The Good German in Between the Lines

Apr 09, 2011 Atishay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The days surrounding the fall of the Third Reich have never failed to generate an interest among historians and romantics alike. So was the case with me when I picked this book up during a random search in a forgettable old book sale. Sold to me at a half price or probably lesser than that, I kept this book in my shelf for almost a year before someone read it and got so impressed that they recurrently begged me to consider reading it. So, now I'm done with it and I'm impressed- so much that I'm The days surrounding the fall of the Third Reich have never failed to generate an interest among historians and romantics alike. So was the case with me when I picked this book up during a random search in a forgettable old book sale. Sold to me at a half price or probably lesser than that, I kept this book in my shelf for almost a year before someone read it and got so impressed that they recurrently begged me to consider reading it. So, now I'm done with it and I'm impressed- so much that I'm almost tempted to take the hand of the person who got me reading it.
Imagine Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable rolled into one and we have the protagonist of the novel, Jake Geismar, a war journalist who returns to a new Germany occupied by allied troops in search of his love, Lena. Looking for a story in the ruined city of Berlin, he finds the body of an American soldier washed up on the shores of a river. Getting interested in knowing the motive and the culprit, Geismar travels all over the map of Berlin asking questions and making friends and enemies. Craftily woven into this central plot is the love triangle between Jake, Lena and her still surviving husband Emil, who was a scientist in the Third Reich.
Kanon proves himself to be a deft mover of situations as the characters move from one story to another smoothly with all corners of the story perfectly in balance all the time. The Good German also carries the undertones of the vulnerability of that period. It carefully and I believe accurately depicts the emotions and feelings of the german people during those moments when the world saw them with heart full of nothing but hatred. Particularly then when their homes were devastated by the forces and their children were terrorized and homeless.Probably a cost paid for a crime they didn't commit or were unaccountable for. Hence, it raises the question of 'A Good German' which probably prompted Kanon to place that as the title to the book.
Four stars to the book for being a thriller, romance and history all rolled into one. I implore the reader of my review to give this book a chance. Kanon can definitely do a plus one in his fan list. ...more

8 likes · Like · see review