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At the Wolf's Table
The internationally bestselling novel based on the untold true story of the women conscripted to be Hitler's food tasters.
"They called it the Wolfsschanze, the Wolf's Lair. 'Wolf' was his nickname. As hapless as Little Red Riding Hood, I had ended up in his belly. A legion of hunters was out looking for him, and to get him in their grips they would gladly slay me as well."
Germany, 1943: Twenty-six-year-old Rosa Sauer's parents are gone, and her husband Gregor is far away, fighting on the front lines of WWII. Impoverished and alone, she makes the fateful decision to leave war-torn Berlin to live with her in-laws in the countryside, thinking she'll find refuge there. But one morning, the SS come to tell her she has been conscripted to be one of Hitler's tasters: three times a day, she and nine other women go to his secret headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, to eat his meals before he does. Forced to eat what might kill them, the tasters begin to divide into The Fanatics, those loyal to Hitler, and the women like Rosa who insist they aren't Nazis, even as they risk their lives every day for Hitler's.
As secrets and resentments grow, this unlikely sisterhood reaches its own dramatic climax. What's more, one of Rosa's SS guards has become dangerously familiar, and the war is worsening outside. As the months pass, it becomes increasingly clear that Rosa and everyone she knows are on the wrong side of history.
"They called it the Wolfsschanze, the Wolf's Lair. 'Wolf' was his nickname. As hapless as Little Red Riding Hood, I had ended up in his belly. A legion of hunters was out looking for him, and to get him in their grips they would gladly slay me as well."
Germany, 1943: Twenty-six-year-old Rosa Sauer's parents are gone, and her husband Gregor is far away, fighting on the front lines of WWII. Impoverished and alone, she makes the fateful decision to leave war-torn Berlin to live with her in-laws in the countryside, thinking she'll find refuge there. But one morning, the SS come to tell her she has been conscripted to be one of Hitler's tasters: three times a day, she and nine other women go to his secret headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, to eat his meals before he does. Forced to eat what might kill them, the tasters begin to divide into The Fanatics, those loyal to Hitler, and the women like Rosa who insist they aren't Nazis, even as they risk their lives every day for Hitler's.
As secrets and resentments grow, this unlikely sisterhood reaches its own dramatic climax. What's more, one of Rosa's SS guards has become dangerously familiar, and the war is worsening outside. As the months pass, it becomes increasingly clear that Rosa and everyone she knows are on the wrong side of history.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2018
1,439 people are currently reading
18.7k people want to read
About the author
Rosella Postorino
19books315followersRosella Postorino (Reggio Calabria, 1978) è una scrittrice italiana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,272 reviews
November 6, 2020
L’ho letto in parte da solo, e l’ho ascoltato in parte utilizzando l’audiolibro, letto da Valentina Mari. Questo libro ha vinto il premio campiello nel 2018, e ne vedo i motivi. Fa luogo in Germania durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Il narratore Rosa Sauer scappa da Berlino per restare con i suoi suoceri a un villagio molto vincino alla Tana del Lupo, il nascondiglio di Hitler. Rosa è obbligato diventare un assagiatrice per Hilter, controllando il suo cibo per veleno. Nel 1944, mentre l’esercito Russo viene piu e piu vicino, Rosa dovrebbe fare delle scelte dure per soppravivere. Il libro era affascianante, difficile da leggere e deprimente a volte, eppure esplora un’importante storia non mai raccontata.
September 18, 2019
During WWII there were many people who wanted to put an end to Hitler’s reign of terror, and as the tide began to turn against him in 1943, those tasked with keeping him safe had to come up with every conceivable plan to ensure his continued leadership. With this in mind, every method by which his assassination could be carried out had to be covered. This included ten women who were employed as Hitler’s food tasters, and this novel is loosely based on Margot Wölk who died at the age of 96, shortly after revealing her part in serving Hitler as one of his food tasters.
Three times a day these women were forced to consume meals prepared for the Fuhrer to ensure that the food hadn’t been poisoned - too bad for these women if it had been - each bite could have been their last! One can only imagine the fear that these women endured. On the one hand they were being fed delicious food, when others in their community were starving, but that sustenance could also have been their killer.
The storyline concentrated on food taster 26 year old Rosa, she’s very much a loner, both her parents are dead and her husband Gregor is fighting on the front line, and she’s now living with Gregor’s parents.
Rosa is a deep thinking, emotionally flawed character with whom I sadly failed to connect. I couldn’t resolve myself with some of the decisions she made, and although I realise that these were extremely difficult times and choices were limited, she came across as very cold and distant, and on finishing the book, I felt I knew little more about her than I had at the beginning.
Even though I didn’t engage with the protagonist, I do think the novel was interesting and beautifully written, almost quiet and subdued in its style - the author said what she had to without great fanfare.
*Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Three times a day these women were forced to consume meals prepared for the Fuhrer to ensure that the food hadn’t been poisoned - too bad for these women if it had been - each bite could have been their last! One can only imagine the fear that these women endured. On the one hand they were being fed delicious food, when others in their community were starving, but that sustenance could also have been their killer.
The storyline concentrated on food taster 26 year old Rosa, she’s very much a loner, both her parents are dead and her husband Gregor is fighting on the front line, and she’s now living with Gregor’s parents.
Rosa is a deep thinking, emotionally flawed character with whom I sadly failed to connect. I couldn’t resolve myself with some of the decisions she made, and although I realise that these were extremely difficult times and choices were limited, she came across as very cold and distant, and on finishing the book, I felt I knew little more about her than I had at the beginning.
Even though I didn’t engage with the protagonist, I do think the novel was interesting and beautifully written, almost quiet and subdued in its style - the author said what she had to without great fanfare.
*Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
February 9, 2023
Fear comes to me three times a day, always without knocking. It sits beside me and if I stand up it follows me, by now it’s practically a constant companion.World War II. Death could arrive at any moment, particularly when your city is being targeted by enemy bombers. In a way, a sudden violent end becomes the expectation. One to be avoided if at all possible, of course. Rosa Sauer flees the Allied bombing of Berlin in Autumn 1943. Though married, her husband had joined the army. She goes to stay with her in-laws in the town of East Partsch, in East Prussia. But, in a classic case of out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire, she finds herself in a situation every bit as perilous as the threat she had fled. Soon after her arrival, members of the SS arrive at her in-laws� house and inform Rosa that she has been selected to serve her country in a most unusual manner. It seems the Fuehrer’s base of operations (Wolfsschanze, aka , now Parcz, Poland) is only a few miles away, and, among his other psychiatric challenges, he is terrified that his food might be poisoned. (Well, maybe not so crazy about fearing assassination) She will be one of fifteen young women drafted to become Hitler’s food tasters. The upside, of course, is that she will be eating much better than most Germans. The downside is well…you know.
Rosella Postorino - image from Globalist
In the beginning, the story alternates between her experience as a taster and the time immediately leading up to that. We get a look at Rosa’s personal history, and some of the events in Germany. There is a dark tale of 1933 book burnings led by Goebbels that seemed even a bit much for his own followers. It is particularly chilling.
Most of the story is about the interactions among the women forced into this job. (Guess all the men were too scared?) They run a gamut, with a few Hitlerian true believers among the more usual range of humanity represented there, telling dark, racist tales that the eagerly gullible relish as wantonly as fans of InfoWars do today, with about as much basis in reality. There are perils this forced sisterhood face together, including mistreatment by the guards, and being forced to remain in the facility all the time instead of being bussed back and forth between home and work, after a failed assassination attempt on you-know-who. We learn some of the tasters� secrets, and see their relationships evolve with the impact of shared misery. Rosa becomes friends with one taster who is shielding a particularly large piece of information. When she is generous with a younger taster the others give her a hard time about it, as if generosity were somehow a sign of weakness. Their relationships with the guards get complicated. Are they on the same team? Or are they prisoners? There is considerable sexual tension, as well. During the time when the tasters are still able to live outside the compound, Rosa is befriended by a local Baroness, eager for conversation with an educated, if untitled, woman from Berlin. Attending gatherings at the Baroness’s place comes with complications of its own. And there is the ever-present need to make the most of a bad situation.
Margot Wölk at 95 � image from Der Spiegel
Rosa is a thoughtful Virgil leading us through this particular ring of hell, offering consideration of underlying moral questions.
Why, for some time now, had I found myself in places I didn’t want to be in and acquiesced and didn’t rebel and continued to survive whenever someone was taken from me? The ability to adapt is human beings� greatest resource, but the more I adapted, the less human I felt.She must cope with the probable loss of her husband, reported MIA. Is he gone? Should she hold out hope or accede to the likelihood of his demise? When push comes to shoot will you find yourself on the flat or pointed end of the bullet? Will you be able to decide for yourself or will you leave it to others to decide for you?
I could have known about the mass graves, about the Jews who lay prone, huddled together, waiting for the shot to the back of the head, could have known about the earth shoveled onto their backs, and the wood ash and calcium hypochlorite so they wouldn’t stink, about the new layer of Jews who would lie down on the corpses and offer the backs of their heads in turn. I could have known about the children picked up by the hair and shot, about the kilometer-long lines of Jews or Russians�They’re Asian, they’re not like us--ready to fall into the graves or climb onto trucks to be gassed with carbon monoxide. I could have learned about it before the end of the war. I could have asked. I but I was afraid and couldn’t speak and didn’t want to know.Pastorino offers up some darkly comical tidbits about the not-so-fearless leader, including reference to his considerable problem with flatulence, (I can only imagine what Mel Brooks would have done with that) being afraid to go to sleep, after visiting a slaughterhouse, keeping his aides up all night regaling them with stories, the late nights rich with Hitler humiliating his staff at length, which sounds uncomfortably familiar. They appeared to enjoy being the focus of his dark attention, like sycophants today. We learn that Eva Braun hated Blondi, the singing German Shepherd that Adolph doted on. And for all you white nationalists out there, you will also learn the proper way to deliver a Nazi salute.
Margot Wölk is the actual person on whom Rosa Sauer was based. Wölk was interviewed on the occasion of her 95th birthday, in 2012. (links in EXTRA STUFF). Postorino happened cross the article in 2014 and thought it ideal subject matter for a novel, throwing together issues of daily mortal terror, sacrifice, adaptation, destiny, love, survival and guilt. Trying to relate to this person, whose life was so different from her own, Postorino gave her characteristics of herself, a particular appreciation for clothes, vanity, chattiness, her hair color and her name.
Margot Wölk in 1931 � image from BZ-Berlin
Another novel about Frau Wölk, by V.S Alexander, The Taster, was published in the USA in 2018, a few weeks after Postorino’s book was published in Italy. Alexander’s book was released later in the UK under the title Her Hidden Life. A weird coincidence, but it seems likely that both were inspired by the same late-life revelations by Frau Wölk.
At the Wolf’s Table, originally published in 2018 in Italy, was a big hit there, winning the Premio Campiello Literary Prize. The translation by Leah Janeczko is smooth. It reads as if written by an English speaker.
My only gripe about the novel is that I found the romantic element less than persuasive. The strength of this novel is in giving us a character we can feel for, trying to survive in a time and place in which one’s continued existence could not be presumed from day to day. She is an intelligent, feeling person, who considers more than just the usual externalities, but offers an awareness of larger, deeper considerations. It also gives us a look at a little-seen aspect of Nazi Germany, a rare item indeed. And finally, it presents perspective (while written by an Italian) from a regular-person German, neither Nazi nor resistor. Postorino has served up a filling and delicious meal of a novel. Bon Appetit.
Review first posted � February 1, 2019
Publication date
-----USA � January 29, 2019
-----Italy � January 11, 2018
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s GR, , and pages
Items of Interest
-----Polpettas Magazine - - by Margherita Visentini - a very worthwhile interview with the author, despite a less than perfect translation from Italian
-----
-----Revolvy - - with some detail on her pre-taster life
-----Spiegel Online - - by Fabienne Hurst
-----NY Times - - by Ligaya Mishan
-----Wiki on
----- - Although I had seen clips of this, I had never seen the entire film. Have now. The tasters, among others, are made to sit through it while at the compound. Remarkable film-making. What a waste of talent in promoting such a dark cause.
September 23, 2019
Rosella Postorino writes an impressively researched blend of historical fact and fiction in this translated novel, already an Italian bestseller. It is inspired by the late in life interview and revelations of Margot Wolk of her unusual wartime role as a food taster for Hitler. In 1943, it was becoming increasingly clear that Germany were unlikely to win the war, Hitler was feeling increasingly hemmed in and paranoid with his growing number of enemies, living in his hidden, secure and well guarded headquarters at Wolfschanze (Wolf's Lair). With her parents dead, 26 year old Rosa Sauer escapes the Allied bombardment of Berlin, to her husband, Gregor's parents more rural abode, where she stands out like a sore thumb as a urban dweller. However, safety is the last thing she gets when she is recruited by the SS to be part of a group of women who are to taste all Hitler's meals to ensure he does not get poisoned, whilst under the gaze of the well armed soldiers.
