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ClareR (5955 KP) rated Where Every Man (Inspector James Given #4) in Books
Oct 26, 2020
Where Every Man by Charlie Garrett is set in rural France at the beginning of the second World War. James Given has retired from the police force back in England and has moved with his wife Rachel, to work on a farm. He seems happy with the work, and their plan is to move south with the good weather. This looks increasingly less likely as time progresses because of the approach of the German army towards France’s borders. Regardless, James and Rachel love their lives in the small French town, and consider staying anyway. Rachel teaches local students to play the violin, and it’s one of these students who draws James back in to his role as an investigator when the local librarian dies unexpectedly. The local policeman believes its merely a cycling accident, but it increasingly looks like it’s murder. When James looks further in to the accident, it appears there is a German spy in the village. Before he can do anything about it, the spy disappears. Did the spy have anything to do with the death of the librarian?
This mystery played out so well, and I loved the interactions between James and the violin student. She wants to work as a police officer when she leaves school - much to her fathers disapproval. The students role in the story was a really good way of showing how James approached the task of solving a murder.
I have to say, I read a lot of this with a feeling of mild panic, especially when James goes to visit his uncle and his family nearby. It showed the vulnerable position he and his family were in as Jews in France. Even though James and Rachel have forged passports that showed that they were Christians, there was still that worry for them and their family - and the spectre of the Nazis is hanging over this whole story.
I always enjoy these James Given books, and I’m intrigued to see what comes for him next as war approaches.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for a copy of this book to read and honestly review - I really enjoy this series (I bought books 2 and 3 myself, if that’s anything to go by!)
This mystery played out so well, and I loved the interactions between James and the violin student. She wants to work as a police officer when she leaves school - much to her fathers disapproval. The students role in the story was a really good way of showing how James approached the task of solving a murder.
I have to say, I read a lot of this with a feeling of mild panic, especially when James goes to visit his uncle and his family nearby. It showed the vulnerable position he and his family were in as Jews in France. Even though James and Rachel have forged passports that showed that they were Christians, there was still that worry for them and their family - and the spectre of the Nazis is hanging over this whole story.
I always enjoy these James Given books, and I’m intrigued to see what comes for him next as war approaches.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for a copy of this book to read and honestly review - I really enjoy this series (I bought books 2 and 3 myself, if that’s anything to go by!)
ClareR (5955 KP) rated The Hiding Game in Books
Sep 8, 2019 (Updated Sep 9, 2019)
A completely engrossing novel about Weimar, Bauhaus and complicated relationships
The Hiding Game is set mostly in the period between the two World Wars at the Bauhaus art school. This was a time of great change in Germany, both politically and artistically. Paul Beckermann starts his study at Bauhaus in 1922, and forms one of a group of six friends. He falls in love with the unobtainable Charlotte, a young woman from Czechoslovakia, but she loves Jenö, who in turn is loved by Paul’s best friend Walter. It seems like an impossible love triangle (or even a square?!). These strong feelings lead to betrayal in a time that it was very easy to utterly destroy lives. The six friends drift apart, mainly out of necessity (Bauhaus was not liked at all by the traditionalists in the National Socialist party), but also they just couldn’t be together anymore.
Paul, as an older man living in England, looks back at this period in his life and how it went tragically wrong. Not all of the six friends were as fortunate as he was.
It’s a heartbreaking and also a suspenseful novel. Someone with only a limited knowledge of this period will know of the kind of tragedy that could befall people then. Paul’s guilt and sadness are palpable throughout the book, and I really felt for him. This isn’t really a book where the characters find some sort of forgiveness for themselves - there is none to find. Terrible things happened, and the survivors had to find a way to live with themselves afterwards.
I loved the details about Bauhaus. I did some study on it during my German degree, and it filled in some gaps in my knowledge (there are quite a few gaps to fill when you did that degree 25 years ago!), and I’m always on the lookout for books set in Germany, especially those with a good helping of history (this has it in spades!). And for me, this really didn’t disappoint. I loved it, and I’ll be recommending it to friends (ex-German degree friends as well!).
