lived in East Germany even after he and his parents went West. His mother could send him to see her parents (and she must have loved them very much, to send her son to see them with the fear that he wouldn't be allowed to leave East Germany again), but his paternal grandparents cut his father off after he decided to leave, and it was years before they saw each other again. Schwartz could have made this rather more dramatic than he did, but it's the coldness of his relationship with his paternal grandparents that's so heartbreaking. It's a terrible thing, when parents decide they'd rather be right than love their children.
The art is black and white, somewhat simplistic. It seems that these graphic novel memoirs almost always have relatively simple black and white art. This isn't a complaint. To me, it feels like the right fit for a project like this. Especially when the execution is spot on, as it is here. Schwartz is definitely a talented artist, especially on the backgrounds.
This is definitely not the most dramatic, or even the most representative story that could be told about East Germany. But it is an honest one, and it's told well.
March 9, 2016
What was it really like to grow up in ____?
I'm reading more and more English-language graphic novel memoirs about what life was like growing up in places amerikans rarely traveled to by choice. Here, Schwartz tells his story of growing up on the East side of the Berlin Wall. I'm REALLY glad I read it, because we so rarely hear these stories directly from the mouths of people who were living through them.
It's an important read. One side of his family buys into the dogma of the system at that time - the other side of his family is less all-in, but still chooses to stay on the East side of the Wall. The tension between these points of view was very difficult for his parents.
He talks about his parents decision to cross the wall, and move to West Berlin. He describes the oppression and persecution their family experienced when they started the process.
The illustrations are bold, but all in shades of gray, which is probably a symbolic aesthetic choice.
Read with:
Dare to Disappoint
Persepolis
A Game for Swallows
A Night Divided
Extra star because of the unique topic.
I'm reading more and more English-language graphic novel memoirs about what life was like growing up in places amerikans rarely traveled to by choice. Here, Schwartz tells his story of growing up on the East side of the Berlin Wall. I'm REALLY glad I read it, because we so rarely hear these stories directly from the mouths of people who were living through them.
It's an important read. One side of his family buys into the dogma of the system at that time - the other side of his family is less all-in, but still chooses to stay on the East side of the Wall. The tension between these points of view was very difficult for his parents.
He talks about his parents decision to cross the wall, and move to West Berlin. He describes the oppression and persecution their family experienced when they started the process.
The illustrations are bold, but all in shades of gray, which is probably a symbolic aesthetic choice.
Read with:
Dare to Disappoint
Persepolis
A Game for Swallows
A Night Divided
Extra star because of the unique topic.
November 14, 2015
I suppose it's true, what a lot of goodreads reviewers say, that this book could be a great resource in classrooms learning about the history of post-war Germany. The storytelling wasn't great but the topic quite fascinating. Author and illustrator, Simon Schwartz, was born in East Germany in 1982 at a time when his parents were trying pretty desperately to escape. We get to learn a bit about their experience growing up there and trying to leave. It's not told chronologically and I think that might have worked better in a longer book more grounded in its own sense of style. As it is it winds up feeling a bit superficial and derivative. Not bad introduction, and maybe will open up space for more graphic work in the subject.
April 8, 2021
Eigentlich bin ich nicht so die große Graphic-Novel-Leserin, ich hab meist das Gefühl, nicht in die Geschichte "reinzukommen". Hier total anders: spannende, autobiographische Familiengeschichte. Der Stil ist sicher Geschmacksfrage, aber insgesamt ein guter Einstieg in die Frage, was politische Systeme mit Familien machen (können).
March 17, 2015
In accordance to FTC guidelines, I must state that I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally posted on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
I have a habit when it comes to reading graphic novels: All of them are true stories and somehow related to war. I'm very fond of these kinds of stories, and telling them with illustrations seems to work for me. Ergo, I am drawn to the graphic memoir. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get to my review.
The Other Side of the Wall by Simon Schwartz falls flat in comparison to the other graphic memoirs and novels that I've read. The story in this graphic novel/memoir is important and intriguing. It is also a historically significant story based on true events, but other than that, it didn't work for me. In this graphic novel, Schwartz tells the story of his parents crossing the border between East Germany and West Germany.