There is an inherent contradiction in Rosa's role, on the one hand she eats well in comparison to other Germans facing starvation, but on the other hand, there is the fear of living under constant threat, of playing a version of Russian roulette, where each meal may be her last one. She is not a member of the Nazi party, but she is playing the role of collaborator in ensuring that Hitler continues to live. She faces a number of moral dilemmas, but has chosen to do whatever it takes to survive, selecting to remain blind and ignorant to what has been happening under Nazi rule and the horrors perpetrated by them. Insights are provided into the group of women tasters, the simmering conflicts, strains and tensions between the regime loyalists and those who are more critical, the abuse the women face and the relationships that are formed between them.
This is a story of guilt, shame, love, fear and secrets, of what life was like for many ordinary Germans, the difficulties of speaking out, the moral ambiguities of being at war, and the repercussions of WW2 on those who survived. Rosa can be a hard woman to empathise with, her emotional coldness and distance, and her decisions and behaviour hard to understand. This is a dark, disturbing and unsettling read, an uncomfortable rendering of how human beings can behave when living under the pressures of war, where the unacceptable becomes all too normal, under a murderous, heavily controlling, Nazi regime. This is a beautifully written novel, but an uneven read which paints a intensely chilling picture of WW2 and its fallout. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
There is an inherent contradiction in Rosa's role, on the one hand she eats well in comparison to other Germans facing starvation, but on the other hand, there is the fear of living under constant threat, of playing a version of Russian roulette, where each meal may be her last one. She is not a member of the Nazi party, but she is playing the role of collaborator in ensuring that Hitler continues to live. She faces a number of moral dilemmas, but has chosen to do whatever it takes to survive, selecting to remain blind and ignorant to what has been happening under Nazi rule and the horrors perpetrated by them. Insights are provided into the group of women tasters, the simmering conflicts, strains and tensions between the regime loyalists and those who are more critical, the abuse the women face and the relationships that are formed between them.
This is a story of guilt, shame, love, fear and secrets, of what life was like for many ordinary Germans, the difficulties of speaking out, the moral ambiguities of being at war, and the repercussions of WW2 on those who survived. Rosa can be a hard woman to empathise with, her emotional coldness and distance, and her decisions and behaviour hard to understand. This is a dark, disturbing and unsettling read, an uncomfortable rendering of how human beings can behave when living under the pressures of war, where the unacceptable becomes all too normal, under a murderous, heavily controlling, Nazi regime. This is a beautifully written novel, but an uneven read which paints a intensely chilling picture of WW2 and its fallout. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
October 6, 2018
Thank you to Flatiron Books for mailing me the advance copy of “At The Wolf’s Table� by the international best selling author: *Rosella Postorino*. This book was selling like hot cakes in Italy when it was first released- and soon Postorino was one of five nominees for the literature Campiello Prize.
THIS BOOK WILL BE RELEASED IN STORES IN THE U.S. in January 2019.
Rosella is also an editor. She speaks Italian, French, German, and English. This is her first novel translated into English.
This is a story - that in ‘part�, I was familiar with from having read “The Taster�, by V.S. Alexander last year.
Both books - historical fiction - are haunting - chilling - hard to image yet ‘was� imaginable from both author’s vivid storytelling.
I learned ‘more� fascinating information from THIS BOOK than ‘The Taster�.... yet both books are absorbing and well-researched. I’ll soon explain the ‘more� ......
But first I to comment on Rosella Postorino’s writing....which is so intimate, I can almost image that she’s a painter.
Her descriptions are simplistic ( I mean that in the most complementary way), so clearly visual, I can see and feel everything she writes easily.
Rosella doesn’t waste any time diving into the heart of the story. Perhaps being an ‘editor� gives her an advantage skill?...I’ve no idea...but her writing was almost invisible. Is that possible? Writers... help me out!!!!! I’m not sure what I’m talking about here � ( a reader...not a writer )....
I just know - her STORY FLOWED EFFORTLESSLY!!!
From the first page to the last....I was ‘in-the-zone�.....the readers ZONE!!! The pure joy of reading an interesting story. Kudos to author Postorino. 📕✏️.
The ‘MORE�: .......that I learned from reading this book:
The inspiration for this story came from the real person named Margot Wölk. Margot died at age 96. She was one of Hitler’s tasters......last SURVIVING taster. In 2014, she told a Berlin TV channel about her experiences - THE FIRST TIME EVER - sharing those devastating years. Later that same year - at age 96 - she died.
Rosella Postorino’s story begins in Germany 1943.
Rosa Saucer was 26 years old. Her parents were gone and her husband, Gregor, was fighting on the front lines of WWII. Rosa was living in the country with her in-laws. She was a German - but had never been a Nazis.
Rosa was one of ten women employed to taste Fuhrer’s food to ensure it had not been poisoned, against her will. “EAT UP �-eat it all. Wait an hour - live or die�.
There were constant rumors that the British were out to poison Hitler. The women had plenty of food - ( veggies with either rice or noodles- as Hitler was a vegetarian), but each bite from the women was mixed with fear.
They were victims and privileged. They ate to stay alive. They were supporting keeping alive the man everyone wanted dead.
Fear - guilt - shame -catatonic - unbearable grief - horror - rape - loss - hunger - secrets - remorse - survival - forgiveness - love .......are some of many reasons why Rosa couldn’t tell even her husband Gregor - when the war ended - that she worked for Hitler ...
she couldn’t confessed to her husband that she had trusted and loved a Nazi Lieutenant.
� The past doesn’t go away, but there’s no need to dredge it up, you can try to let it rest, hold your peace. The one thing I’ve learned from life is survival�.
...Written with tenderness and compassion.
...The characters were so real.
...Fascinating and repugnant.
...Margot Woelk’s tells her story: Photos of her - before she died at age 96 - can be found by googling her name.
THIS BOOK WILL BE RELEASED IN STORES IN THE U.S. in January 2019.
Rosella is also an editor. She speaks Italian, French, German, and English. This is her first novel translated into English.
This is a story - that in ‘part�, I was familiar with from having read “The Taster�, by V.S. Alexander last year.
Both books - historical fiction - are haunting - chilling - hard to image yet ‘was� imaginable from both author’s vivid storytelling.
I learned ‘more� fascinating information from THIS BOOK than ‘The Taster�.... yet both books are absorbing and well-researched. I’ll soon explain the ‘more� ......
But first I to comment on Rosella Postorino’s writing....which is so intimate, I can almost image that she’s a painter.
Her descriptions are simplistic ( I mean that in the most complementary way), so clearly visual, I can see and feel everything she writes easily.
Rosella doesn’t waste any time diving into the heart of the story. Perhaps being an ‘editor� gives her an advantage skill?...I’ve no idea...but her writing was almost invisible. Is that possible? Writers... help me out!!!!! I’m not sure what I’m talking about here � ( a reader...not a writer )....
I just know - her STORY FLOWED EFFORTLESSLY!!!
From the first page to the last....I was ‘in-the-zone�.....the readers ZONE!!! The pure joy of reading an interesting story. Kudos to author Postorino. 📕✏️.
The ‘MORE�: .......that I learned from reading this book:
The inspiration for this story came from the real person named Margot Wölk. Margot died at age 96. She was one of Hitler’s tasters......last SURVIVING taster. In 2014, she told a Berlin TV channel about her experiences - THE FIRST TIME EVER - sharing those devastating years. Later that same year - at age 96 - she died.
Rosella Postorino’s story begins in Germany 1943.
Rosa Saucer was 26 years old. Her parents were gone and her husband, Gregor, was fighting on the front lines of WWII. Rosa was living in the country with her in-laws. She was a German - but had never been a Nazis.
Rosa was one of ten women employed to taste Fuhrer’s food to ensure it had not been poisoned, against her will. “EAT UP �-eat it all. Wait an hour - live or die�.
There were constant rumors that the British were out to poison Hitler. The women had plenty of food - ( veggies with either rice or noodles- as Hitler was a vegetarian), but each bite from the women was mixed with fear.
They were victims and privileged. They ate to stay alive. They were supporting keeping alive the man everyone wanted dead.
Fear - guilt - shame -catatonic - unbearable grief - horror - rape - loss - hunger - secrets - remorse - survival - forgiveness - love .......are some of many reasons why Rosa couldn’t tell even her husband Gregor - when the war ended - that she worked for Hitler ...
she couldn’t confessed to her husband that she had trusted and loved a Nazi Lieutenant.
� The past doesn’t go away, but there’s no need to dredge it up, you can try to let it rest, hold your peace. The one thing I’ve learned from life is survival�.
...Written with tenderness and compassion.
...The characters were so real.
...Fascinating and repugnant.
...Margot Woelk’s tells her story: Photos of her - before she died at age 96 - can be found by googling her name.
March 31, 2018
Lo sfondo è quello della seconda guerra mondiale. L'ambientazione quella della Germania Nazista. La produzione letteraria basata su queste coordinate è sconfinata ma la Postorino è riuscita - furbescamente - a darne una nuova chiave di lettura grazie all'adozione di un punto di vista inedito: quello delle assaggiatrici di Hitler, un gruppo di donne assoldate con il compito di mangiare per prime i pasti destinati al Fuhrer e quindi evitargli, in caso di avvelenamento, morte certa. Un sacrificio meno onorevole rispetto alla morte in battaglia ma pur sempre patriottico. Pur partendo da una posizione apparentemente privilegiata (le assaggiatrici hanno accesso a cibi prelibati, ricevono uno stipendio, sicurezza e un trattamento di riguardo), la riflessione rimane comunque la stessa quando si indaga quel periodo storico: quali conseguenze ci sono per chi è stato un connivente? Quando si raggiunge un livello di complicità con un regime accettabile? Quando la colpa è collettiva in qualche modo si stempera ma la vergogna individuale non stinge. Un regime totalitario fa questo: in nome della collettività, isola i cittadini, li rende atomi, estranei gli uni agli altri.
L'intreccio è piuttosto classico, non ha svolte narrative impreviste ma d'altronde non è questo l'elemento di forza del romanzo, bensì la solida costruzione dell'impianto psicologico. Rosella Postorino è davvero dotata di un grande talento nel descrivere i sentimenti ambivalenti dell'animo umano, le sue contraddizioni e i suoi desideri. Sono tanti i momenti dove la scrittura stupisce per vividezza e precisione. "Uno spillo sotto l'unghia", basta questa semplice citazione per descrivere la prosa della Postorino. Una retorica misurata che fa intravedere alcuni "trucchi" autoriali, come l'immancabile (continua qui )
L'intreccio è piuttosto classico, non ha svolte narrative impreviste ma d'altronde non è questo l'elemento di forza del romanzo, bensì la solida costruzione dell'impianto psicologico. Rosella Postorino è davvero dotata di un grande talento nel descrivere i sentimenti ambivalenti dell'animo umano, le sue contraddizioni e i suoi desideri. Sono tanti i momenti dove la scrittura stupisce per vividezza e precisione. "Uno spillo sotto l'unghia", basta questa semplice citazione per descrivere la prosa della Postorino. Una retorica misurata che fa intravedere alcuni "trucchi" autoriali, come l'immancabile (continua qui )
May 19, 2023
Abbandonato a pag.60 (perché il plagio del discorso di Kundera sulla merda e Dio - vedi L’insostenibile... -mi ha definitivamente irritato).
Che dire?Sciatto, inqualificabile.
Eppur premiato. Bah.
Completo il giudizio, dopo avere letto altre parti del libro :
Questo è un romanzo furbetto e artefatto: sia per la banalizzazione del contenuto, ridotto a feuilleton, sia per la banalità dello stile (del resto contenuto e stile sono l'indivisibile connubio che identifica chi scrive come capace o incapace); procede con prosa piatta e convenzionale e ogni tanto cerca di accalappiare il lettore con qualche pretenzioso amo retorico.
Frasi come "Le rughe le disegnavano sul lato esterno degli occhi una minuscola pinna caudale che li faceva somigliare a due pesciolini" o "I gemelli dormivano su un fianco, la guancia schiacciata contro il braccio, la bocca aperta come una O compressa, deformata", e "sulla sua faccia cremosa, il sorriso si allargò come l’impronta di un dito"...fino ad arrivare al ridicolo "La notte in cui mi avvisò della licenza invece fu come ricevere una porta in faccia" sono solo alcuni degli esempi.
