#French Rien où poser sa tête
- Author: Françoise Frenkel
- Genre: memoir
- Title: Rien où poser sa tête
- Published: 1945
- #WITMonth
- #WomenInTranslation
- #SummerInOtherLanguages
- Again, I was seduced by the cover and
- …the English title A Bookstore in Berlin.
- I remembered the old adage,
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- The book did have:
- Strong point: conflict in the form of a harrowing journey
- Strong point: structure chronological…very easy to follow
- Strong point: universal theme persecution of ethnic group (Jews)
- Weak point: as others have noted….the omission of any mention
- of the author’s husband! That’s not something you would forget.
- Weak point: Ms Frenkel is not a professional writer and it shows.
- Weak point: the ‘hook’ in the first chapters, her bookstore in Berlin
- …just disappeared.15% about the store 85 % about the author’s
- journey through occupied France hoping to reach Switzerland.
- Conclusion:
- I was not swept away by a combination of great story and great writing
- …but flattened by facts and the mediocre.
- Recommendation: leave this book on the library shelf and do yourself
- a favor and search for
- A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary.
- I read the French version….and it STILL lingers in my mind!
- Une femme à Berlin
2 Comments
Post a comment
NancyElin.blog 
Oh that’s a shame, but that cover!!!
I know…just so eye-catching!