Simon Schwartz was a young child when he and his parents were finally able to cross, so much of his parents' story had to be told to him as he was growing up. Because of this, I felt an extreme disconnect to the story and the people in the novel. It didn't feel real or genuine, except for the parts in the novel where Schwartz shares his own memories. I also had a hard time connecting with this graphic memoir because no one in it has a name. Readers never learn the names of Simon's parents or grandparents. There are other people included in the book who don't have names, and it really bothered me.
There is some good in the book. Obviously Schwartz presents events relating to the Berlin Wall to young readers in a way that they might like, especially if they are fans of comic books or other graphic novels. He also includes a glossary and brief history at the end of the book to help readers understand what they are reading.
Would I recommend this book? Probably not. I realize that a lot was probably lost somewhere in translation, but I wouldn't feel great about recommending this to any of my friends. I just felt like it was too rushed and lacked a lot of explanation.
This review was originally posted on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
I have a habit when it comes to reading graphic novels: All of them are true stories and somehow related to war. I'm very fond of these kinds of stories, and telling them with illustrations seems to work for me. Ergo, I am drawn to the graphic memoir. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get to my review.
The Other Side of the Wall by Simon Schwartz falls flat in comparison to the other graphic memoirs and novels that I've read. The story in this graphic novel/memoir is important and intriguing. It is also a historically significant story based on true events, but other than that, it didn't work for me. In this graphic novel, Schwartz tells the story of his parents crossing the border between East Germany and West Germany.
Simon Schwartz was a young child when he and his parents were finally able to cross, so much of his parents' story had to be told to him as he was growing up. Because of this, I felt an extreme disconnect to the story and the people in the novel. It didn't feel real or genuine, except for the parts in the novel where Schwartz shares his own memories. I also had a hard time connecting with this graphic memoir because no one in it has a name. Readers never learn the names of Simon's parents or grandparents. There are other people included in the book who don't have names, and it really bothered me.
There is some good in the book. Obviously Schwartz presents events relating to the Berlin Wall to young readers in a way that they might like, especially if they are fans of comic books or other graphic novels. He also includes a glossary and brief history at the end of the book to help readers understand what they are reading.
Would I recommend this book? Probably not. I realize that a lot was probably lost somewhere in translation, but I wouldn't feel great about recommending this to any of my friends. I just felt like it was too rushed and lacked a lot of explanation.
February 4, 2015
While it's certainly fascinating to read about the creepy/terrible state of East Germany, Schwartz's story plays like Persepolis light. His art even looks like that of a poor man's Marjane Satrapi! While it is a fascinating glimpse into living under a oppressive regime and the complications that arise when you try to escape, the storytelling isn't as compelling as it could be. The story chronicles his family's struggles to move to West Berlin, and while it's obvious this was at three-year stretch full of tension and fear, it's never really properly conveyed on the page. Despite the uneven storytelling and Schwartz's tendency to jump around in the chronology willy nilly thus disrupting the narrative thread that this tale sorely needs, I still think it's a useful text for the middle school audience it is geared toward as it covers a fascinating, creepy, and underreported part of European History.
October 27, 2023
A young boy must spend time between E/W Germany as he grows up. Family issues and the socialization process are examined in this rare glimpse into E Germany. Having been stationed in Germany when I was in the U.S. Army this book brought back lots of memories; I had many German friends that really wanted Germany to be reunified.
May 27, 2023
Read this in German for class, and it only took about an hour! I've read some of my Dad's German graphic novels over the years, but this one really encompassed what I like about graphic novels AND reading in German. I read slowly to give myself time to properly take in the art and the story, and partially also because I simply can't read as quickly in German as I can in English (although there is an argument to be made for slow reading in general😁).
This is an autobiographical story of the author's early childhood growing up in East Berlin in the 80's and his parents' repeated efforts to cross over to West Berlin. Living in Berlin, I've always been acutely aware of the importance of the wall in the context of global history, but this book gave an insight into day-to-day life in the DDR. It was fascinating, but also bittersweet in the personal relationships between family and friends.
This is an autobiographical story of the author's early childhood growing up in East Berlin in the 80's and his parents' repeated efforts to cross over to West Berlin. Living in Berlin, I've always been acutely aware of the importance of the wall in the context of global history, but this book gave an insight into day-to-day life in the DDR. It was fascinating, but also bittersweet in the personal relationships between family and friends.
September 10, 2019
Though a much lighter graphic memoir than Persepolis or Arab of the Future, I did appreciate this book and especially the art.
