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[The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite] (By: Beatrice Colin) [published: January, 2009]
In the tradition of Michel Faber and Sarah Waters, a literary historical novel about an orphan girl's journey from poverty to film stardom, set against the grand backdrop of World War I Berlin, the cabaret era, the run-up to World War II, and the innovations in art and industry that accompanied it all.
Big, rich, intelligent, and masterfully written, here is a page-turning story of glitter and splendor, drama and love, friendship and identity, and an illuminating account of a period of history that foreshadowed much of the twentieth century.
As the clock chimes the turn of the twentieth century, Lilly Nelly Aphrodite takes her first breath. The illegitimate, orphaned daughter of a cabaret performer, she finds early refuge at a Berlin Catholic orphanage. From there follows a lifetime of reinventions, from orphan to maid, war bride, tingle-tangle nightclub girl, and script typist. Her eventual transformation into one of Germany's leading silent-film stars, and a partner in a remarkable romance that crosses decades and continents, could ultimately cost her everything she has worked for.
Gripping and seductive like few other literary novels, The Glimmer Palace showcases the glamour, spectacle, and theatrical energy of the brief heyday of the Weimar Republic, while at the same time telling the story of that other great twentieth-century illusion--cinema.
Big, rich, intelligent, and masterfully written, here is a page-turning story of glitter and splendor, drama and love, friendship and identity, and an illuminating account of a period of history that foreshadowed much of the twentieth century.
As the clock chimes the turn of the twentieth century, Lilly Nelly Aphrodite takes her first breath. The illegitimate, orphaned daughter of a cabaret performer, she finds early refuge at a Berlin Catholic orphanage. From there follows a lifetime of reinventions, from orphan to maid, war bride, tingle-tangle nightclub girl, and script typist. Her eventual transformation into one of Germany's leading silent-film stars, and a partner in a remarkable romance that crosses decades and continents, could ultimately cost her everything she has worked for.
Gripping and seductive like few other literary novels, The Glimmer Palace showcases the glamour, spectacle, and theatrical energy of the brief heyday of the Weimar Republic, while at the same time telling the story of that other great twentieth-century illusion--cinema.
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First published July 24, 2008
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About the author
Beatrice Colin
13 books243 followersI'm a novelist/radio dramatist. I've written seven novels (two for children) and numerous plays for BBC Radio 4.
My last novel, To Capture What We Cannot Keep was published in late 2016/early 2017.
I am inspired by new places and old books, snatches of conversation and boards on Pinterest (seed catalogues from the 19th century!) I am a list-maker, a grower, on a good year, of fruit and vegetables, a walker of old paths and a mother of teenagers.
Writing novels helps me to discover something new - about the world, about history, about myself.
My website is www.beatricecolin.co.uk
Become a fan on facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beatric...
My last novel, To Capture What We Cannot Keep was published in late 2016/early 2017.
I am inspired by new places and old books, snatches of conversation and boards on Pinterest (seed catalogues from the 19th century!) I am a list-maker, a grower, on a good year, of fruit and vegetables, a walker of old paths and a mother of teenagers.
Writing novels helps me to discover something new - about the world, about history, about myself.
My website is www.beatricecolin.co.uk
Become a fan on facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beatric...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
August 12, 2024
Berlin from 1900 to the early 1930s - viewed through the life of an orphaned half Jewish / half German aristocrat Lilly, who became a famous actress. From an orphanage, from near starvation during WW1 to stardom and Hollywood; and also the rise of Nazism. An wonderful book, based on the ever evolving Berlin in the early 20th century. So close to Five Stars... 9.5 out of 12.
2009 read
2009 read
March 25, 2009
I hope this book gets made into a film. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did but the author made it so authentic. The sense of atmosphere she creates sends shivers down my spine at how well it was done. A perfect book that I didn't want to end. The main character was really easy to relate to and being set in wartime it added so much tension to proceedings. Really worth a read if you're looking for something different.
June 29, 2009
I liked this book but it didn't blow me away.
I was intrigued by the 'look behind the mirror' offered by this story - history, as we know, is written by the victors so it was illuminating to see WW1&2 from a German perspective. It was dark and brooding and full of atmosphere and I loved the characters and found them deep and well rounded.
The reason I haven't scored this book higher than a 3 is that there were a few points within the story that I was desperate to know more historical background. To provide a few examples, I wanted more accounts of the politics surrounding the reparations after WW1 and how this reduced many Middle Class Germans to abject poverty. I wanted a little more information about the rise of Hitler – Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister was a character in the book that did not realise his full potential, I would have liked him to be better drawn with more depth. I also wanted to know more about the feelings of ordinary Germans towards the Jews and specifics about how good opinion disintegrated via the social engineering and propaganda of the Nazi regime. This was touched on towards the end of the novel, when Colin states that the previously wealthy middle-class citizens noticed how the Jews could still afford to shop in places they could no longer afford but the reasons for this were never fully explored. In short – I was expecting a bit of balance, both of the ‘British’ view of history and of the now saturated ‘holocaust’ genre sphere – it didn’t really live up to my expectations, but perhaps this may not be a politically correct ‘expectation’ for me to have!
I was also a little disappointed by the ending – after a novel of such heartbreak and misfortune I really wanted Lilly to find happiness but that may be the hopeless romantic in me and perhaps Colin was trying to keep a little realism.