La Postorino, poi, ha letteralmente copiato l'argomento dell'incompatibilità della merda e Dio dall'intramontabile capolavoro di Kundera (L'insostenibile leggerezza dell'essere, capitolo sul Kitsch) mettendolo in bocca al marito ingegnere, a cui l'andar soldato sviluppa il bernoccolo del ragionamento filosofico.
Ci sarebbero molti altri esempi di banalità, qualunquismo, cattivo gusto, artificio...ma per non imperversare concludo con questa perla:
[Hitler] "aveva trascorso la notte a rosicchiarsi le unghie, giusto per mettere qualcosa sotto i denti"...
Che dire?Sciatto, inqualificabile.
Eppur premiato. Bah.
Completo il giudizio, dopo avere letto altre parti del libro :
Questo è un romanzo furbetto e artefatto: sia per la banalizzazione del contenuto, ridotto a feuilleton, sia per la banalità dello stile (del resto contenuto e stile sono l'indivisibile connubio che identifica chi scrive come capace o incapace); procede con prosa piatta e convenzionale e ogni tanto cerca di accalappiare il lettore con qualche pretenzioso amo retorico.
Frasi come "Le rughe le disegnavano sul lato esterno degli occhi una minuscola pinna caudale che li faceva somigliare a due pesciolini" o "I gemelli dormivano su un fianco, la guancia schiacciata contro il braccio, la bocca aperta come una O compressa, deformata", e "sulla sua faccia cremosa, il sorriso si allargò come l’impronta di un dito"...fino ad arrivare al ridicolo "La notte in cui mi avvisò della licenza invece fu come ricevere una porta in faccia" sono solo alcuni degli esempi.
La Postorino, poi, ha letteralmente copiato l'argomento dell'incompatibilità della merda e Dio dall'intramontabile capolavoro di Kundera (L'insostenibile leggerezza dell'essere, capitolo sul Kitsch) mettendolo in bocca al marito ingegnere, a cui l'andar soldato sviluppa il bernoccolo del ragionamento filosofico.
Ci sarebbero molti altri esempi di banalità, qualunquismo, cattivo gusto, artificio...ma per non imperversare concludo con questa perla:
[Hitler] "aveva trascorso la notte a rosicchiarsi le unghie, giusto per mettere qualcosa sotto i denti"...
September 10, 2019
The Women at Hitler’s Table is U.K. title
This excellent book is based on the true story of Margot Wolk who died in 2014 aged 96, the last of Hitlers poison testers. The central character is Rosa Sauer, the place is Wolfsschanze, the Wolf’s Lair in East Prussia where 10 disparate women become test animals or digestive tracts as Hitlers paranoia extends to concern that his food may be poisoned. Rosa, from Berlin is married to Gregor who is at the front and so she goes to live with his parents in E Prussia, her own being dead. There she is rounded up to become a taster. Rosa tells her story from her early life in Berlin where Germans were licking their defeated war wounds and suffering from the revengeful Treaty of Versailles through to hyperinflation and the rise of Hitler and then to the war years and defeat. Rosa makes it clear she is not a Nazi but yet the war makes her collaborative through force but she even becomes the lover of an SS Officer and that is choice. The story is so well told with the writing flowing extremely well. The style is simplistic but it works very well as it matches what Rosa is reporting. Part of the story is told through food and we learn a lot of things I probably rather wouldn’t about Hitlers digestive tract. Some of the women are ardent Hitler supporters, they see him as the messiah and would marry him if they could - the group called them The Fanatics. Ardent and fanatical Nazism is well described and the novel weaves real events and real people into the narrative. For example, Rosa meets Claus von Stauffenberg and his plot to kill Hitler is included.
A few of the girls like Rosa are there because they are forced to be and they go through the motions in order to survive. Some of these women support each other through the hardships. Rosa’s personality is changed by her experiences and when her husband goes missing from the Eastern Front and is presumed dead, she becomes very detached, feels nothing and cares little if she lives or dies. I think that there are many occasions when Rosa buries her head in the sand, preferring not to know the truth of what is going on, she shuts down and never asks questions, preferring ignorance. I found this hard although I know it’s true and I felt a real jolt when she talks of dictatorship and how they had no alternative, which becomes her alibi. She, like many others, sleep walk through these years for a variety of reasons.
There are many things I admired about this book. I found it very easy to read and horribly fascinating. However, I am uncertain about the final part and the jump in time to 1990. Although this section did tie up some loose ends I think the writing in this section is not as effortless as the rest. I do understand Rosa’s motives for survival lie in letting things rest and I’m certain that is how many went on to cope post 1945. Overall, I think this is an excellent book and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.
Many thanks to Harper Collins for the chance to read this book.
This excellent book is based on the true story of Margot Wolk who died in 2014 aged 96, the last of Hitlers poison testers. The central character is Rosa Sauer, the place is Wolfsschanze, the Wolf’s Lair in East Prussia where 10 disparate women become test animals or digestive tracts as Hitlers paranoia extends to concern that his food may be poisoned. Rosa, from Berlin is married to Gregor who is at the front and so she goes to live with his parents in E Prussia, her own being dead. There she is rounded up to become a taster. Rosa tells her story from her early life in Berlin where Germans were licking their defeated war wounds and suffering from the revengeful Treaty of Versailles through to hyperinflation and the rise of Hitler and then to the war years and defeat. Rosa makes it clear she is not a Nazi but yet the war makes her collaborative through force but she even becomes the lover of an SS Officer and that is choice. The story is so well told with the writing flowing extremely well. The style is simplistic but it works very well as it matches what Rosa is reporting. Part of the story is told through food and we learn a lot of things I probably rather wouldn’t about Hitlers digestive tract. Some of the women are ardent Hitler supporters, they see him as the messiah and would marry him if they could - the group called them The Fanatics. Ardent and fanatical Nazism is well described and the novel weaves real events and real people into the narrative. For example, Rosa meets Claus von Stauffenberg and his plot to kill Hitler is included.
A few of the girls like Rosa are there because they are forced to be and they go through the motions in order to survive. Some of these women support each other through the hardships. Rosa’s personality is changed by her experiences and when her husband goes missing from the Eastern Front and is presumed dead, she becomes very detached, feels nothing and cares little if she lives or dies. I think that there are many occasions when Rosa buries her head in the sand, preferring not to know the truth of what is going on, she shuts down and never asks questions, preferring ignorance. I found this hard although I know it’s true and I felt a real jolt when she talks of dictatorship and how they had no alternative, which becomes her alibi. She, like many others, sleep walk through these years for a variety of reasons.
There are many things I admired about this book. I found it very easy to read and horribly fascinating. However, I am uncertain about the final part and the jump in time to 1990. Although this section did tie up some loose ends I think the writing in this section is not as effortless as the rest. I do understand Rosa’s motives for survival lie in letting things rest and I’m certain that is how many went on to cope post 1945. Overall, I think this is an excellent book and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.
Many thanks to Harper Collins for the chance to read this book.
December 31, 2022
2.5 stars, rounded down. Didn't follow through with what was promised.
Let’s talk about the pace of this book first. It was a slow start. It took me 140 pages (all of Part 1 and the beginning of Part 2) to emotionally connect with Rosa. Given that the book is only 275 pages, that’s a significant amount of time spent on building Rosa’s moral struggle without being exposed to it.
I’m not sure how to describe the content of this book. It narrates the victimhood of members within the Third Reich, but never truly exposes the darkness of it. Maybe that’s what’s bothersome - the fear and isolation of being caught in this profound moral dilemma are held at arm’s length. Postorino never fully delves into it. And though her writing is so lyrical and vivid that you can quite literally picture the scene she’s depicting, you can’t attune your emotions to match.
Rosa struggles with her disassociation from humanity. She’s too fearful to stand up for what is right, and then condemns those who do the same. It’s a horrible paradox - that choosing the right thing is basically choosing death. And yet, to continue living is, in fact, a death of its own. Because one must live with the deep consequence of not making the right decision.
Which leads me to the end of the book. I found it a cop-out. It followed the very behavior of Rosa’s cowardice, which was to run away.
Part 3 seemed written as an afterthought or by an entirely different author. It didn’t even have the same rhythm as parts 1 and 2. And it lacked any form of wisdom. In fact, it was petty in nature.
This is hard. This subject is so pivotal within human history that anything stemming from it can’t be taken casually. I think the perspective was fresh (and I remain respectful to Margot Wolk, whom this was loosely based off of), but the thoroughness lacked.
Thank you to Flatiron for the advanced copy.
Let’s talk about the pace of this book first. It was a slow start. It took me 140 pages (all of Part 1 and the beginning of Part 2) to emotionally connect with Rosa. Given that the book is only 275 pages, that’s a significant amount of time spent on building Rosa’s moral struggle without being exposed to it.
I’m not sure how to describe the content of this book. It narrates the victimhood of members within the Third Reich, but never truly exposes the darkness of it. Maybe that’s what’s bothersome - the fear and isolation of being caught in this profound moral dilemma are held at arm’s length. Postorino never fully delves into it. And though her writing is so lyrical and vivid that you can quite literally picture the scene she’s depicting, you can’t attune your emotions to match.
Rosa struggles with her disassociation from humanity. She’s too fearful to stand up for what is right, and then condemns those who do the same. It’s a horrible paradox - that choosing the right thing is basically choosing death. And yet, to continue living is, in fact, a death of its own. Because one must live with the deep consequence of not making the right decision.
Which leads me to the end of the book. I found it a cop-out. It followed the very behavior of Rosa’s cowardice, which was to run away.
Part 3 seemed written as an afterthought or by an entirely different author. It didn’t even have the same rhythm as parts 1 and 2. And it lacked any form of wisdom. In fact, it was petty in nature.
This is hard. This subject is so pivotal within human history that anything stemming from it can’t be taken casually. I think the perspective was fresh (and I remain respectful to Margot Wolk, whom this was loosely based off of), but the thoroughness lacked.
Thank you to Flatiron for the advanced copy.
June 25, 2018
Ci stavo girando attorno da un po', a questo libro. Da un lato mi attirava l'argomento (titolo e sinossi acchiapponi, a posteriori: avrebbe potuto essere ambientato in Corea del Nord, e loro essere le Assaggiatri di Kim, il contesto nazista, Hitler, etc. non fanno realmente parte della storia), dall'altro essendo l'autrice italiana � e avendo io un fortissimo pregiudizio* sugli autori italiani � non ero convintissima. La lettura dell'ottimo La scomparsa di Josef Mengele mi ci ha portato per contiguità.
La trama è ininfluente, perché è un mero pretesto per descrivere le dinamiche relazionali di un ambiente chiuso con dei forti vincoli esterni non gestibili, e le reazioni emotive-sentimentali della protagonista agli stimoli esterni.
Parte bene (la descrizione di un ambiente chiuso, gli echi dittatoriali, le reazioni emotive), sbanda un po' a metà strada (la descrizione della psicologia intra-femminile un po' stereotipata, nessun tentativo di approfondimento, robe buttate lì e lasciate a caso), recupera (fascinazione sentimental/umana per il cattivo, o quantomeno per quello che esercita il potere), si riperde (la Storia entra nella narrazione come elemento decisivo) .... ma nel finale tracolla e precipita.
L'ultimo capitolo sembra appiccicato lì e scritto da un'altra persona, inutile e raffazzonato. Come scrittura e come senso, e toglie forza a tutto quel che viene prima, che già soffriva di una certa discontinuità ma aveva un suo equilibrio interno.
*pregiudizio che ne è uscito rafforzato
La trama è ininfluente, perché è un mero pretesto per descrivere le dinamiche relazionali di un ambiente chiuso con dei forti vincoli esterni non gestibili, e le reazioni emotive-sentimentali della protagonista agli stimoli esterni.
Parte bene (la descrizione di un ambiente chiuso, gli echi dittatoriali, le reazioni emotive), sbanda un po' a metà strada (la descrizione della psicologia intra-femminile un po' stereotipata, nessun tentativo di approfondimento, robe buttate lì e lasciate a caso), recupera (fascinazione sentimental/umana per il cattivo, o quantomeno per quello che esercita il potere), si riperde (la Storia entra nella narrazione come elemento decisivo) .... ma nel finale tracolla e precipita.
L'ultimo capitolo sembra appiccicato lì e scritto da un'altra persona, inutile e raffazzonato. Come scrittura e come senso, e toglie forza a tutto quel che viene prima, che già soffriva di una certa discontinuità ma aveva un suo equilibrio interno.