January 8, 2015
The Other Side of the Wall is a beautifully illustrated non-fiction work chronically the author's parents desire to leave the oppressive life behind the wall in East Germany. The story is simply told, in words and pictures that will especially help younger readers understand the politics and history of the time.
I would highly recommend this to my 6th graders. The idea that a country could be so literally divided may be difficult for young people today to comprehend and I believe Schwartz's book can and will go a long way to help middle level readers grasp this very real part of history. Two thing I would mention to students are the map and also the glossary of terms/timeline in the back of the book. I would direct students to overviewing those prior to reading so some of the basic background knowledge can be better established before they begin enjoying this wonderful read!
I would highly recommend this to my 6th graders. The idea that a country could be so literally divided may be difficult for young people today to comprehend and I believe Schwartz's book can and will go a long way to help middle level readers grasp this very real part of history. Two thing I would mention to students are the map and also the glossary of terms/timeline in the back of the book. I would direct students to overviewing those prior to reading so some of the basic background knowledge can be better established before they begin enjoying this wonderful read!
August 31, 2017
Excellent nonfiction companion to A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen, but for a more mature reader. Schwartz's biographical account of his family's life in East Germany. His somber black and wide drawings and sad eyed characters match the mood of this tumultuous period of German history.
July 12, 2017
Cold war Germany. #3wordbookreview
A graphic memoir retelling of the author's family moving from East to West Germany. An interesting story, but maybe the waiting and tension could have been cranked up a bit?
A graphic memoir retelling of the author's family moving from East to West Germany. An interesting story, but maybe the waiting and tension could have been cranked up a bit?
January 23, 2018
"The Other Side of the Wall" by Simon Schwartz is a exciting story, about a family, that takes place in the early 80's when Germany was split into East and West Germany. This book was mainly about Simon Schwartz and Simon Schwartz parents experiences and hardships during the cold war.
One thing that I liked from the book was the suspense of the family on the run. The family was constantly harassed by authorities which made for a very exciting and suspenseful plot. Another thing I liked was that the book was nonfiction and told through first person and was based accurate events in Simon Schwartz's life. The book gave you a rare insight into Simon Schwartz's experiences.
"The Other Side of the Wall" by Simon Schwartz is an exciting graphic novel and I recommend the book to anyone who wants a quick and exciting read. Although the story line can be sometimes a bit confusing, the overall combination will intrigue the reader. The book by Simon Schwartz is sure to be up to a history fan's expectations.
One thing that I liked from the book was the suspense of the family on the run. The family was constantly harassed by authorities which made for a very exciting and suspenseful plot. Another thing I liked was that the book was nonfiction and told through first person and was based accurate events in Simon Schwartz's life. The book gave you a rare insight into Simon Schwartz's experiences.
"The Other Side of the Wall" by Simon Schwartz is an exciting graphic novel and I recommend the book to anyone who wants a quick and exciting read. Although the story line can be sometimes a bit confusing, the overall combination will intrigue the reader. The book by Simon Schwartz is sure to be up to a history fan's expectations.
December 30, 2018
This book was interesting, but a little hard to follow if you did not have background knowledge of the cold was and East and West Germany. The maps were very helpful. The illustrations were engaging. Quick read with a very brief glimpse into a notable part of history.
September 5, 2020
Another great memoir graphic novel, this one tells of the author's story of moving with his family to West Berlin as a child. The difficulties in getting permission to do so and the rift it caused with family they left behind. Felt like a good story to share with students who are learning about this period in time.
December 27, 2023
The storytelling sucked but the history was fascinating.
May 10, 2017
auto biography about their family living in the GDR and the decision of moving west
February 23, 2017
A good graphic portrayal of what life was like for dissidents living in Eat Germany during the communist regime.
May 20, 2015
Basic Plot: Author Simon Schwartz recalls his family's experiences with the politics and environment of Germany when it was divided into East and West.
This book was short but powerful. There were some very interesting uses of image to express ideas more clearly than words ever could alone. In particular, there was a scene where the author's father was trying to decide how he felt about politics in relation to his upbringing and family wishes. Every statement he made showed him at a different age, sort of regressing back to childhood, showing how he was seeking his parents' approval and trying to stand by the beliefs he'd heard since he was small.
