There was something so bleak, so gloomy, so determined in the words Otto had just spoken. At that instant she grasped that this very first sentence was Otto’s absolute and irrevocable declaration of war, and also what that meant: war between, on the one side, the two of them, poor, small, insignificant workers who could be extinguished for just a word or two, and on the other, the Führer, the Party, the whole apparatus in all its power and glory, with three-fourths or even four-fifths of the German people behind it. And the two of them in this little room in Jablonski Strasse!
(from Every Man Dies Alone, page 133)
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada, first published in 1947, is a novel loosely based on a true story about the German resistance to the Nazis during World War II. It was my book club’s March pick, my nomination. Fallada’s novel is epic in scope, covering an assortment of characters on different sides of the fence all connected in some way to one couple, Otto and Anna Quangel. The death of their son in the war and a remark made by Anna to her husband in the throes of grief prompt Otto, a simple carpenter and factory foreman, to fight back against the Nazis, under whom the German people live in fear and spy on one another.
The Quangels write their hatred for the Nazis on postcards and drop them in public places, believing that they will prompt others to see the truth and take a stand. But this seemingly simple act takes on deadly importance for everyone who comes in contact with the cards — from Inspector Escherich, the Gestapo agent tasked with hunting down the “hobgoblin” behind the postcards to Enno Kluge, a lowlife who deserted his wife, feigns illness to avoid having to work, and steals from the various women in his life. Fallada peppers the story with an assortment of intriguing characters, including an overzealous Hitler Youth leader, a postwoman intent on leaving the Party and living a simpler life after learning what her son has been up to in the SS, and a young couple pondering whether to resist or live a quiet, normal life.
Although I was hooked from the first page, Fallada takes his time in the first half of the novel to develop the characters and their connections and build the tension that propels readers through the remainder of the book. The second half was edge-of-your-seat exciting, despite the darkness and the exhaustion of following these characters on a journey that you know from the very beginning will not bring you to a happy place. Fallada shows how the Gestapo messed with people’s heads and wore them down, and he drives home the point that the psychological torture was just as bad, if not worse, than the physical abuse. With a mix of both respectable and truly loathsome characters, Fallada takes readers on an emotional roller coaster ride that made me feel tired, sad, angry, and helpless and had me contemplating whether anyone actually deserved what they got at the hands of the Gestapo and whether I could die an honorable, stoic death if I had been in their shoes.
Every Man Dies Alone is a powerful book, one I won’t easily forget. It was easy to see where the story was headed, but there were plenty of twists and turns to keep it from being too predictable. It’s one of only a few books that have affected me so deeply that, after turning the last page, I could do nothing but sit and stare and ponder what it all meant. Reading the bonus features about Fallada’s difficult life, especially how the Nazis stifled his creativity, and the true story behind the book made for a richer reading experience. Every Man Dies Alone is an important novel, and I fear I didn’t do it justice here. I urge you to give this one a try, so long as you don’t mind a story that plunges you into the depths of evil and despair but also leaves you with a better understanding of what it was like to live in Nazi Germany.
Disclosure: Every Man Dies Alone is from my personal library. A big thanks to Sandy for telling me I needed to read it, though I can’t believe it took me so long!
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
So they die? That would just make me so sad
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Just given the subject matter you know the book is going to be dark and sad.
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You said it perfectly…I just sat there and zoned for a long time after I finished. I was wrung out and totally distraught, but boy did it affect me and I still think of that book years after reading it. And the author’s background! That could be a book itself!
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Yes, his story is fascinating. I still keep thinking about this book.
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We read this for our book club two years ago and had a great discussion. Fallada does give us a different perspective through a simple couple in this novel. It was sad, yes, but so revealing. The German people were reviled for not doing anything during the Holocaust but as you mentioned the psychological torture they also suffered brings out compassion for what it must have been like to live under Hitler’s government. A powerful book.
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It really does make for a great book club discussion. There are so many characters, so many layers to the story. It really makes you think about what life was life for the German people during the war.
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I read this in German for a class years ago but haven’t read the translation yet, even though I have it. I am glad to see that you liked it and thought it was a powerful book. It has always been one of my favorites – for so many reasons.
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I’d be curious to know how it reads in English compared to its original language.
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The book sounds outstanding but what a sad title.
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Yes, but it is so true.
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This is not a book for the faint of heart…definitely not. Very good though.
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Very true. So worthwhile though.
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This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the German home front during WWII, or WWII in general. It’s every bit as outstanding as Anna says it is.
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I agree!
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Sounds amazing — I’ve heard of Fallada but haven’t yet read him. Adding this to the TBR!
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After reading this, I’d like to look up some of his other books. Hopefully they are available in English.
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Wow!! Sounds great and moving.
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Yes, very! It’s long, but so worth it.
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I read this awhile back when I was on a WWII binge. It’s difficult both because of its pacing and because of the intensity. But what an important book. It’s one of those must-reads.
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I wish I would have read it when I first bought it a year or so ago!
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You definitely have peaked my interest – I will be on the lookout for this one!
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I hope you have a chance to read it!
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I recall someone else mentioning this book. It does sound very powerful. Hope you had a nice Easter Anna.
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We did. Thanks, Diane!
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I think I might like this one, but know that my husband would so I’ll be looking for it. It may be a while before I can read a book that I KNOW will leave me upset.
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Hearing from so many people how powerful and great this book was helped me get started on it knowing that I’d be depressed when I finished.
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[…] Man Dies Alone (read my review) is an epic novel about the German resistance to the Nazis, with a focus on an older couple, the […]
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