*pregiudizio che ne è uscito rafforzato
July 5, 2020
2.5/5
Beveik tikros, pusiau tikros, kažkiek tikros, devintas vanduo nuo kisieliaus tikros karo, pokario, tarpkario ir panašių siaubo etapų istorijos jau tapo bene atskiru žanru. Jose telpa viskas - tatuiruotojai, žmonos ir vyrai, Aušvicas ir Hitleris. Nes karo ir romantikos derinys yra lengvų pinigų garantas. Ir nors į Ragautojas žvelgiau kaip į potencialiai šviežią oro gūsį jau per gerklę lendančiame, supopsintame, iš siaubo pinigų mašina paverstame žanre, visgi likau paprasčiausiai... Nuobodžiaujanti. Nes knyga nėra parašyta blogai. Bet ji neįtraukia. Ji blanki ir beskonė, prėska ir beveidė, tokia drungna ir pastovėjusi, parašyta tarsi be meilės ir polėkio, taip daugiau apie nieką ir apie viską, nė trupučio neišnaudojant temos baisumo ir įspūdingumo.
Autorė sklendžia kažkur paviršiumi, net nebandydama kapstyti giliau, nebandydama nei stebinti, nei gąsdinti - knygoje veiksmas eina sava vaga, šokinėja laike ir miestuose, tačiau vis pagaudavau save pametančią mintį � ne dėl to, kad ją sekti būtų sudėtinga, o dėl to, kad paprasčiausiai nedomina pakankamai, kad norėčiau siūlo galo įsikibti. Ir jaučiausi lyg sėdėdama su svečiais, kurie jau truputį užsibuvo: labai jūs faini, o ir pati jus pasikviečiau, bet man dar indus reikia susiplaut ir rytoj į darbą. Liūdniausia „Ragautojose� tai, kad čia tiek potencialo � absoliučiai jėginė idėja, visai įdomaus santykio (tarp mylimųjų, buvusių mylimųjų, kartu sumestų kenčiančiųjų) užuomazga, akivaizdus autorės sugebėjimas valdyti žodį, milžiniškas įdomių veikėjų kūrimo potencialas. Vis dėlto, užuominos ir keli pažadai netampa stipriu pamatu � jų tiesiog nėra gana. Tema rodosi tokia neišnaudota, jog jaučiuosi bene apgauta: buvau sugundyta ragautojų, Hitlerio, Reicho byrėjimo nuojautų, o pasijaučiau kaip žmogus, įėjęs į virtuvę, kurioje neseniai buvo gaminta: nosį kutena malonūs kvapai, bet tau porcijos niekas nepaliko.
Ar bus knygos gerbėjų? Neabejoju. Bet kita vertus, jų buvo ir kalbai pasisukus apie Aušvico tatuiruotoją. Ir nors ne kartą viešai deklaravau savo nemeilę tokiam siaubingam tragedijos supopsinimui, dabar pasijaučiau bene problemos dalimi � pati buvau suviliota pažadu, kuris ne tik kad neliko ištęsėtas, bet dar ir suerzino. Todėl tokiems kaip aš tebūnie tai būna įspėjimas � ragautojos čia veikiau fonas. Hitleris veikiau baubas po lova. Autorė daugiau dėmesio skyrė laikmečio mados analizei, nei kad istoriniams faktams. Bet jei ieškote kaip tik to, o tame visai nieko blogo, galbūt Ragautojose rasite kažką sau. O aš pasilieku džiaugtis Kotrynos Šeibokaitės viršeliu ir tikėtis, kad daugiau ant panašaus kabliuko nebeužkibsiu.
Beveik tikros, pusiau tikros, kažkiek tikros, devintas vanduo nuo kisieliaus tikros karo, pokario, tarpkario ir panašių siaubo etapų istorijos jau tapo bene atskiru žanru. Jose telpa viskas - tatuiruotojai, žmonos ir vyrai, Aušvicas ir Hitleris. Nes karo ir romantikos derinys yra lengvų pinigų garantas. Ir nors į Ragautojas žvelgiau kaip į potencialiai šviežią oro gūsį jau per gerklę lendančiame, supopsintame, iš siaubo pinigų mašina paverstame žanre, visgi likau paprasčiausiai... Nuobodžiaujanti. Nes knyga nėra parašyta blogai. Bet ji neįtraukia. Ji blanki ir beskonė, prėska ir beveidė, tokia drungna ir pastovėjusi, parašyta tarsi be meilės ir polėkio, taip daugiau apie nieką ir apie viską, nė trupučio neišnaudojant temos baisumo ir įspūdingumo.
Autorė sklendžia kažkur paviršiumi, net nebandydama kapstyti giliau, nebandydama nei stebinti, nei gąsdinti - knygoje veiksmas eina sava vaga, šokinėja laike ir miestuose, tačiau vis pagaudavau save pametančią mintį � ne dėl to, kad ją sekti būtų sudėtinga, o dėl to, kad paprasčiausiai nedomina pakankamai, kad norėčiau siūlo galo įsikibti. Ir jaučiausi lyg sėdėdama su svečiais, kurie jau truputį užsibuvo: labai jūs faini, o ir pati jus pasikviečiau, bet man dar indus reikia susiplaut ir rytoj į darbą. Liūdniausia „Ragautojose� tai, kad čia tiek potencialo � absoliučiai jėginė idėja, visai įdomaus santykio (tarp mylimųjų, buvusių mylimųjų, kartu sumestų kenčiančiųjų) užuomazga, akivaizdus autorės sugebėjimas valdyti žodį, milžiniškas įdomių veikėjų kūrimo potencialas. Vis dėlto, užuominos ir keli pažadai netampa stipriu pamatu � jų tiesiog nėra gana. Tema rodosi tokia neišnaudota, jog jaučiuosi bene apgauta: buvau sugundyta ragautojų, Hitlerio, Reicho byrėjimo nuojautų, o pasijaučiau kaip žmogus, įėjęs į virtuvę, kurioje neseniai buvo gaminta: nosį kutena malonūs kvapai, bet tau porcijos niekas nepaliko.
Ar bus knygos gerbėjų? Neabejoju. Bet kita vertus, jų buvo ir kalbai pasisukus apie Aušvico tatuiruotoją. Ir nors ne kartą viešai deklaravau savo nemeilę tokiam siaubingam tragedijos supopsinimui, dabar pasijaučiau bene problemos dalimi � pati buvau suviliota pažadu, kuris ne tik kad neliko ištęsėtas, bet dar ir suerzino. Todėl tokiems kaip aš tebūnie tai būna įspėjimas � ragautojos čia veikiau fonas. Hitleris veikiau baubas po lova. Autorė daugiau dėmesio skyrė laikmečio mados analizei, nei kad istoriniams faktams. Bet jei ieškote kaip tik to, o tame visai nieko blogo, galbūt Ragautojose rasite kažką sau. O aš pasilieku džiaugtis Kotrynos Šeibokaitės viršeliu ir tikėtis, kad daugiau ant panašaus kabliuko nebeužkibsiu.
September 10, 2019
A fascinating novel following a young woman named Rosa Sauer, who is selected to be one of Hitler's food tasters. She and nine other women must eat his meals before he does, then wait to see if the food is poisoned.
Throughout the book we get to know the women, some who are absolutely devoted to Hitler and others, like our main character Rosa, who resolutely insist they are not Nazis -- even as they risk their own lives for his, multiple times a day. Not that they have much say in the matter of course.
This was a different perspective to familiar events and one I really valued reading. I loved the ending, the way things were (and weren't) tied up. The final page will stay with me for quite a while I think.
The novel was inspired by the true story of Margot Wolk. The author read an article about her and was inspired to write this novel. I'm glad she did, and thankful it was translated into English from the Italian by Leah Janeczko, which allowed me to be able to read it!
Throughout the book we get to know the women, some who are absolutely devoted to Hitler and others, like our main character Rosa, who resolutely insist they are not Nazis -- even as they risk their own lives for his, multiple times a day. Not that they have much say in the matter of course.
This was a different perspective to familiar events and one I really valued reading. I loved the ending, the way things were (and weren't) tied up. The final page will stay with me for quite a while I think.
The novel was inspired by the true story of Margot Wolk. The author read an article about her and was inspired to write this novel. I'm glad she did, and thankful it was translated into English from the Italian by Leah Janeczko, which allowed me to be able to read it!
September 21, 2019
Germany WWll. There were plenty of people who wanted Hitler dead. One of the ways they tried to protect their leader was to have women assigned to be food tasters. Hitler was convinced that the British were trying to poison him so he hired 10 women to eat every meal one hour before he did.
This book is much more than just food tasting. This is a well researched historical fiction based on war time experiences. The book is based loosely on the real life story of Margot Wolk who was one of Hitlers food tasters for several years. As well as tasting the food, they were observed for one hour after they had eaten. This book was originally released in 2017, written in Italian and called At The Wolf's Table. The book has been translated from Italian into English.
I would like to thank Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Rosella Postorino for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is much more than just food tasting. This is a well researched historical fiction based on war time experiences. The book is based loosely on the real life story of Margot Wolk who was one of Hitlers food tasters for several years. As well as tasting the food, they were observed for one hour after they had eaten. This book was originally released in 2017, written in Italian and called At The Wolf's Table. The book has been translated from Italian into English.
I would like to thank Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Rosella Postorino for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2019
For all reviews and recommendations (and links to article and video) please follow me on Book Nation by Jen.
According to Google, “coming together and sharing a meal is the most communal and binding thing in almost every place in the world�. Eating together, and eating at all is usually considered a good thing, but after reading Rosella Postorino’s latest novel you may just change your mind!
Based on truth, At the Wolf’s Table is about a group of German women in 1943 who are recruited by the Nazis to taste Hitler’s food before each meal to ensure it to be poison-free. As food becomes scarce and people are going hungry, these women are shuttled to the “Wolf’s Lair� in the morning to have full breakfasts and early lunches under the scrutiny of armed Nazi soldiers, then returned home and brought back at the end of the day for full dinners. After forcing themselves to fully consume each course they wait for illness to kick in, eating to stay alive and at the same time fearing death.
Newly married and all alone, Rosa has lost both her parents, her husband Gregor has gone off to war and she has moved to the country to live with her in laws outside of Berlin. She has been recruited as a food taster for Hitler where she “would participate in the liturgy of the lunchroom together with other young German women- an army of worshippers prepared to receive on (our) tongues a Communion that wouldn’t redeem us.� Rosa tries to make friends with the other tasters but relationships between the women are strained; some of them are Nazi supporters, some are not, and some are hiding something; Jewish roots, affairs, pregnancy, rape, abortion…nobody is sure who to trust. Rosa’s husband is declared missing, and as her loneliness intensifies, she develops a risky relationship with one of the soldiers. Will her husband ever be found? Will she escape the perils of war?
At The Wolf’s Lair provides a unique setting that highlights secrets, betrayals and sorrow amidst the constant fear in everyday life during World War ll. I enjoyed this story and recommend it!
Here is an article about one of the real food tasters from WWll�
And a video interview�
According to Google, “coming together and sharing a meal is the most communal and binding thing in almost every place in the world�. Eating together, and eating at all is usually considered a good thing, but after reading Rosella Postorino’s latest novel you may just change your mind!
Based on truth, At the Wolf’s Table is about a group of German women in 1943 who are recruited by the Nazis to taste Hitler’s food before each meal to ensure it to be poison-free. As food becomes scarce and people are going hungry, these women are shuttled to the “Wolf’s Lair� in the morning to have full breakfasts and early lunches under the scrutiny of armed Nazi soldiers, then returned home and brought back at the end of the day for full dinners. After forcing themselves to fully consume each course they wait for illness to kick in, eating to stay alive and at the same time fearing death.
Newly married and all alone, Rosa has lost both her parents, her husband Gregor has gone off to war and she has moved to the country to live with her in laws outside of Berlin. She has been recruited as a food taster for Hitler where she “would participate in the liturgy of the lunchroom together with other young German women- an army of worshippers prepared to receive on (our) tongues a Communion that wouldn’t redeem us.� Rosa tries to make friends with the other tasters but relationships between the women are strained; some of them are Nazi supporters, some are not, and some are hiding something; Jewish roots, affairs, pregnancy, rape, abortion…nobody is sure who to trust. Rosa’s husband is declared missing, and as her loneliness intensifies, she develops a risky relationship with one of the soldiers. Will her husband ever be found? Will she escape the perils of war?
At The Wolf’s Lair provides a unique setting that highlights secrets, betrayals and sorrow amidst the constant fear in everyday life during World War ll. I enjoyed this story and recommend it!