The shortness of the book makes the story move fast, but not so fast that the reader loses too much important information. That said, it did feel like some of the ideas in the book could have been fleshed out a bit more. It also jumps around in a mildly confusing manner. It mostly sorts itself out, but the jumps aren't ever explained. It only took about 45 minutes to read from start to finish, and that was with examining the pictures to absorb symbolism, etc. The art was good but not great. I could always tell who was who, though sometimes facial expressions were a bit hard to interpret.
Overall, not a bad read, and an interesting insight into everyday existence behind the Berlin Wall. As a Gen X'er who remembers the Wall coming down, I found it pretty fascinating.
This book was short but powerful. There were some very interesting uses of image to express ideas more clearly than words ever could alone. In particular, there was a scene where the author's father was trying to decide how he felt about politics in relation to his upbringing and family wishes. Every statement he made showed him at a different age, sort of regressing back to childhood, showing how he was seeking his parents' approval and trying to stand by the beliefs he'd heard since he was small.
The shortness of the book makes the story move fast, but not so fast that the reader loses too much important information. That said, it did feel like some of the ideas in the book could have been fleshed out a bit more. It also jumps around in a mildly confusing manner. It mostly sorts itself out, but the jumps aren't ever explained. It only took about 45 minutes to read from start to finish, and that was with examining the pictures to absorb symbolism, etc. The art was good but not great. I could always tell who was who, though sometimes facial expressions were a bit hard to interpret.
Overall, not a bad read, and an interesting insight into everyday existence behind the Berlin Wall. As a Gen X'er who remembers the Wall coming down, I found it pretty fascinating.
December 24, 2015
The other day I was trying to describe East Germany and West Germany and East Berlin and West Berlin to my students, but they just didn't get it. "So a city was split in two by a wall?" "Why wouldn't people just go over the wall?" They just didn't get it. After reading The Other Side of the Wall I feel like I could show them this to help them understand. The story telling is subpar and can be a bit confusing at times. I was struck by the terror that people experienced just for thinking differently or desiring freedom. Schwartz has managed to tastefully capture a portion of the terror experienced by the people under communism. Overall though this is a easy, but powerful read.
March 18, 2015
This is from the same publisher as Terrorist -- Graphic Universe, an imprint of Lerner Publishing -- and this one is definitely for younger readers. Still, it's another book (much like Rehr's text) that could be used for teaching purposes. This is especially the case with Schwartz's book. We reviewed both of these Lerner books on a recent episode of The Comics Alternative podcast.
January 17, 2015
Overall enjoyed this memoir GN. The illustrations are striking and the story is important and worth sharing; however, I wish that the story had been fleshed out more, the conflict was a little more suspenseful, and the timeline hadn't jumped around so much.
January 27, 2016
Interesting.
October 24, 2016
Ich bin ständig auf der Suche nach Graphic Novels, damit die Literatur, bzw. die Geschichte meinen DAF-SchülerInnen nicht so schwer fallen...
Dieses Buch ist die Diplomarbeit von Simon Schwartz, der hier erzählt, wie seine Eltern, Ostdeutsche, in den 80er Jahren dazu gekommen sind, die DDR verlassen zu wollen, und was sie überwinden mussten, um ans Ziel zu gelangen. Die Hindernisse lagen nicht nur bei der Regierung und deren Schikanierungen, aber auch in dem eigenen Familienkreis, und das ist auch interessant zu lesen. Die Geschichte wird nicht unmittelbar erzählt, sondern reflektiert die Frage des jungen Simon, der als junges Kind in Westberlin manche Besonderheiten seines Lebens nicht versteht: Warum hat er nur 2 Großeltern? Warum ist es so kompliziert, seine Großeltern aus Ostberlin zu treffen, und warum darf seine Mutter nicht kommen? Warum hat sie immer so Angst, wenn er zu seinen Großeltern fährt?
Das Buch ist wirklich sehr sehr toll! Weit von einer Schwarzweißmalerei ist die Erzählung nuanciert: Schwartz hat verschiedene Etappen aus dem Leben seiner Eltern dargestellt, um den Prozess bis zur Ausreise zu verstehen (sein Vater war überzeugter Junge Pionniere, seine Mutter war dem System gegenüber viel kritischer). Er hat auch versucht, das Verhalten mancher Verwandten verständlich zu machen. Das ist sehr schön gemacht, und verständlich... das Buch ist für junge Leser -aber auch für die größeren- empfehlenswert. Die Zeichnungen sind unmittelbar verständlich. Schwartz' Arbeit hat übrigens Preise bekommen.
