April 2014 - Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada

[Nigeyb]

Jan C wrote: "Still reading it. I took my library copy back and got it on Kindle."

^ Great news Jan. I look forward to reading your thoughts as you continue through it.

[Judy]

I have finally finished reading this great novel today - it took me four months on and off, as I read rather slowly in German!

Just returning to this thread to say that I've also read the "afterword" and a note on the text in the German edition, which at last clearly explains the position re the different texts.

The earlier published version was edited by another well-known writer, Paul Wiegler, after the publisher had commissioned reports on the manuscript which suggested various cuts. The publishers did write to Fallada a couple of times to ask if he was happy with his manuscript being cut, but there is no evidence that he replied - he died a few weeks later. The latest German text is from a complete manuscript discovered in the publisher's archives, with Wiegler's cuts marked.

Wiegler's cuts seem to be largely made for political reasons, but he also cut quite a lot of swear words and crude passages, thereby losing quite a bit of black humour.

One cut of this type I noticed was that, during Anna's interrogation by the Nazi Laub, he turns his back on her, deliberately farts in her face and says "Just smell that! I've got plenty more of the same!"

[Roisin]

Well done you! Me? Barely started!

[Nigeyb]

^ ^ Congratulations Judy. That's a great achievement. So pleased you rated it five stars too. I adored this book. Just wish I could also read it in German.

[Judy]

Thanks, Roisin and Nigeyb - Roisin, I'm sure you will enjoy it once you get a bit further in. I'm all behind with reviews, but do hope to write something about this book while it is fresh in my mind.

Nigeyb, I think it will be a while before I read anything else in German, as it takes me such a long time!

[Judy]

I've now written a review of the book:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Nigeyb]

Thanks Judy. Wonderful.

[Roisin]

Ta Judy! I will have to get back to it at some time.

[Nigeyb]

You really should Roisin. I've read 75 books so far this year and it would definitely be amongst the best five, could even be the pick of the bunch, certainly right up there with Sword Of Honour, A Dance To The Music Of Time, All Quiet On The Western Front etc.

[Roisin]

75! Where does the time go!

[Roisin]

I've only read 27. How bad is that? So shaming...

[Nigeyb]

No-ooooo. It's not a competition. I only mentioned the number to reiterate its wondrousness.

[Nigeyb]

The book that is.

[Judy]

Roisin, I kept stopping and starting this one and still really enjoyed it, so I don't think it matters if it takes you a while. I also thought it was one of my best reads of the year so far (though I've read nowhere near as many as Nigeyb!)

[Roisin]

Hehehe! Where does the time go?

[Nigeyb]

I've just discovered that Every Man Dies Alone (USA title) / Alone in Berlin has been made into a film....

Alone in Berlin is a 2016 war drama film directed by Vincent Pérez and written by Pérez and Achim von Borries, based on the 1947 fictionalized novel Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada. The novel's characters Otto and Anna Quangel are based on the real lives of Otto and Elise Hampel. When their son dies in France, the couple start writing postcards to urge people to protest against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. The film stars Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleeson, and Daniel Brühl. Principal photography began on 27 March 2015 in Berlin. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.

It's just been released in the UK and, according to one of my favourite critics Mark Kermode, it's pretty damn fine too....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p057f25p

Any film that features Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson automatically has quite a lot to recommend it. I look forward to seeing it given how much I loved the book....

Click here to read my review

[Ally]

Thanks for sharing that Nigeyb...agree with you on the casting. I'd love to see that but it doesn't look like its on in many cinemas. Might have to wait for it to come out on DVD.