Here is an article about one of the real food tasters from WWll�
And a video interview�
December 29, 2018
Ho letto questo romanzo della Postorino perché scelto nel gruppo di lettura del mio paese, quindi non è stata una mia spontanea scelta averlo fra le mani. L'autrice ci narra le vicende di una ragazza, Rosa, che è stata scelta come assaggiatrice di Hitler: praticamente erano un gruppo di donne che dovevano assaggiare tutto il cibo destinato al dittatore tedesco per evitare che venisse avvelenato, quindi queste donne rischiavano di morire ogni volta che aprivano bocca in poche parole. Durante la narrazione conosceremo le altre sue compagne di sventura e una storia d'amore che sboccerà (più o meno) tra Rosa e una SS.
Se devo essere sincero mi sarei aspettato molto di più da questo romanzo, mi è parso che dopo un certo punto la storia avesse perso di mordente e di interesse, tramutandosi in una sorta di harmony. Questo mi ha fatto abbassare il voto, altrimenti avrei anche dato tre stelline senza problemi. Il finale è incommentabile.
Se devo essere sincero mi sarei aspettato molto di più da questo romanzo, mi è parso che dopo un certo punto la storia avesse perso di mordente e di interesse, tramutandosi in una sorta di harmony. Questo mi ha fatto abbassare il voto, altrimenti avrei anche dato tre stelline senza problemi. Il finale è incommentabile.
February 1, 2018
Un’autrice che non conoscevo; un titolo che ha stimolato la mia curiosità; Una storia che attinge a piene mani dalla realtà stessa. Le assaggiatrice, di fatti, sono esistite ed erano precisamente donne che furono reclutate (ovviamente senza possibilità di rifiutare) per consumare i pasti destinati al Fuhrer. Tutto ebbe inizio nell’autunno del �43, nella Prussia orientale dove nascosto dalla foresta c’era un quartiere generale chiamato Wolfsschanze : la tana del lupo.
La paranoia che gli inglesi potessero contaminare il cibo destinato a Hitler si traduce in colazioni, pranzi e cene propinate a dieci donne che diventano cuscinetti per parare il colpo della morte destinata ad Hitler.
Postorino viene a conoscenza di questa storia attraverso l’unica sopravvissuta, Margot Wolk, che dopo anni di silenzio, alla veneranda età di 96 anni, decide di parlare ().
L’autrice non riuscirà ad incontrala perché la Wolk morirà poco dopo; dunque il romanzo si basa su quell’unica testimonianza e tutte le informazioni che si sono potute recuperare. Del resto c’� un grande lavoro d’immedesimazione che la Postorino ha compiuto partendo dal nome stesso della protagonista che da Margot si tramuta in Rosa ricordandoci il suo stesso nome (Rosella).
Da qui Storia e fantasia s’intrecciano in un ritratto narrativo verosimile che mette in scena tematiche importanti.
Prima tra tutte c’� la sorellanza. Solo alcune si conoscevano in precedenza e, all’improvviso, ci si ritrova a condividere non solo il succulento cibo ma la sensazione continua della Morte. Una comunanza che si fa via via più profonda costruendo una catena di solidarietà tra donne che devono difendersi da un contesto maschile prevaricatore. C’� molta “fisicità�: ci sono corpi sottomessi, corpi che si ribellano ma anche corpi che desiderano come è naturale che sia. Tutto ciò consente di dare uno spessore umano ai protagonisti e, soprattutto, alle protagoniste di questo romanzo.
Quello che mi è parso essere un tema centrale è quello della colpa e della vergogna:
� La colpa collettiva è informe, la vergogna è un sentimento individuale.�
Tutti insieme si vive come sonnambuli che non accettano l’abominevole realtà.
Rosa stessa, che nella sua solitudine ritorna spesso al passato, ricorda le parole del padre di fronte a quel suo lavarsi le mani nei confronti di ciò che stava accadendo in Germania:
� Sei responsabile del regime che tolleri, avrebbe gridato mio padre. L’esistenza di chiunque è consentita dall’ordinamento dello Stato in cui vive, pure quella di un eremita, lo capisci o no? Non sei immune da nessuna colpa politica, Rosa!
Le sue riflessioni diventano, allora, quelle, di un popolo che deve, prima o poi, rendere conto di aver fatto o non fatto determinate scelte:
� Abbiamo vissuto dodici anni sotto una dittatura, e non ce ne siamo quasi accorti. Che cosa permette agli esseri umani di vivere sotto una dittatura?
Non c’era alternativa, questo è il nostro alibi. Ero responsabile soltanto del cibo che ingerivo, un gesto innocuo, mangiare: come può essere una colpa? Si vergognavano, le altre, di vendersi per duecento marchi al mese, ottimo salario e vitto senza paragoni? Di credere, come avevo creduto io, che immorale fosse sacrificare la propria vita, se il sacrificio non serviva a nulla? Io mi vergognavo davanti a mio padre, sebbene mio padre fosse morto, perché la vergogna ha bisogno di un censore per manifestarsi. Non c’era alternativa, dicevamo.�
� Ad ascoltarlo con gli occhi chiusi, il suono della mensa sarebbe stato un suono buono. Il tinnire delle forchette sui piatti, il fruscio dell’acqua versata, il rintocco del vetro sul legno, il ruminare delle bocche, l’acciottolio di passi sul pavimento, l’accavallarsi di voci e versi di uccelli e cani che abbaiano, il rugghio distante di un trattore colto dalle finestre aperte. Sarebbe stato nient’altro che il tempo del convivio; fa tenerezza il bisogno umano di cibarsi per non morire.
Ma se riaprivo gli occhi li vedevo, i guardiani in divisa, le armi cariche, i confini della nostra gabbia, e il rumore di stoviglie tornava a riecheggiare scarno, il suono compresso di qualcosa che sta per esplodere.�
Probabilmente la storia è un pochino troppo edulcorata ma rimane un’interessante lettura.
---------------------------------------------
Incipit
� Entrammo una alla volta. Dopo ore di attesa, in piedi nel corridoio, avevamo bisogno di sederci. La stanza era grande, le pareti bianche. Al centro, un lungo tavolo di legno su cui avevano già apparecchiato per noi. Ci fecero cenno di prendere posto.
Mi sedetti e rimasi così, le mani intrecciate sulla pancia. Davanti a me, un piatto di ceramica bianca. Avevo fame. Le altre donne si erano sistemate senza far rumore. Eravamo in dieci. Alcune stavano dritte e compite, i capelli tirati in uno chignon. Altre si guardavano intorno. La ragazza di fronte a me strappava pellicine con i denti e le triturava sotto gli incisivi. Aveva guance morbide chiazzate di couperose. Aveva fame.
Alle undici del mattino eravamo già affamate. Non dipendeva dall’aria di campagna, dal viaggio in pulmino. Quel buco nello stomaco era paura. Da anni avevamo fame e paura. E quando il profumo delle portate fu sotto il nostro naso, il battito cardiaco picchiò sulle tempie, la bocca si riempì di saliva. Guardai la ragazza con la couperose. Aveva la mia stessa voglia.
I fagiolini erano conditi con il burro fuso. Non mangiavo burro dal giorno del mio matrimonio. L’odore dei peperoni arrostiti mi pizzicava le narici, il mio piatto traboccava, non facevo che fissarlo. In quello della ragazza di fronte a me, invece, c’erano riso e piselli.
“Mangiate,� dissero dall’angolo della sala, ed era poco più che un invito, meno di un ordine. La vedevano, la voglia nei nostri occhi. Bocche dischiuse, respiro accelerato. Esitammo. Nessuno ci aveva augurato buon appetito, e allora forse potevo ancora alzarmi e dire grazie, le galline stamattina sono state generose, per oggi un uovo mi basterà.
Contai di nuovo le convitate. Eravamo in dieci, non era l’ultima cena.�
La paranoia che gli inglesi potessero contaminare il cibo destinato a Hitler si traduce in colazioni, pranzi e cene propinate a dieci donne che diventano cuscinetti per parare il colpo della morte destinata ad Hitler.
Postorino viene a conoscenza di questa storia attraverso l’unica sopravvissuta, Margot Wolk, che dopo anni di silenzio, alla veneranda età di 96 anni, decide di parlare ().
L’autrice non riuscirà ad incontrala perché la Wolk morirà poco dopo; dunque il romanzo si basa su quell’unica testimonianza e tutte le informazioni che si sono potute recuperare. Del resto c’� un grande lavoro d’immedesimazione che la Postorino ha compiuto partendo dal nome stesso della protagonista che da Margot si tramuta in Rosa ricordandoci il suo stesso nome (Rosella).
Da qui Storia e fantasia s’intrecciano in un ritratto narrativo verosimile che mette in scena tematiche importanti.
Prima tra tutte c’� la sorellanza. Solo alcune si conoscevano in precedenza e, all’improvviso, ci si ritrova a condividere non solo il succulento cibo ma la sensazione continua della Morte. Una comunanza che si fa via via più profonda costruendo una catena di solidarietà tra donne che devono difendersi da un contesto maschile prevaricatore. C’� molta “fisicità�: ci sono corpi sottomessi, corpi che si ribellano ma anche corpi che desiderano come è naturale che sia. Tutto ciò consente di dare uno spessore umano ai protagonisti e, soprattutto, alle protagoniste di questo romanzo.
Quello che mi è parso essere un tema centrale è quello della colpa e della vergogna:
� La colpa collettiva è informe, la vergogna è un sentimento individuale.�
Tutti insieme si vive come sonnambuli che non accettano l’abominevole realtà.
Rosa stessa, che nella sua solitudine ritorna spesso al passato, ricorda le parole del padre di fronte a quel suo lavarsi le mani nei confronti di ciò che stava accadendo in Germania:
� Sei responsabile del regime che tolleri, avrebbe gridato mio padre. L’esistenza di chiunque è consentita dall’ordinamento dello Stato in cui vive, pure quella di un eremita, lo capisci o no? Non sei immune da nessuna colpa politica, Rosa!
Le sue riflessioni diventano, allora, quelle, di un popolo che deve, prima o poi, rendere conto di aver fatto o non fatto determinate scelte:
� Abbiamo vissuto dodici anni sotto una dittatura, e non ce ne siamo quasi accorti. Che cosa permette agli esseri umani di vivere sotto una dittatura?
Non c’era alternativa, questo è il nostro alibi. Ero responsabile soltanto del cibo che ingerivo, un gesto innocuo, mangiare: come può essere una colpa? Si vergognavano, le altre, di vendersi per duecento marchi al mese, ottimo salario e vitto senza paragoni? Di credere, come avevo creduto io, che immorale fosse sacrificare la propria vita, se il sacrificio non serviva a nulla? Io mi vergognavo davanti a mio padre, sebbene mio padre fosse morto, perché la vergogna ha bisogno di un censore per manifestarsi. Non c’era alternativa, dicevamo.�
� Ad ascoltarlo con gli occhi chiusi, il suono della mensa sarebbe stato un suono buono. Il tinnire delle forchette sui piatti, il fruscio dell’acqua versata, il rintocco del vetro sul legno, il ruminare delle bocche, l’acciottolio di passi sul pavimento, l’accavallarsi di voci e versi di uccelli e cani che abbaiano, il rugghio distante di un trattore colto dalle finestre aperte. Sarebbe stato nient’altro che il tempo del convivio; fa tenerezza il bisogno umano di cibarsi per non morire.
Ma se riaprivo gli occhi li vedevo, i guardiani in divisa, le armi cariche, i confini della nostra gabbia, e il rumore di stoviglie tornava a riecheggiare scarno, il suono compresso di qualcosa che sta per esplodere.�
Probabilmente la storia è un pochino troppo edulcorata ma rimane un’interessante lettura.
---------------------------------------------
Incipit
� Entrammo una alla volta. Dopo ore di attesa, in piedi nel corridoio, avevamo bisogno di sederci. La stanza era grande, le pareti bianche. Al centro, un lungo tavolo di legno su cui avevano già apparecchiato per noi. Ci fecero cenno di prendere posto.
Mi sedetti e rimasi così, le mani intrecciate sulla pancia. Davanti a me, un piatto di ceramica bianca. Avevo fame. Le altre donne si erano sistemate senza far rumore. Eravamo in dieci. Alcune stavano dritte e compite, i capelli tirati in uno chignon. Altre si guardavano intorno. La ragazza di fronte a me strappava pellicine con i denti e le triturava sotto gli incisivi. Aveva guance morbide chiazzate di couperose. Aveva fame.
