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1 internautes sur 1 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A New Light on a Different World
I stumbled on this book and was immediately captivated. The mysterys are more than servicable but what makes the book is the glimpse into a Germany that is seldom seen. The life of day to day Germans during and after the Nazi era. For the first time you see what it was like living under occupation of your own government. Amazing characterizations. This is how they should...
Publié le Janv. 2 2007 par Dave and Joe
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› Voir plus de commentaires 5 étoiles, 4 étoiles |
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overrated
Mysteries are only so-so, there are too many stretches in the first two novels, but the last one is simply beyond believable. There is a continuous stream of primitive wisecracks, which is quite annoying for my taste. It seems that period is well researched and there are some nice period touches, though.
Publié le Nov. 26 2002 par Does Not Matter
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› Voir plus de commentaires 3 étoiles, 2 étoiles, 1 étoiles |
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1 internautes sur 1 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A New Light on a Different World, Janv. 2 2007
I stumbled on this book and was immediately captivated. The mysterys are more than servicable but what makes the book is the glimpse into a Germany that is seldom seen. The life of day to day Germans during and after the Nazi era. For the first time you see what it was like living under occupation of your own government. Amazing characterizations. This is how they should teach history!! Loved it ... learned a lot ... no higher praise.
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1 internautes sur 1 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Great historical thriller!, Jui 14 2004
I devoured this trilogy in just under 10 days, I thought it was fantastic. I really enjoyed how Kerr managed to naturally weave in the historical facts with his fictional characters. I particularly liked the first section "March Violets" the best, it was a real page-turner which I found hard to set down once I started. The second, "The Pale Criminal" was good, but had several parts which dragged a bit and the third "A German Requiem" picked it up a bit with a refreshing change of scenery and a fast-paced plot line. Kerr's writing is phenomenal and witty and the superb and complete way the characters are developed is very unique. The reason I did not give it 5 stars is that in certain places (especially when romantic situations and physical relationships are described) the dialogue and occurences aren't believable and can be laughable in parts....seems out of place with Kerr's otherwise sparkling writing. Also, at the ends of the individual books, there are a few loose ends - I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to be clarified, but to no avail....sometimes this quality is a plus, attesting to skill of the writer to pull you in, but I felt abandoned by the text, as if I'd been loyal to the construction but was tricked out of the satisfaction of seeing the final product. However, overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it extremely favorably, especially to those who have a special interest in this time period of WWII and Nazi Germany. Even if you don't, you won't regret putting in the time to get to know these characters as well as Kerr's writing style. Enjoy!
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3 internautes sur 4 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Chandleresque prose. Don't believe me? Listen., Fév 27 2004
Chandler's opening style is widely imitated. Here's a conscious tribute which goes Chandler one better by putting this voice into Hitler's Germany. Here he parodies the opening of THE BIG SLEEP, and does it deliciously. Only Barry Fantoni does Chandler as well. "Circling the courtyard was an ambulatory, with a roof supported by thick beams and wooden columns, and this was patrolled by man with a pair of evil-looking Dobermanns. There wasn't much light apart from the coachlamp by the fron door, but as far as I could see the house was white with pebbledash walls and a deep mansard roof--as big as a decent-sized hotel of the sort I couldn't afford. Somewhere in the trees behind the house a peacock was screaming for help." This paragraph is also brilliantly constructed, but what especially appeals to me is the self-effacing joke about the size of the house and the last sentence, the sort of telling detail that mirrors the sardonic attitude of the narrator toward the Nazi rich. Next paragraph: "Closer to the door I got my first good look at the doctor. Since he was at least fifty, I suppose you could say he was distinguished looking. Taller than he had seemed sitting in the back of the car, and dressed fastidiously, but with a total disregard for fashion. He wore a stiff color you could have sliced bread with, a pin-striped suit of a light-grey shade, a cream-colored waist-coat and spats; his hands were gloved in grey kid, and on his neatly cropped square grey head he wore a large grey hat with a brim that surrounded the high pleated crown like a castle moat. He looked like an old suit of armor." A typical Chandleresque paragraph with the short summation sentence at the end like a punchline. Next paragraph: "He ushered me towards the big mahogany door which swung open to reveal an ashen-faced butler who stood aside as we crossed the threshold and stepped into the wide entrance hall. It was the kind of hall that made you feel lucky just to have got through the door. Twin flights of stairs with gleaming white banisters led up to the upper floors, and on the ceiling hung a chandeleir that was bigger than a church-bell and gaudier than a stripper's ear-rings. I made a mental note to raise my fees." "Another Chandleresque paragraph with the trade mark existenialism in the last sentence. He's not political, let alone communist, but the contrast between rich and poor is never far from the narrator's mind." Next paragraph: "The butler, who was Arab, asked to take my hat. "I'll hold onto it if you don't mind," I told him, feeling its brim between my fingers. "It will help me to keep my hands off the silver."
