Alone in Berlin
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4.2 • 64 Ratings
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
THE ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
'One of the most extraordinary and compelling novels written about World War II. Ever' Alan Furst
Inspired by a true story, Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin is a gripping wartime thriller following one ordinary man's determination to defy the tyranny of Nazi rule
Berlin, 1940, and the city is filled with fear. At the house on 55 Jablonski Strasse, its various occupants try to live under Nazi rule in their different ways: the bullying Hitler loyalists the Persickes, the retired judge Fromm and the unassuming couple Otto and Anna Quangel. Then the Quangels receive the news that their beloved son has been killed fighting in France. Shocked out of their quiet existence, they begin a silent campaign of defiance, and a deadly game of cat and mouse develops between the Quangels and the ambitious Gestapo inspector Escherich. When petty criminals Kluge and Borkhausen also become involved, deception, betrayal and murder ensue, tightening the noose around the Quangels' necks ...
This Penguin Classics edition contains an afterword by Geoff Wilkes, as well as facsimiles of the original Gestapo file which inspired the novel.
'Terrific ... a fast-moving, important and astutely deadpan thriller'
Irish Times
'An unrivalled and vivid portrait of life in wartime Berlin'
Philip Kerr
'To read Fallada's testament to the darkest years of the 20th century is to be accompanied by a wise, somber ghost who grips your shoulder and whispers into your ear: "This is how it was. This is what happened"'
The New York Times
Customer Reviews
Alone in Berlin
An amazing story that draws you in from the start. Full of intriguing characters and a storyline that keeps you reading and reading. Full of joy and sadness as the story weaves you through the lives of so many during a challenging period for the German people. A must read and be prominent in your book collection.
Amazing read
A sad but compelling read. An amazing insight into life inside a living nightmare. It shows the heights and depths of the human response to the tyranny of others.
A must read for anyone. Essential for any reading group.
Surprisingly modern
What a great and harrowing story! Based on the true story of the Hampels, Fallada explores moral behaviour in the face of the worst regime in history where scurrilous behaviour is rewarded and good people are corrupted by bad people - clever, warm, dark and chillingly modern as we live in lockdown