Alle undici del mattino eravamo già affamate. Non dipendeva dall’aria di campagna, dal viaggio in pulmino. Quel buco nello stomaco era paura. Da anni avevamo fame e paura. E quando il profumo delle portate fu sotto il nostro naso, il battito cardiaco picchiò sulle tempie, la bocca si riempì di saliva. Guardai la ragazza con la couperose. Aveva la mia stessa voglia.
I fagiolini erano conditi con il burro fuso. Non mangiavo burro dal giorno del mio matrimonio. L’odore dei peperoni arrostiti mi pizzicava le narici, il mio piatto traboccava, non facevo che fissarlo. In quello della ragazza di fronte a me, invece, c’erano riso e piselli.
“Mangiate,� dissero dall’angolo della sala, ed era poco più che un invito, meno di un ordine. La vedevano, la voglia nei nostri occhi. Bocche dischiuse, respiro accelerato. Esitammo. Nessuno ci aveva augurato buon appetito, e allora forse potevo ancora alzarmi e dire grazie, le galline stamattina sono state generose, per oggi un uovo mi basterà.
Contai di nuovo le convitate. Eravamo in dieci, non era l’ultima cena.�
April 22, 2024
"لطالما أدهشتني السهولة التي يُمكن أن يُخفي بها الإنسان جانباً من حياته. والحقيقة أننا لو كنا نستطيع الاطلاع على كل شاذة وفاذة من حياة الآخرين في حينها لأصابنا الجنون. لكي نعيش حياة طبيعية، نحن بحاجة إلى هذا الجهل."
رواية "ذائقة طعام هتلر" هي أقرب لسيرة ذاتية لواحدة من ذائقات طعام هتلر الذي كان يخشى من أن يكون طعامه مُسمماً فكان هناك من يذوق الأكل مُسبقاً له، لكي يطمئن بأنه لن يموت مسموماً. وتلك الذائقة التي نقرأ حكايتها، هي روزا، فتاة من ريف/ قرى المانيا وجدت نفسها فجأة في هذه الوظيفة الحساسة والتي تتقاضى عنها مبلغاً لا بأس به.
في البداية كانت الحكاية جيدة، ومع الاستغراب العام لكل الأجواء الخاصة بتلك الوظيفة، والخوف والظلامية العامة الخاصة بالحرب الدائرة، فكانت الحكاية على قدر من الاهتمام والتشويق، ولكن بالتقدم في الأحداث، وجدت نفسي أدور في تفاصيل فرعية لا قيمة لها على الإطلاق، من علاقات غرامية، وعلاقات بين الذائقات والطبخ والمطبخ والطعام، لا تُسري ولا تُغني من جوع المعرفة عن تلك الحكاية التي من المُفترض أن تكون أهم من ذلك.
"قد يكف المرء عن الوجود مع أنه لا يزال على قيد الحياة."
لا أنكر أن هناك شق جيد في الحكاية ولكن بمرور الوقت يظل يقل ويقل ويقل، حتى وجدت نفسي في آخر الصفحات أمني نفسي أن تنتهي الرواية/السيرة، وذلك أهم دليل عندي أن الكتاب كان سيئاً للغاية، ولكني أقرأ لكي أحاول أن أرى الصورة الكاملة للرواية، وهي بكل تأكيد سيئة جداً.
December 28, 2020
นิยายแปลจากภาษาอิตาล� โด� Rosella Postorino ต้นฉบับกวาดรางวัลมากมายในอิตาล� แปลอย่างลื่นไหลโดย สิรีธร ถาวรปิยกุล ถ่ายทอดเรื่องราวขอ� โรซา เซาเออร์ หญิงสาวชาวเยอรมัน สมาชิก “หน่วยชิมอาหาร� ของฮิตเลอร์ ผู้นำนาซีสมัยสงครามโลกครั้งที่สอ�
ตัวละครและเรื่องราวเป็นเรื่องแต่� แต่หน่วยชิมอาหารที่มีหน้าที่ป้องกันการลอบวางยาพิษสังหารฮิตเลอร์มีตัวตนจริงๆ ในประวัติศาสตร� ผู้เขียนได้แรงบันดาลใจจากชีวิตจริงขอ� มาร์ก๊อต โว้ก (Margot Wölk) สมาชิกคนสุดท้ายของหน่วยชิมอาหารให้ผู้นำนาซ� เธอล่วงลับไปในป� 2014 ในวั� 96 ปี ก่อนที่ผู้เขียนจะมีโอกาสได้พบปะ จึงตัดสินใจนำเรื่องราวของเธอมาแต่งเป็นนิยาย
หนังสือเล่าเรื่องจากมุมมองบุคคลที่หนึ่� จากสายตาของโรซ� เปิดฉากตั้งแต่ตอนที่เธอได้รับมอบหมายงานที่ไม่อยากทำ แต่ถูกยัดเยียดให้ท� สลับฉากกับการย้อนรำลึกอดีตในวัยเด็กกับน้องชายที่ขาดการติดต่อกันไปนาน และคืนวันอันแสนสุขก่อนและหลังแต่งงานกั� เกรกอร์ ชายที่สมัครใจไปร่วมรบอยู่แดนหน้าในนามทหารนาซ� หลังจากที่เขาแต่งงานกับโรซาได้ไม่นา�
สำนวนแปลราบรื่� ได้อรรถรสกลมกล่อมด้วยรายละเอียดของชีวิตประจำวันและความซับซ้อนของตัวละคร ที่ชอบเป็นพิเศษคือการบรรยายนิสัยและปูมหลังของสมาชิกหน่วยชิมอาหา� สาวน้อยสาวใหญ่ที่ล้วนถูกบังคับมาทำงานเสี่ยงเป็นเสี่ยงตาย และกลายมาเป็นเพื่อนจำเป็นของกันและกั� โรซานับว่าลำบากกว่าใครเพื่อ� เพราะความเป็� “สาวเบอร์ลิน� (ชาวเมืองหลวงผู้โก้หร�) ของเธอทำให้ผู้หญิงคนอื่นไม่ชอบขี้หน้าตั้งแต่แรกพ� มองว่าเธอหยิ่งและทำตัวเหนือคนอื่น
แง่มุมต่าง� ของสังคมเยอรมันสมัยฮิตเลอร์เรืองอำนาจถูกถ่ายทอดอย่างบรรจงและตรงตามประวัติศาสตร� ตั้งแต่วิธีกระพือลัทธิคลั่งชาต� วิธีที่คนเยอรมันปิดหูตัวเองจากเสียงเพรียกแห่งมโนธรรม อาทิ บอกตัวเองซ้ำๆ ว่� “ฉันเพียงแต่ทำตามหน้าที่� โดยที่ไม่คิดว่าหน้าที่นั้นนำไปสู่อะไ� วิธีโฆษณาชวนเชื่อของพรรคนาซ� ฯล� รวมถึงเกร็ดเล็กเกร็ดน้อยเกี่ยวกับผู้นำนาซีเอง เช่� ความที่เขาไม่ชอบกินเนื้อเพราะเป็นคนรักสัตว�
ความท้าทายต่าง� ที่โรซาต้องเผชิญ สุดท้ายมักเป็นเรื่องของการเผชิญหน้ากับการค่อย� สูญเสียความเป็นมนุษย์ของตัวเธอเองไปทีละน้อย นิยายเรื่องนี้ถักทอและถ่ายทอดความขัดแย้งในจิตใจของเธอออกมาได้ดีมา� โดยเฉพาะในช่วงท้าย� ของสงครามที่โรซาเริ่มรู้ว่าเธอกำลังจะอยู่ผิดข้างของประวัติศาสตร์ หากแต่ต้องหาทางเอาตัวรอดต่อไปให้ได�
ขัดใจอยู่นิดเดียวที่ตอนสุดท้ายของเรื่องค่อนข้างรวบรั� ไร้ซึ่งบทบรรยายละเอียดลออหรือความอิหลักอิเหลื่อทางศีลธรรมที่โรซาต้องเผชิญ(โดยไม่เคยอยาก)ตลอดทั้งเล่� คิดว่าฉากจบห้วนเกินไปมาก เหมือนผู้เขียนพยายามคลายปมต่าง� ในจิตใจตัวละครให้ออกมาราบรื่� (เหมือนฉากจบละครไท� 55) ความรู้สึกจึงออกมาประดักประเดิ� ไม่สมจริงหรือน่าติดตามเท่ากับตอนต้นและกลางเรื่อ� แต่โดยรวมก็เป็นหนังสือที่ชอบที่สุดเล่มหนึ่งในรอบหลายป� ทำให้อยากไปอ่านหนังสือที่เล่าเรื่องจากมุมมองขอ� “ผู้กระทำ� (ตามคำพิพากษาของประวัติศาสตร์) อีกหลายเล่�
ตัวละครและเรื่องราวเป็นเรื่องแต่� แต่หน่วยชิมอาหารที่มีหน้าที่ป้องกันการลอบวางยาพิษสังหารฮิตเลอร์มีตัวตนจริงๆ ในประวัติศาสตร� ผู้เขียนได้แรงบันดาลใจจากชีวิตจริงขอ� มาร์ก๊อต โว้ก (Margot Wölk) สมาชิกคนสุดท้ายของหน่วยชิมอาหารให้ผู้นำนาซ� เธอล่วงลับไปในป� 2014 ในวั� 96 ปี ก่อนที่ผู้เขียนจะมีโอกาสได้พบปะ จึงตัดสินใจนำเรื่องราวของเธอมาแต่งเป็นนิยาย
หนังสือเล่าเรื่องจากมุมมองบุคคลที่หนึ่� จากสายตาของโรซ� เปิดฉากตั้งแต่ตอนที่เธอได้รับมอบหมายงานที่ไม่อยากทำ แต่ถูกยัดเยียดให้ท� สลับฉากกับการย้อนรำลึกอดีตในวัยเด็กกับน้องชายที่ขาดการติดต่อกันไปนาน และคืนวันอันแสนสุขก่อนและหลังแต่งงานกั� เกรกอร์ ชายที่สมัครใจไปร่วมรบอยู่แดนหน้าในนามทหารนาซ� หลังจากที่เขาแต่งงานกับโรซาได้ไม่นา�
สำนวนแปลราบรื่� ได้อรรถรสกลมกล่อมด้วยรายละเอียดของชีวิตประจำวันและความซับซ้อนของตัวละคร ที่ชอบเป็นพิเศษคือการบรรยายนิสัยและปูมหลังของสมาชิกหน่วยชิมอาหา� สาวน้อยสาวใหญ่ที่ล้วนถูกบังคับมาทำงานเสี่ยงเป็นเสี่ยงตาย และกลายมาเป็นเพื่อนจำเป็นของกันและกั� โรซานับว่าลำบากกว่าใครเพื่อ� เพราะความเป็� “สาวเบอร์ลิน� (ชาวเมืองหลวงผู้โก้หร�) ของเธอทำให้ผู้หญิงคนอื่นไม่ชอบขี้หน้าตั้งแต่แรกพ� มองว่าเธอหยิ่งและทำตัวเหนือคนอื่น
แง่มุมต่าง� ของสังคมเยอรมันสมัยฮิตเลอร์เรืองอำนาจถูกถ่ายทอดอย่างบรรจงและตรงตามประวัติศาสตร� ตั้งแต่วิธีกระพือลัทธิคลั่งชาต� วิธีที่คนเยอรมันปิดหูตัวเองจากเสียงเพรียกแห่งมโนธรรม อาทิ บอกตัวเองซ้ำๆ ว่� “ฉันเพียงแต่ทำตามหน้าที่� โดยที่ไม่คิดว่าหน้าที่นั้นนำไปสู่อะไ� วิธีโฆษณาชวนเชื่อของพรรคนาซ� ฯล� รวมถึงเกร็ดเล็กเกร็ดน้อยเกี่ยวกับผู้นำนาซีเอง เช่� ความที่เขาไม่ชอบกินเนื้อเพราะเป็นคนรักสัตว�
ความท้าทายต่าง� ที่โรซาต้องเผชิญ สุดท้ายมักเป็นเรื่องของการเผชิญหน้ากับการค่อย� สูญเสียความเป็นมนุษย์ของตัวเธอเองไปทีละน้อย นิยายเรื่องนี้ถักทอและถ่ายทอดความขัดแย้งในจิตใจของเธอออกมาได้ดีมา� โดยเฉพาะในช่วงท้าย� ของสงครามที่โรซาเริ่มรู้ว่าเธอกำลังจะอยู่ผิดข้างของประวัติศาสตร์ หากแต่ต้องหาทางเอาตัวรอดต่อไปให้ได�
ขัดใจอยู่นิดเดียวที่ตอนสุดท้ายของเรื่องค่อนข้างรวบรั� ไร้ซึ่งบทบรรยายละเอียดลออหรือความอิหลักอิเหลื่อทางศีลธรรมที่โรซาต้องเผชิญ(โดยไม่เคยอยาก)ตลอดทั้งเล่� คิดว่าฉากจบห้วนเกินไปมาก เหมือนผู้เขียนพยายามคลายปมต่าง� ในจิตใจตัวละครให้ออกมาราบรื่� (เหมือนฉากจบละครไท� 55) ความรู้สึกจึงออกมาประดักประเดิ� ไม่สมจริงหรือน่าติดตามเท่ากับตอนต้นและกลางเรื่อ� แต่โดยรวมก็เป็นหนังสือที่ชอบที่สุดเล่มหนึ่งในรอบหลายป� ทำให้อยากไปอ่านหนังสือที่เล่าเรื่องจากมุมมองขอ� “ผู้กระทำ� (ตามคำพิพากษาของประวัติศาสตร์) อีกหลายเล่�
October 10, 2018
Da studentessa e amante della storia la prospettiva che il libro indaga mi ha subito interessato.