Was DAF-Lerner betrifft, gibt es manchmal nicht viel Text, viel wird auch durch die Bilder verständlich... Das Buch ist optimal für das A2-Niveau.
Dieses Buch ist die Diplomarbeit von Simon Schwartz, der hier erzählt, wie seine Eltern, Ostdeutsche, in den 80er Jahren dazu gekommen sind, die DDR verlassen zu wollen, und was sie überwinden mussten, um ans Ziel zu gelangen. Die Hindernisse lagen nicht nur bei der Regierung und deren Schikanierungen, aber auch in dem eigenen Familienkreis, und das ist auch interessant zu lesen. Die Geschichte wird nicht unmittelbar erzählt, sondern reflektiert die Frage des jungen Simon, der als junges Kind in Westberlin manche Besonderheiten seines Lebens nicht versteht: Warum hat er nur 2 Großeltern? Warum ist es so kompliziert, seine Großeltern aus Ostberlin zu treffen, und warum darf seine Mutter nicht kommen? Warum hat sie immer so Angst, wenn er zu seinen Großeltern fährt?
Das Buch ist wirklich sehr sehr toll! Weit von einer Schwarzweißmalerei ist die Erzählung nuanciert: Schwartz hat verschiedene Etappen aus dem Leben seiner Eltern dargestellt, um den Prozess bis zur Ausreise zu verstehen (sein Vater war überzeugter Junge Pionniere, seine Mutter war dem System gegenüber viel kritischer). Er hat auch versucht, das Verhalten mancher Verwandten verständlich zu machen. Das ist sehr schön gemacht, und verständlich... das Buch ist für junge Leser -aber auch für die größeren- empfehlenswert. Die Zeichnungen sind unmittelbar verständlich. Schwartz' Arbeit hat übrigens Preise bekommen.
Was DAF-Lerner betrifft, gibt es manchmal nicht viel Text, viel wird auch durch die Bilder verständlich... Das Buch ist optimal für das A2-Niveau.
September 7, 2017
The Other Side of the Wall is about Schwartz's early memories, and of his parents' lives living in the repressive East Berlin and their struggles to move to the more relaxed West Berlin. This was when the Berlin Wall was up and separated the country of Germany.
I guess if I were to explain the concept of this to a young reader I would say the best comparison I can make is that East Berlin and West Berlin is what North Korea and South Korea is as of right now.
East Berlin was very totalitarian and cold, and everyone was under the eye and suspicion of the Stasi. This is basically being replicated in North Korea. People aren't allowed to leave or come in unless they have governmental approval, and everything is very structured. There's no freedom.
Whereas in West Berlin, it seemed as if people were able to be who they were and have their freedom of speech. There was no mandatory military duties or trainings or Stasi. Just like in South Korea, it seems like they are more free to be who they are, say what they want to do what they desire.
It's just hard to envision living your life in fear of being jailed or executed for something you didn't do, or rather having your own thoughts. It just makes you think.
I guess if I were to explain the concept of this to a young reader I would say the best comparison I can make is that East Berlin and West Berlin is what North Korea and South Korea is as of right now.
East Berlin was very totalitarian and cold, and everyone was under the eye and suspicion of the Stasi. This is basically being replicated in North Korea. People aren't allowed to leave or come in unless they have governmental approval, and everything is very structured. There's no freedom.
Whereas in West Berlin, it seemed as if people were able to be who they were and have their freedom of speech. There was no mandatory military duties or trainings or Stasi. Just like in South Korea, it seems like they are more free to be who they are, say what they want to do what they desire.
It's just hard to envision living your life in fear of being jailed or executed for something you didn't do, or rather having your own thoughts. It just makes you think.
August 1, 2021
I'm a little unsure how to rate this. I don't read very many graphic novels, though because the older grandkids love them I'm trying to branch out a bit. I'm old enough to clearly remember a divided Germany and the Berlin wall being shown in the news, so it was interesting to read about a young boy's memories of living in East Germany. He introduces his parents and their backgrounds briefly and the events that led to their requesting to be permitted to move to West Germany. The most interesting part was what happened to them after they requested the move.