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Great collection to read and pass time nicely, Sep 25 2003
I am a first-time Kerr reader who appreciated and (mostly) enjoyed this trilogy of Bernie Gunther stories. While at first put off by the fact that the novels are based in the historical period of WWII and pre-Cold War (not my period and I'm not a pro-Nazi), I quickly found myself emersed and mesmerized by Kerr's writing.The triology format of the book makes this a great buy... But what's also nice about this type of format is that the reader gets to actually see Gunther (and by extension Kerr's own writing) grow and mature into his own as a complex, personal, psychological detective set in a specific historical context that is more-or-less rooted in historical facts. (Kerr ends each novel with a short piece that explains the history and, in one case, ongoing mystery that contemporary researchers and journalists are still striving to solve.) There is also a fine sense of sharp, wry humor that occasionally makes its way into Kerr's writing. I only wish there were more of this, it would help to balance the very dark, ominuous, and sinister setting that evenly pervades all three novels. My only complaints: The novels are also filled with their own share of too-graphic violence, the plot line in A German Requiem is incredibly convoluted, and the trilogy ended far too soon for me! If you're an avid mystery reader and interested in books that are set in specific historical periods and try to embelish/extend well-known mystery genres, definitely pick this book up! I think it's definitely worth your time and money.
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overrated, Nov. 26 2002
Mysteries are only so-so, there are too many stretches in the first two novels, but the last one is simply beyond believable. There is a continuous stream of primitive wisecracks, which is quite annoying for my taste. It seems that period is well researched and there are some nice period touches, though.
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Mixed Results, Janv. 21 2002
This trilogy is intriguing because I have several complaints about Kerr's style, yet I really did enjoy these books. First the complaints: 1) Way too many cliches. It's as if Kerr is trying to write a parody of thirties detective stories, except it isn't supposed to be funny. He's trying too hard to get the reader to see Bernie as a "seen too much", jaded character. 2) Kerr's description of Bernies sexual adventures is overdone and quite frankly the prose is laughable. It's like he took it straight from "Penthouse Forum". On the other hand, I thought the storytelling was very good, and the plot lines were solid. And Kerr, to his credit, is capable of coming up with phrases that stick with you instantly. An enjoyable and worthwhile read, but Alan Furst is a much better example of the genre.
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One of the absolute best HB detective novels, Janv. 4 2002
Although his other work never really hits the mark, this trio of hard boiled detective novels set in nazi germany (pre,post,and during) are truly great fiction. I have recommended this book to a wide variety of readers and everyone of them has loved it.
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"Hard boiled" German PI, Déc 31 2001
This volume, which contains three complete novels, is an excellent sign that "hard boiled" detective books are still being written, even if these stories are about a decade old. I was fascinated by the setting: pre-WWII Berlin, and post-WWII Vienna, and the hero, a tough as nails anti-Nazi ex-policeman and private investigator. The plots are well-constructed, and the geographical knowledge on the part of the author gives a real sense of "being there" to the reader. In these days of troubled "anti-heroes" in this genre, it's a distinct pleasure to read a book of this caliber, and to see the efforts the author made to give a look of reality to his scenario. Even the minor characters are extremely well-drawn and believeable. Read this book; you won't be making a mistake.
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A Dark, Enduring Mystery, Nov. 2 2001
I read this trilogy almost three years ago, yet it regularly comes to mind as one of the most enjoyable books I've read. As someone who reads primarily non-fiction or fiction by "great" writers, I ventured to read something different with Berlin Noir. Three years later, I am still searching for a comparable novel in this genre. Kerr's presentation matures throughout these novels. The hackneyed detective that he presents in March Violets, transforms slowly into a fuller, more entertaining character. Bernie Gunther loses his overuse of trite, detective-style similes by the end of the first story. By then, the reader is enveloped in a dark world of mystery and political barbarity. Kerr's portrait of Berlin is enticingly eerie. His characters are cut from typical molds, but are presented with enough freshness to keep the reader very interested. And using the different backdrops of pre-war, war-time, and post-war Germany, Kerr was able to modify the setting but maintain the same dark intensity. I was sorry to finish this trilogy. It is fantastic escapist literature. I have read a couple of the J. Robert Janes novels, although neither the plots, nor the characters compare favorably to Berlin Noir.
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Lengthy - sameness - but a good mystery noir, Juil 16 2001
Par Un client
First two novellas have a lengthy - sameness 'gefuehl'. And some explicit brutality and mysogynism ... if you like film noir on Monday nights on the Mystery Channel, you may like this book. I agree with other review regarding the apparent maturation of Kerr through the three works. Thought last novella set in Vienna was the most developed with insight on German / Austrian differences as well as postwar Germany occupation.
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