Many thanks to NetGalley and Picador for my copy of this wonderful book.
Paul, as an older man living in England, looks back at this period in his life and how it went tragically wrong. Not all of the six friends were as fortunate as he was.
It’s a heartbreaking and also a suspenseful novel. Someone with only a limited knowledge of this period will know of the kind of tragedy that could befall people then. Paul’s guilt and sadness are palpable throughout the book, and I really felt for him. This isn’t really a book where the characters find some sort of forgiveness for themselves - there is none to find. Terrible things happened, and the survivors had to find a way to live with themselves afterwards.
I loved the details about Bauhaus. I did some study on it during my German degree, and it filled in some gaps in my knowledge (there are quite a few gaps to fill when you did that degree 25 years ago!), and I’m always on the lookout for books set in Germany, especially those with a good helping of history (this has it in spades!). And for me, this really didn’t disappoint. I loved it, and I’ll be recommending it to friends (ex-German degree friends as well!).
Many thanks to NetGalley and Picador for my copy of this wonderful book.
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Great but lacks depth
To start learning a language or refresh yourself on a language long ago forgotten, this is a great app to use.
I'm currently re-learning German after taking it at school and it's a great app to use. The interface is user-friendly and it works very well in bitesize chunks so you don't overface yourself. I like that they've introduced the conversations section to actually "talk" to people properly as opposed to reading/saying sometimes hilarious and bizarre sentences in the main learning section.
The main issue with it is that it doesn't go into any real depth on grammar or reasoning behind the language. Like where to use certain endings to words or how to work out which tense or which identifier - I'm forever struggling to remember whether it starts with der, die, das etc. I feel like even when I eventually complete all lessons and reach what Duolingo classes as 100% fluency, I'll still need to supplement it with other learning to truly master the language.
I'm currently re-learning German after taking it at school and it's a great app to use. The interface is user-friendly and it works very well in bitesize chunks so you don't overface yourself. I like that they've introduced the conversations section to actually "talk" to people properly as opposed to reading/saying sometimes hilarious and bizarre sentences in the main learning section.
The main issue with it is that it doesn't go into any real depth on grammar or reasoning behind the language. Like where to use certain endings to words or how to work out which tense or which identifier - I'm forever struggling to remember whether it starts with der, die, das etc. I feel like even when I eventually complete all lessons and reach what Duolingo classes as 100% fluency, I'll still need to supplement it with other learning to truly master the language.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Schindler's List (1993) in Movies
May 16, 2018
Should be able to give this a 15
I remember reading and hearing about this film in 1993 before its release thinking "Wow, Spielberg made another movie this year besides Jurassic Park" and not having much confidence. It didn't open wide for me until January of 1994, so I had to wait.
The film ended up being unbelievable, breathtaking, emotional, inspirational, epic and a must watch for everyone. I know a lot of people watch in school these days. While I'm glad they are seeing, watching among other teenagers while broken up into 40 minute segments is not the way to go.
I always see different details when I have gone back and rewatched which makes the film even greater. I remember seeing a documentary a few years ago where they talked to relatives of German Nazi officers and they had talked to a descendant of Amon Goeth who wouldn't stop crying. I can't even even imagine having that type of ancestry within your family.
Needless to say, you must watch Schindler's List. Please say you will.
The film ended up being unbelievable, breathtaking, emotional, inspirational, epic and a must watch for everyone. I know a lot of people watch in school these days. While I'm glad they are seeing, watching among other teenagers while broken up into 40 minute segments is not the way to go.
I always see different details when I have gone back and rewatched which makes the film even greater. I remember seeing a documentary a few years ago where they talked to relatives of German Nazi officers and they had talked to a descendant of Amon Goeth who wouldn't stop crying. I can't even even imagine having that type of ancestry within your family.
Needless to say, you must watch Schindler's List. Please say you will.