E' affascinante e deprimente insieme scoprire che Hitler utilizzava "assaggiatrici" per evitare di essere avvelenato.
La prima domanda che mi è venuta spontanea, anche prima di leggere il libro, è stata: Come mai erano solo donne a fare da assaggiatrici?
La risposta è venuta durante la presentazione del libro a cui ho assistito. E' stata l'autrice stessa a rimarcare quanto il regime nazista fosse maschilista. E poi, nel libro, viene spesso ripetuta una frase che fa drizzare le orecchie. Le donne sono come la massa; la massa è come le donne. Abbandonate, cieche, da guidare forse.
Rosella Postorino, come ha raccontato durante la presentazione, ha tratto ispirazione da un articolo che parlava di una delle ultime assaggiatrici di Hitler. Il suo libro è una libera interpretazione della vita di quella donna che visse sul suo corpo la guerra, in un modo particolare. Ma non meno intenso.
Cosa ho apprezzato del libro: innanzitutto la prosa. Rosella Postorino conosce senz'altro tutti gli artifici del mestiere. Usa le parole in modo accurato, spesso tagliente, e riesce a descrivere il mondo sensoriale della protagonista in modo ottimo. Basta una frase, qualche parola, e riusciamo a figurarci il corpo di lei, il dolore, le tenebre che la avvolgono. Ma anche il piacere, un piacere colpevole.
In secondo luogo, il mondo metaforico che c'è nel libro. Il cibo diventa una metafora esattamente come il corpo, e queste metafore sono scandite alla perfezione. Corpo e cibo possono rappresentare uno strumento di piacere e uno strumento di dolore; attraverso il cibo il corpo cambia, vive o muore.
"Il cibo è un pericolo" dice la madre di Rosa ( la protagonista ) "Mangiare è pericoloso."
Ma è solo quando Rosa diviene a tutti gli effetti una assaggiatrice che si rende conto di quanto il cibo sia pericoloso. Ogni boccone potrebbe essere l'ultimo.
Mangiare significa vivere, per lei e le sue compagne, ma potrebbe significare morte.
Il corpo è l'altra metafora affascinante. Durante la guerra, come ci insegnano libri ben più famosi di questo, libri che abbiamo studiato anche a scuola, il corpo di un uomo viene sempre fatto oggetto di mortificazione. I corpi sono dimenticati, maltrattati, violentati in ogni modo.
E se un corpo volesse sopravvivere, invece? Se ai desideri morali si sovrapponesse il richiamo della vita? Questo è un tema davvero molto importante, perché non dobbiamo mai dimenticare di essere fatti di carne.
Il corpo che cambia, che brama. Che cerca di sopravvivere. Che ha bisogno anche solo di un abbraccio. Oggi ci potrebbe sembrare assurdo - la mancanza di un abbraccio - perché ne riceviamo tanti. Ma in tempo di guerra non era affatto scontato dovere aspettare mesi, anni, una vita. Perché si rimaneva soli.
Le cose che ho apprezzato di meno: l'insistenza della storia d'amore di Rosa con un tenente delle SS. Penso che sia stato un elemento importante, della trama, ma mi sarebbe piaciuto leggere di meno dei loro incontri. Io, forse perché amo molti i fatti storici, avrei preferito uno sguardo più ampio sul lato della guerra. Però mi rendo conto che questo è un romanzo che si basa su una prospettiva più intima, non voglio dire "femminile" ma certamente posso dire "umana". E' un libro intimo.
Ci sono molti spunti, nel libro, da cui trarre argomenti di riflessione, e per questo motivo va sicuramente promosso. Io direi tre stelle.
E' affascinante e deprimente insieme scoprire che Hitler utilizzava "assaggiatrici" per evitare di essere avvelenato.
La prima domanda che mi è venuta spontanea, anche prima di leggere il libro, è stata: Come mai erano solo donne a fare da assaggiatrici?
La risposta è venuta durante la presentazione del libro a cui ho assistito. E' stata l'autrice stessa a rimarcare quanto il regime nazista fosse maschilista. E poi, nel libro, viene spesso ripetuta una frase che fa drizzare le orecchie. Le donne sono come la massa; la massa è come le donne. Abbandonate, cieche, da guidare forse.
Rosella Postorino, come ha raccontato durante la presentazione, ha tratto ispirazione da un articolo che parlava di una delle ultime assaggiatrici di Hitler. Il suo libro è una libera interpretazione della vita di quella donna che visse sul suo corpo la guerra, in un modo particolare. Ma non meno intenso.
Cosa ho apprezzato del libro: innanzitutto la prosa. Rosella Postorino conosce senz'altro tutti gli artifici del mestiere. Usa le parole in modo accurato, spesso tagliente, e riesce a descrivere il mondo sensoriale della protagonista in modo ottimo. Basta una frase, qualche parola, e riusciamo a figurarci il corpo di lei, il dolore, le tenebre che la avvolgono. Ma anche il piacere, un piacere colpevole.
In secondo luogo, il mondo metaforico che c'è nel libro. Il cibo diventa una metafora esattamente come il corpo, e queste metafore sono scandite alla perfezione. Corpo e cibo possono rappresentare uno strumento di piacere e uno strumento di dolore; attraverso il cibo il corpo cambia, vive o muore.
"Il cibo è un pericolo" dice la madre di Rosa ( la protagonista ) "Mangiare è pericoloso."
Ma è solo quando Rosa diviene a tutti gli effetti una assaggiatrice che si rende conto di quanto il cibo sia pericoloso. Ogni boccone potrebbe essere l'ultimo.
Mangiare significa vivere, per lei e le sue compagne, ma potrebbe significare morte.
Il corpo è l'altra metafora affascinante. Durante la guerra, come ci insegnano libri ben più famosi di questo, libri che abbiamo studiato anche a scuola, il corpo di un uomo viene sempre fatto oggetto di mortificazione. I corpi sono dimenticati, maltrattati, violentati in ogni modo.
E se un corpo volesse sopravvivere, invece? Se ai desideri morali si sovrapponesse il richiamo della vita? Questo è un tema davvero molto importante, perché non dobbiamo mai dimenticare di essere fatti di carne.
Il corpo che cambia, che brama. Che cerca di sopravvivere. Che ha bisogno anche solo di un abbraccio. Oggi ci potrebbe sembrare assurdo - la mancanza di un abbraccio - perché ne riceviamo tanti. Ma in tempo di guerra non era affatto scontato dovere aspettare mesi, anni, una vita. Perché si rimaneva soli.
Le cose che ho apprezzato di meno: l'insistenza della storia d'amore di Rosa con un tenente delle SS. Penso che sia stato un elemento importante, della trama, ma mi sarebbe piaciuto leggere di meno dei loro incontri. Io, forse perché amo molti i fatti storici, avrei preferito uno sguardo più ampio sul lato della guerra. Però mi rendo conto che questo è un romanzo che si basa su una prospettiva più intima, non voglio dire "femminile" ma certamente posso dire "umana". E' un libro intimo.
Ci sono molti spunti, nel libro, da cui trarre argomenti di riflessione, e per questo motivo va sicuramente promosso. Io direi tre stelle.
May 31, 2021
Cara Rosella Postorino, perdonami la schiettezza, ma la prossima volta che dovessi imbatterti in una storia vera che merita di essere raccontata e romanzata, lascia che a farlo sia qualcun altro.
Una protagonista con una storia carica di drammaticità è stata trasformata in una donnetta insulsa. Posso solo allietarmi del fatto che la donna a cui questa storia si è ispirata non abbia mai avuto modo di leggere questo romanzo.
Se almeno avessi voluto scrivere un romanzetto rosa o uno di quei libri in cui le protagoniste sono delle disadattate con la sindrome di Stoccolma! Se almeno avessi avuto questa dichiarata intenzione, avrei potuto capire l'amore di Rosa (la protagonista) con un nazista psicotico stalker... me ne sarei fatta una ragione! E il furto del latte? Quanto è dannatamente stupido e poco credibile? E l'ebrea infiltrata? Mi sembra quanto meno una scelta banale e prevedibile..
La copertina era bella, però.
Una protagonista con una storia carica di drammaticità è stata trasformata in una donnetta insulsa. Posso solo allietarmi del fatto che la donna a cui questa storia si è ispirata non abbia mai avuto modo di leggere questo romanzo.
Se almeno avessi voluto scrivere un romanzetto rosa o uno di quei libri in cui le protagoniste sono delle disadattate con la sindrome di Stoccolma! Se almeno avessi avuto questa dichiarata intenzione, avrei potuto capire l'amore di Rosa (la protagonista) con un nazista psicotico stalker... me ne sarei fatta una ragione! E il furto del latte? Quanto è dannatamente stupido e poco credibile? E l'ebrea infiltrata? Mi sembra quanto meno una scelta banale e prevedibile..
La copertina era bella, però.
July 20, 2024
“I never had enough of living.� (3.5 stars)
Translated from Italian, author Rosella Postorino’s AT THE WOLF’S TABLE is an interesting book. I liked it, but I think that it tries to be too many things at once.
In short, it is the story of Rosa Sauer, a woman who has left Berlin to live with her in-laws after her parents are killed in the bombs that drop on Berlin. In rural Germany, she is conscripted to be one of Hitler’s food tasters when he is at his headquarters, known as the “Wolf’s Lair.� Rosa’s husband is also missing in action.
Told in the first person, Rosa fills us in on how she came to be where she is, and bit by bit we get backstory and new revelations as they are detailed and revealed by her. The author uses this device well, and there were more than a few times in the novel where I was surprised by something I had just learned. This device is well utilized.
The text is a slow burn, I did not mind that, it is really a character study. As a result, there are few characters, other than Rosa, who are fully rendered. There are a lot of secondary characters in the text, and as mentioned, with only a few exceptions their names and attributes run together. I was never fully aware of who was who. Because they are not distinctly drawn, they tend to jumble together. There are a couple of exceptions to this, and those characters gave me enough to go on to enjoy the book.
Quotes:
� “A person can cease to exist even when alive.�
� “In those who recognize it, weakness awakens guilt.�
� “Often, sharing a secret doesn’t bring people together-it separates them.�
� “It’s endearing, the human need to eat so as not to die.�
� “People use love to justify all kinds of things.�
� “Everything considered, life matters so little, and devoting it to someone fills it with meaning.�
� “…how strange, one death that contains another.�
� “It’s deranged, the human species; it’s instincts shouldn’t be heeded.�
� “With time, even the enthusiasm of a miracle dampens.�
� “Marriage is a fluctuating system-it moves in waves, it can always end and always begin again, it has no linear progression, not does it follow logical paths.�
� “When you lose someone, the pain you feel is for yourself�.�
� “The past doesn’t go away, but there’s no need to dredge it up; you can try to let it rest…�
I will say this, the ending was a fascinating take by the writer. I have no other comment than that. I would love to know why she chose to conclude the novel in the way that she did.
I would urge someone who starts this book to stick with it. Get past the first 75 or so pages. It gets better. AT THE WOLF’S TABLE boasts an intriguing premise and plot and it gives some interesting insight into the lives of the German civilian population during WW II.
Translated from Italian, author Rosella Postorino’s AT THE WOLF’S TABLE is an interesting book. I liked it, but I think that it tries to be too many things at once.
In short, it is the story of Rosa Sauer, a woman who has left Berlin to live with her in-laws after her parents are killed in the bombs that drop on Berlin. In rural Germany, she is conscripted to be one of Hitler’s food tasters when he is at his headquarters, known as the “Wolf’s Lair.� Rosa’s husband is also missing in action.
Told in the first person, Rosa fills us in on how she came to be where she is, and bit by bit we get backstory and new revelations as they are detailed and revealed by her. The author uses this device well, and there were more than a few times in the novel where I was surprised by something I had just learned. This device is well utilized.
The text is a slow burn, I did not mind that, it is really a character study. As a result, there are few characters, other than Rosa, who are fully rendered. There are a lot of secondary characters in the text, and as mentioned, with only a few exceptions their names and attributes run together. I was never fully aware of who was who. Because they are not distinctly drawn, they tend to jumble together. There are a couple of exceptions to this, and those characters gave me enough to go on to enjoy the book.
Quotes:
� “A person can cease to exist even when alive.�
� “In those who recognize it, weakness awakens guilt.�
� “Often, sharing a secret doesn’t bring people together-it separates them.�
� “It’s endearing, the human need to eat so as not to die.�
� “People use love to justify all kinds of things.�
� “Everything considered, life matters so little, and devoting it to someone fills it with meaning.�
� “…how strange, one death that contains another.�
� “It’s deranged, the human species; it’s instincts shouldn’t be heeded.�
� “With time, even the enthusiasm of a miracle dampens.�
� “Marriage is a fluctuating system-it moves in waves, it can always end and always begin again, it has no linear progression, not does it follow logical paths.�
� “When you lose someone, the pain you feel is for yourself�.�
� “The past doesn’t go away, but there’s no need to dredge it up; you can try to let it rest…�
I will say this, the ending was a fascinating take by the writer. I have no other comment than that. I would love to know why she chose to conclude the novel in the way that she did.
I would urge someone who starts this book to stick with it. Get past the first 75 or so pages. It gets better. AT THE WOLF’S TABLE boasts an intriguing premise and plot and it gives some interesting insight into the lives of the German civilian population during WW II.
September 7, 2019
This novel is based upon real events, and the life of Margot Wolk, who was the last survivor of Hitler’s food tasters � a fact she, apparently, only divulged at the very end of her life. In this novel, she becomes Rosa Sauer, a Berlin secretary, who has married her boss and is looking forward to a life of contented, marital bliss, when Gregor heads off to war. Then, as the bombs fall, and she finds herself without any family, she relocates � somewhat unwillingly � to the countryside, to stay with her in-law’s.
Being new to the area, and standing out as a city girl in the countryside, brings trouble to Rosa’s door. She is ordered, along with several other women, to become a taster at the Wolf’s Lair. It is 1943 in East Prussia and the tide of war is turning. Although some of the women recruited are keen Party supporters, there is plenty of � pretty open � criticism of the regime. Still, every day, the women sit down to breakfast, lunch and dinner, in order to eat food prepared for Hitler and then wait to check whether or not it has been poisoned. Undoubtedly, even though Hitler’s diet is slightly restricted and vegetarian, the food is much better than the women would normally have and, despite the risks, they mostly seem hungry enough to eat what is put in front of them with gratitude.
Through this novel we learn of the delicate balance of relationships � both between Rosa and her in-law’s and the women who are bussed in to try Hitler’s food. Rosa is the outsider; not part of the community, she stands out with her city shoes and clothes. As such, she both garners the others scorn and their envy. As the book progresses, we get to know the other women better and how their lives, and the war changes them. Overall, a fascinating historical novel, but the style was a little dry. However, as the book was translated, I am not sure whether this was due to the original author’s style, or the translation. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Being new to the area, and standing out as a city girl in the countryside, brings trouble to Rosa’s door. She is ordered, along with several other women, to become a taster at the Wolf’s Lair. It is 1943 in East Prussia and the tide of war is turning. Although some of the women recruited are keen Party supporters, there is plenty of � pretty open � criticism of the regime. Still, every day, the women sit down to breakfast, lunch and dinner, in order to eat food prepared for Hitler and then wait to check whether or not it has been poisoned. Undoubtedly, even though Hitler’s diet is slightly restricted and vegetarian, the food is much better than the women would normally have and, despite the risks, they mostly seem hungry enough to eat what is put in front of them with gratitude.
Through this novel we learn of the delicate balance of relationships � both between Rosa and her in-law’s and the women who are bussed in to try Hitler’s food. Rosa is the outsider; not part of the community, she stands out with her city shoes and clothes. As such, she both garners the others scorn and their envy. As the book progresses, we get to know the other women better and how their lives, and the war changes them. Overall, a fascinating historical novel, but the style was a little dry. However, as the book was translated, I am not sure whether this was due to the original author’s style, or the translation. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
July 15, 2019
Non mi è facile dare un giudizio sul libro. E� ben scritto? Sì, direi di sì, la struttura narrativa presenta anche varie raffinatezze tecniche. E� interessante? Sì, tramite la vicenda fino a poco tempo fa quasi misconosciuta delle assaggiatrici di Hitler- donne tedesche costrette ad assaggiare il cibo per verificare l’assenza di sostanze velenose ()- l’autrice ricostruisce uno squarcio della vita dentro “La tana del Lupo�, la caserma-bunker tedesca in territorio prussiano (oggi polacco) dove Hitler trascorse molto tempo fino all’inizio dell’invasione sovietica. Oltretutto la cornice storica non sacrifica il personaggio: nel romanzo la protagonista è raccontata nel suo drammatico ruolo di vittima che si sente colpevole. Dunque? Dunque il libro non mi ha entusiasmato e non so dire bene il perché. E� un libro senz’anima, forse, mi verrebbe da dire. Mi pare una buona prova di scrittura, ma mi è parsa molto fredda, studiata a tavolino per piacere ed essere interessante. Non ho sentito nulla di palpitante, né una vicinanza profonda dell’autrice ai suo personaggi o alle vicende. Tuttavia potrebbe essere un mio limite, una mancanza di feeling fra me e questo romanzo. Non so.
August 17, 2021
La Murgia dalla quarta di copertina ci intima? Implora! "Leggete 'Le assaggiatrici'. Fatelo vi prego!". Lerner rilancia spericolatamente "La sorpresa e' cresciuta leggendolo: l'ho divorato". Io, piu' modestamente, ho letto questo libro praticamente costretto da un'amica e mal me ne incolse. Non mi spiego come un lavoro del genere possa avere tanti riscontri positivi: una prosa scialba, dialoghi a tratti imbarazzanti del tipo: "Cosa c'e'?" "Come stai?" "Tu?" "Vieni al lago di Moy, domani pomeriggio?" "Va bene". Senza considerare la trama ridotta all'osso e ispirata (vogliamo essere cortesi) a "Senso" di Boito. Persino il grado militare del "bello e dannato" ricompare pari pari, riuscendo nell'impresa di rendere i personaggi assolutamente piatti. Insomma, si capisce che non mi e' piaciuto per niente?! Forse si.
January 29, 2019
My View:
Brilliant!
A narrative that authentically involves you in the war time Germany where the impossible to accept, the dangerous, the unthinkable� is normalised. This is a study of group behaviour; of how social isolation, separation from family support, societal and military control, of how war affects those actively involved in the warfare and those who remain at home. It is also a story of love � in many forms, of violence, of living in perpetual/potential danger and a story of survival.
This is, at times, an intense and emotional read. I was disappointed when I read the last page - I was hungry for more.
Brilliantly written, sensitively translated, this is a great read.
Brilliant!
A narrative that authentically involves you in the war time Germany where the impossible to accept, the dangerous, the unthinkable� is normalised. This is a study of group behaviour; of how social isolation, separation from family support, societal and military control, of how war affects those actively involved in the warfare and those who remain at home. It is also a story of love � in many forms, of violence, of living in perpetual/potential danger and a story of survival.
This is, at times, an intense and emotional read. I was disappointed when I read the last page - I was hungry for more.
Brilliantly written, sensitively translated, this is a great read.
March 17, 2019
I was greatly disappointed by this one. I ended up abandoning the book at 50%. Just was not engaged with the writing or the characters. I recommend The Taster if you are looking for another book about this topic.
July 21, 2022
Si può rischiare di morire ogni giorno? Questo è quello che succede a Rosa, una delle dici assaggiatrici di Hitler. Il loro compito è molto importante: devono assaggiare tre volte al giorno e restare un'ora sotto osservazione, affinché le guardie si accertino che il cibo da servire al Führer non sia avvelenato.
Rosa di trova catapultata in una mensa con dei piatti che deve ingerire per forza, circondata da altre donne. Giovani donne che presto diventeranno amiche e confidenti, il terrore della guerra è costante e universale. La maggior parte di loro è sposata e ha dei figli, Rosa li ha sempre voluti ma il suo matrimonio è durato solo un anno, suo marito Gregor combatte sul fronte russo e lei si è ritrovata da sola a casa dei suoi suoceri, accudita come una figlia. Saranno mesi duri per Rosa, nella speranza di rivedere il marito, ormai lontano da tempo. Ma la paura di morire ogni giorno assaggiando i pasti è costante, eppure deve conviverci. E� la sua vita e il suo lavoro, ma spera che finisca in fretta.
Una storia commovente, intrigante e interessante. Personalmente non conoscevo queste figure delle assaggiatrici e leggere questo libro, che nonostante sia romanzato, narra la storia di vera di Margot Wolk, mi ha fatto venire i brividi. Perché è un libro che narra degli orrori della guerra, della paura costante della morte, della sofferenza che ogni persona viveva in quegli anni.
Narra la storia di una donna forte che diventa fragile dinanzi agli orrori della guerra. Ma nonostante tutto, bisognava sentirsi vivi, poter vivere per quel poco che rimaneva o sfuggire alla guerra. Il finale è stato del tutto inaspettato e mi ha colpito molto. Uno dei libri più belli e toccanti letti quest’anno.
Rosa di trova catapultata in una mensa con dei piatti che deve ingerire per forza, circondata da altre donne. Giovani donne che presto diventeranno amiche e confidenti, il terrore della guerra è costante e universale. La maggior parte di loro è sposata e ha dei figli, Rosa li ha sempre voluti ma il suo matrimonio è durato solo un anno, suo marito Gregor combatte sul fronte russo e lei si è ritrovata da sola a casa dei suoi suoceri, accudita come una figlia. Saranno mesi duri per Rosa, nella speranza di rivedere il marito, ormai lontano da tempo. Ma la paura di morire ogni giorno assaggiando i pasti è costante, eppure deve conviverci. E� la sua vita e il suo lavoro, ma spera che finisca in fretta.
Una storia commovente, intrigante e interessante. Personalmente non conoscevo queste figure delle assaggiatrici e leggere questo libro, che nonostante sia romanzato, narra la storia di vera di Margot Wolk, mi ha fatto venire i brividi. Perché è un libro che narra degli orrori della guerra, della paura costante della morte, della sofferenza che ogni persona viveva in quegli anni.
Narra la storia di una donna forte che diventa fragile dinanzi agli orrori della guerra. Ma nonostante tutto, bisognava sentirsi vivi, poter vivere per quel poco che rimaneva o sfuggire alla guerra. Il finale è stato del tutto inaspettato e mi ha colpito molto. Uno dei libri più belli e toccanti letti quest’anno.
March 7, 2018
Non pensavo fosse una storia di questo tipo, mi ero immaginata che il contesto storico fosse ben argomentato ed invece è solo un flebile pretesto per parlare di altro.
L'ho letto senza coinvolgimento e ho trovato alcuni passaggi sconnessi con il resto della storia. Anche il finale non mi ha convinta. Non so...
L'ho letto senza coinvolgimento e ho trovato alcuni passaggi sconnessi con il resto della storia. Anche il finale non mi ha convinta. Non so...
November 24, 2022
A woman during the Nazi era falls in love. And she tastes food for Hitler himself, but for some reason this little detail that is supposed to be the WHOLE POINT of the books is soon forgotten and traded for a trivial story that could be set in any time, any where. Disappointing.
STYLING: ⭐⭐
ORIGINALITY: ⭐⭐
CHARACTER DEV.: �
PLOT DEV.: �
IMPORTANCE: �
STYLING: ⭐⭐
ORIGINALITY: ⭐⭐
CHARACTER DEV.: �
PLOT DEV.: �
IMPORTANCE: �
March 19, 2019
After about 3/4 of the way through, I'm pulling a DNF. Not sure if it's the translation but the writing is not all that great, the story is not grabbing me and I have no interest in these characters who are not dimensional at all. It all feels a bit clunky and unfortunately I have no desire to know how it all ends.
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