The problematic part of this book is that the story itself is very simplistic and skims over the top of all the issues and people involved. So ultimately it felt pretty unsatisfying. That may be more a function fo the graphic novel form, though, for me. I'd say this is best suited to young people who have a particular interest in East and West Germany - a pretty small audience, I suspect.
The problematic part of this book is that the story itself is very simplistic and skims over the top of all the issues and people involved. So ultimately it felt pretty unsatisfying. That may be more a function fo the graphic novel form, though, for me. I'd say this is best suited to young people who have a particular interest in East and West Germany - a pretty small audience, I suspect.
January 2, 2023
I love learning history via graphic books. Especially autobiographical narratives. This one was disappointing. It never revealed why the dad first became a suspicious character to the Stasi. It emphasized the surprising early development of their hostile interrogations, given the dad's membership in the Communist party. It does not flesh things out in a satisying manner. I might have enjoyed learning the contents of the grandparents' letter to the parents. The timeline was hard to follow. I am unclear as to how long the emigration application was in limbo. It was interesting to compare and contrast the two sets of grandparents. The background of the maternal grandparents would have been helpful.
I thought the part about the dad nearly forgetting his coat would have more significance. And why did they end up not being sent to Munich?
Too much under-development. The graphic book genre has so much more to offer story-telling.
I thought the part about the dad nearly forgetting his coat would have more significance. And why did they end up not being sent to Munich?
Too much under-development. The graphic book genre has so much more to offer story-telling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2020
I grabbed this on a whim in the library because despite having grown up in Germany, I didn't learn a lot about the GDR. This graphic novel is a memoir of the author and describes the trials his parents had to face trying to emigrate from East Germany into West-Berlin in the 80s.
It is a somewhat familiar tale but it never fails to gage my interest because the GDR had such an oppressive regime, the fact that people actually managed to get out of there legally amazes me. Schwartz' story may not be super capturing or special but I find it interesting because it feels so ordinary. There is nothing special about how parents or his grandparents and instead offers a view into a normal family.
The story is rather short and the drawing style is pretty clear in black and white. This would probably make a good companion in school teaching about the GDR.
It is a somewhat familiar tale but it never fails to gage my interest because the GDR had such an oppressive regime, the fact that people actually managed to get out of there legally amazes me. Schwartz' story may not be super capturing or special but I find it interesting because it feels so ordinary. There is nothing special about how parents or his grandparents and instead offers a view into a normal family.
The story is rather short and the drawing style is pretty clear in black and white. This would probably make a good companion in school teaching about the GDR.
April 21, 2023
The author was a young child when he and his parents moved from East to West Berlin, not many years before the Wall came down. He writes about what life in East Berlin was like for his parents. Not bad when they were young, but as the years went on, or as they got older, it was more repressive. You had to toe the party line, and any signs of disloyalty could have a cost. Plus things like food could be scarce.
I didn't realize that East Berliners could apply to leave and get approved. Approval for his parents' application was delayed for almost three years, but they finally got to leave.
I liked the story and the art (like how people's hair styles changed over time, and how they aged). But it seemed to me to be missing something. I was surprised at the end, because I expected it to go on, and maybe get to more of a point.
I didn't realize that East Berliners could apply to leave and get approved. Approval for his parents' application was delayed for almost three years, but they finally got to leave.
I liked the story and the art (like how people's hair styles changed over time, and how they aged). But it seemed to me to be missing something. I was surprised at the end, because I expected it to go on, and maybe get to more of a point.
July 6, 2022
Super short, but interesting story about Schwartz's family escaping East Germany to West Berlin. I found the most interesting parts of the story to be the college students (Schwartz's parents & friends) questioning of the party (the SED -Socialist Unity Party of Germany). I also found it fascinating to see Schwartz's father pitted against his own socialist party parents.
I had forgotten that in socialist East Germany (DDR) there wasn't freedom of movement, and people couldn't just leave if they wanted... I think that's a really important part of the story, and I'm glad Schwartz's story is out there for people to read and learn.
Other than that, the story was super short. Wish there had been more.
3.5 stars
I had forgotten that in socialist East Germany (DDR) there wasn't freedom of movement, and people couldn't just leave if they wanted... I think that's a really important part of the story, and I'm glad Schwartz's story is out there for people to read and learn.
Other than that, the story was super short. Wish there had been more.
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews