Best European Literature
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Germany, 1660: When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at. play in his small Bavarian town. Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Author Oliver PötzschQuestion: What initially inspired you to write this story? But I also look up to many authors of the fantasy genre such as Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, and the almost forgotten Fritz Leiber. In his life he built an enormous archive of information about my ancestors and the hangman profession, and I have been allowed free use of this resource. Also, during my career as a journalist I made several radio programs on this topic, talking to herb women and guardians of cultural heritage and searching in many archives of Bavarian cities for my ancestors. Oliver Pötzsch: After the thriller about Ludwig II, I am writing the fourth novel in the Hangman series. "A brilliantly-researched and exciting story of a formative era of history when witches were hunted and the inquisitors had little belief in their methods beyond their effect in pacifying superstitious townspeople . Pötzsch, actually descended from a line of hangmen, delivers a fantastically fast-paced read, rife with details on the social and power structures in the town as well as dichotomy between university medicine and the traditional remedies, which are skillfully communicated through character interactions, particularly that of Magdalena and Simon. The shocking motivations from unlikely players provide for a twist that will leave readers admiring this complex tale from a talented new voice."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I liked the start of this story, the basic idea of the tale, a hangman searching for the truth. The title of this story suggests this daughter has a major role, but quite frankly she doesn't. In fact, the hangman's daughter is such a minor character, she could be removed completely from the story and the novel would be virtually the same. She has a scene towards the end of the book where she's captured as a hostage, but it's so forced and unnecessary, it's more like a "women in refrigerators" moment. In the meantime, if you're a minor character living in this historical world, it seems like your only purpose is to be to chased, tortured, threatened with rape, or face being burnt alive as a witch. Yes, the hangman's daughter manages to escape, but the scene adds nothing to the novel. The second woman, the hangman's daughter, captured and threatened, was an unnecessary cliché. Instead of tying up loose ends, there's more drama, then everything is miraculously solved behind the scenes. The female characters could be replaced with potted plants, so I can't see myself recommending it to any of the women in my life."
"This is a great read and I am going to read ALL of your books in this series."
"Truly enjoyed the read."
"What an interesting book!"
"Enjoyed this historically accurate murder mystery/love story."
"A historical mystery with a real connection is a bonus; this tale introduces characters that draw you in, love them or hate them, and isn't one of the mysteries with an obvious solution."
"a pretty good read, but not particularly captivating... a nice political integration of how midwives were persecuted as witches...and a political metaphor for 2018...charges of misconduct with no due process...."
"Memorable characters and interesting insight into historical Germany."
World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Pamela works at Bletchly Park breaking German codes, Margot is in Paris working for the French Resistance, and Phoebe is at home (she’s only 12) and discovers the body of a soldier whose parachute failed as he tried to land near Farleigh Place. The resolution of each plot line was very realistic and convincing. I loved learning about the group of aristocrats that supported Hitler and created a group to try and make peace with Germany (she calls them the Ring in the novel; in actuality she explains in her Author’s Note that they were called the Link)."
"As the body arouses suspicion - MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is confidentially asked to investigate who the deceased is as he has no identification and work out whether he is in fact a German spy... and this is where the action seriously begins. The first half of the book is filled with characters’ individual stories which were interesting, but does require intense concentration however it is the last 100 pages where everything takes off and were totally action packed."
"The other was the role of the aristocracy who began to lose privilege, property, power and an entire way of life during the war and their willingness to embrace fascism to hold on to that. The story is well told, although some characters (there is a dauntingly long cast of characters at the front of the book – best to ignore that and plunge in, in my opinion) are stereotypical and thinly drawn."
"Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show." Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. Call it the "book book" genre: this international sensation (it has sold in more than 20 countries and been number one on the Spanish best-seller list), newly translated into English, has books and storytelling--and a single, physical book--at its heart. In post-World War II Barcelona, young Daniel is taken by his bookseller father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a massive sanctuary where books are guarded from oblivion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Full of mystery, quirky characters, beautiful women, a scary bad guy and an exotic locale."
"I LOVE Carlos Ruiz Zafon's gothic mysteries."
"It's one that I couldn't put down, would stay up until 4am reading, and happily shared with family and friends when I finished it to find that they, too, loved it."
"Is just a wonderful piece of writing."
"An almost Gothic tale!"
"Still great read."
"A well written story with colorful characters woven through the story."
"All the characters' names are Spanish, and it took some effort to keep them straight at first."
Best Eastern European Literature
This first-hand account by the commander of one of those Panther tanks relates with devastating clarity the conditions inside the Kessel, the ferocity of the breakout attempt through Halbe, and the subsequent running battles between overwhelming Soviet forces and the exhausted Reich troops, who were using their last reserves of fuel, ammunition, strength and hope. Eloquent German-perspective accounts of World War 2 are surprisingly rare, and the recent reissue of Wolfgang Faust’s 1948 memoir ‘Tiger Tracks’ has fascinated readers around the world with its insight into the Eastern Front. The rarely-heard voice of a World War 2 panzer crewman, now in a modern English translation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"(Read "Tiger Tracks") Faust's accounts puts the reader right into the turret of a deadly Panther tank as it confronts overwhelming Soviet infantry, armor, and air power hell-bent on capturing and annihilating all German forces within their grasp as the war ended east of the Elbe river."
"However, one can still read this and well imagine what it must have been like to try to reach the American side during the final days of the war."
"The winner Russia has not told it, few Germans have covered it, and modern writers basically overlooked it."
"The prime quality of the story is that it is told by a soldier who actually participated in the epic and horrible events.Indirectly one also get some sort of impression of the mentality of at least one skilled and battle hardened german soldier."
"Brutality, heroism, and broken hearts, as the Last Panther rolls towards the west to escape the surrounding Russian forces."
"There are many accounts of the Battle of Berlin and the strategic, as well as the tactical stories of the very last days of Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II."
"Enertaining but am having a very hard time believing it's a truthful account."
"Clearly, the tank commander didn't see it all, but there is little doubt that his story is being woven around the stories of others who were also living through the ordeal."
Best French Literature
Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours. “This is a remarkable historical novel, a book which brings to light a disturbing and deliberately hidden aspect of French behavior towards Jews during World War II.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very good read that I didn't want to put down."
"I now know why people smile and say "nice" or "sweet "."
"I downloaded this book more than a year ago and finally made time to read it."
"However, the tie in to 2002 is a bit heavy handed in the literary license area and brings us to modern day female angst."
"The only reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 was that i was disappointed in the ending series."
"The present day story focuses on a woman investigating the infamous round up in French history - that so many people were not even aware of today!"
"This is a moving and sad tale of young lives ruined."
"Good book!"
Best German Literature
Germany, 1660: When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at. play in his small Bavarian town. Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Author Oliver PötzschQuestion: What initially inspired you to write this story? But I also look up to many authors of the fantasy genre such as Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, and the almost forgotten Fritz Leiber. In his life he built an enormous archive of information about my ancestors and the hangman profession, and I have been allowed free use of this resource. Also, during my career as a journalist I made several radio programs on this topic, talking to herb women and guardians of cultural heritage and searching in many archives of Bavarian cities for my ancestors. Oliver Pötzsch: After the thriller about Ludwig II, I am writing the fourth novel in the Hangman series. "A brilliantly-researched and exciting story of a formative era of history when witches were hunted and the inquisitors had little belief in their methods beyond their effect in pacifying superstitious townspeople . Pötzsch, actually descended from a line of hangmen, delivers a fantastically fast-paced read, rife with details on the social and power structures in the town as well as dichotomy between university medicine and the traditional remedies, which are skillfully communicated through character interactions, particularly that of Magdalena and Simon. The shocking motivations from unlikely players provide for a twist that will leave readers admiring this complex tale from a talented new voice."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I liked the start of this story, the basic idea of the tale, a hangman searching for the truth. The title of this story suggests this daughter has a major role, but quite frankly she doesn't. In fact, the hangman's daughter is such a minor character, she could be removed completely from the story and the novel would be virtually the same. She has a scene towards the end of the book where she's captured as a hostage, but it's so forced and unnecessary, it's more like a "women in refrigerators" moment. In the meantime, if you're a minor character living in this historical world, it seems like your only purpose is to be to chased, tortured, threatened with rape, or face being burnt alive as a witch. Yes, the hangman's daughter manages to escape, but the scene adds nothing to the novel. The second woman, the hangman's daughter, captured and threatened, was an unnecessary cliché. Instead of tying up loose ends, there's more drama, then everything is miraculously solved behind the scenes. The female characters could be replaced with potted plants, so I can't see myself recommending it to any of the women in my life."
"I loved the history in this book and fell in love with Jakob, Magdalena and Simon."
"Memorable characters and interesting insight into historical Germany."
"I would definitely recommend this book to everyone ."
"After a child is found dead with a strange symbol scratched into his shoulder, the hangman Jakob Kuisl, actually an ancestor of the author, is required to torture and seek a confession out of the town midwife presumed a witch and responsible for the death. Without a speedy confession the whole town is in danger of a "witch trials" type scenario that will cause finger pointing and screaming confessions to more "witches" and in turn many more women of the town will end up dead. Jakob and Simon work together to find and catch "the devil" who has orchestrated the chaos is the town, and then work to convince the town leaders of the truth."
Best Italian Literature
Mandelbaum’s astonishingly Dantean translation, which captures so much of the life of the original, renders whole for us the masterpiece of that genius whom our greatest poets have recognized as a central model for all poets. “Exactly what we have waited for these years, a Dante with clarity, eloquence, terror, and profoundly moving depths.” –Robert Fagles, Princeton University.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm happy to report that Clive James has made even this abstract exploration of light and doctrine (and, I might add, occasionally smug self-righteousness on Dante's part) a fascinating journey. James has chosen an unusual verse form - quatrains, with an abab rhyme scheme - to translate this, but it works well: it moves quickly and smoothly, each line pulling you forward to the next. For example, the "one who made the great refusal" is identified in the verse as Pope Celestine: if you have to pick one among many, that IS the closest to a scholarly consensus; but purists would argue against closing off other possibilities."
"This item which goes for just about full price compared with the print media is the Kindle version of the John Ciardi translation of the entire DIVINE COMEDY, all three parts which you can prove by downloading the free sample to your Kindle."
"While Dante's writing is full of allegory it is still very beautiful."
"Mark Musa, the translator, included exceptionally good notes to help the reader understand the story."
"Being a book collector and a Dante devotee, this edition was a special find. It's always wonderful to conduct a transaction with a company/seller who have the customers best interest at heart."
"First read was in high school and I didn't know I needed a general knowledge of Greek mythology to get references in this book."
"The story is separated by Cantos and it lends to how the story was told."
"Definitely enjoyed this book, it went beyond my expectations with the story and the book in general."
Best Scandinavian Literature
The Poetic Edda comprises a treasure trove of mythic and spiritual verse holding an important place in Nordic culture, literature, and heritage.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The translation is great, but for one gripe I have: everyone has about 5 different names, so it can be confusing when you come across the 5th different way of saying Odin or Thor; I wish they had standardized the names as much as possible, though it has to be kept in mind that the verse often requires the variance of references due to its style."
"I can't speak to the calibre of the translation, but as a neophyte coming to the Poetic Edda, it was mostly clear and very entertaining."
"I'm loving having this book, it's a hard read but the foot notes really help."
"Lee M Hollander presents the old saga's just the way they are."
"I am not a lit or mythology major but I have really enjoyed reading through this."
"This book is the holy grail of Norse literature."
Best Spanish & Portuguese Literature
"Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show." Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. Call it the "book book" genre: this international sensation (it has sold in more than 20 countries and been number one on the Spanish best-seller list), newly translated into English, has books and storytelling--and a single, physical book--at its heart. In post-World War II Barcelona, young Daniel is taken by his bookseller father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a massive sanctuary where books are guarded from oblivion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's one that I couldn't put down, would stay up until 4am reading, and happily shared with family and friends when I finished it to find that they, too, loved it."
"A well written story with colorful characters woven through the story."
"All the characters' names are Spanish, and it took some effort to keep them straight at first."
"I just visited Spain for the first time and stayed on La Rambla near where the character Daniel lived."
"Beautifully written and read."
"This story is like nothing you've ever read before."
"(One can love extremely rich food, but a chef who puts every spice in his cabinet into the stew will choke the most adventureous palate.). The reader starts to suspend disbelief and thinks about the author's method: His immagination is in overdrive and he seems to throw every outrageous idea that comes to his mind onto the page."
"This book tell an excellent story and has a good historical background."