It was a really ambitious novel, which was enjoyable to read but could have reached 'Epic' status had it not fallen short in some crucial areas.
I was intrigued by the 'look behind the mirror' offered by this story - history, as we know, is written by the victors so it was illuminating to see WW1&2 from a German perspective. It was dark and brooding and full of atmosphere and I loved the characters and found them deep and well rounded.
The reason I haven't scored this book higher than a 3 is that there were a few points within the story that I was desperate to know more historical background. To provide a few examples, I wanted more accounts of the politics surrounding the reparations after WW1 and how this reduced many Middle Class Germans to abject poverty. I wanted a little more information about the rise of Hitler – Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister was a character in the book that did not realise his full potential, I would have liked him to be better drawn with more depth. I also wanted to know more about the feelings of ordinary Germans towards the Jews and specifics about how good opinion disintegrated via the social engineering and propaganda of the Nazi regime. This was touched on towards the end of the novel, when Colin states that the previously wealthy middle-class citizens noticed how the Jews could still afford to shop in places they could no longer afford but the reasons for this were never fully explored. In short – I was expecting a bit of balance, both of the ‘British’ view of history and of the now saturated ‘holocaust’ genre sphere – it didn’t really live up to my expectations, but perhaps this may not be a politically correct ‘expectation’ for me to have!
I was also a little disappointed by the ending – after a novel of such heartbreak and misfortune I really wanted Lilly to find happiness but that may be the hopeless romantic in me and perhaps Colin was trying to keep a little realism.
It was a really ambitious novel, which was enjoyable to read but could have reached 'Epic' status had it not fallen short in some crucial areas.
January 23, 2009
I really wanted to enjoy this novel - the whole premise appealed to me, the decadence of pre-war Berlin, the energy of the emerging German film industry set alongside the insidious menace of the Nazi Party seemed an intriguing combination. Indeed, this aspect of the novel is adroitly handled by the author thanks to her assiduous research. Berlin ended up being the most interesting character for me and you really feel its presence as a living, everchanging force, one minute full of gaiety and the next full of despair. Unfortunately the "real" characters are hopelessly overshadowed by their surroundings, becoming more like cardboard cut outs than living, charismatic beings. I accept that it was a desolate time in history but none of them seemed to have any gumption and seemed quite happy to be swept along by events. At one point, early on in the novel, I thought that Lilly reminded me of strong female characters in The Crimson Petal, Slammerkin or indeed a lot of Sarah Waters novels but she soon reverted to cardboard type - very pretty to look at but not much else going on! It's not a really bad read, it just didn't live up to my expectations, perhaps I've been spoiled by so many good historical reads. Towards the end I felt I was running out of steam, a bit like the failing German film industry...... If you are into this period in history, the Weimar Republic and/or have an interest in the early history of the cinema you might find this novel interesting - certainly those aspects rescued it from mediocrity for me.
November 19, 2015
The original title of this book was "The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite" but I can see why it was changed -- there is nothing luminous about either the book or the character. The novel follows Lilly from her birth in 1900 Germany through the 1930s - and we experience every single second of it.
This book has a LOT of flaws that kept me from becoming engaged in it. The writing style is bizarre - we often go down little plot cul-de-sacs with characters we'll never see again, and there's an abundance of overcomplicated similes and metaphors that gunk up the descriptions instead of making them clearer. The book feels as if it's a fictional biography of Louise Brooks written in the style of Slaughterhouse-Five.
The style also almost makes the book feel as if it's written in iambic pentameter - da DA da DA da DA da DA. There's no ENERGY to the book, no hills or valleys; no matter what's happening we just feel da DA da DA da DA da DA. It sucks any possible emotion out of the story. And it's such a shame - post-WWI Germany is bursting with drama and craziness, but unfortunately while it's technically portrayed in the book, the feel of it is just lacking.
I struggled with the rating of this book because, while I didn't LIKE the book, I didn't NOT like it either. I just found it dull. I didn't mind it when it was in my hands but the moment I put it down I practically forgot about it. So ultimately I think 2 stars captures it best - not a monstrosity but nothing special either.
This book has a LOT of flaws that kept me from becoming engaged in it. The writing style is bizarre - we often go down little plot cul-de-sacs with characters we'll never see again, and there's an abundance of overcomplicated similes and metaphors that gunk up the descriptions instead of making them clearer. The book feels as if it's a fictional biography of Louise Brooks written in the style of Slaughterhouse-Five.
The style also almost makes the book feel as if it's written in iambic pentameter - da DA da DA da DA da DA. There's no ENERGY to the book, no hills or valleys; no matter what's happening we just feel da DA da DA da DA da DA. It sucks any possible emotion out of the story. And it's such a shame - post-WWI Germany is bursting with drama and craziness, but unfortunately while it's technically portrayed in the book, the feel of it is just lacking.
I struggled with the rating of this book because, while I didn't LIKE the book, I didn't NOT like it either. I just found it dull. I didn't mind it when it was in my hands but the moment I put it down I practically forgot about it. So ultimately I think 2 stars captures it best - not a monstrosity but nothing special either.
August 7, 2014
I struggled with this a bit at the beginning but went on to discover that it is in fact a fantastic read - very atmospheric and assiduously well-researched, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or is even remotely interested in the history and culture of Germany (specifically the city of Berlin). Although I found the author's use of language captivating from the start, my main issue with the early part of the book was that I found it very hard to accept that so many grown men would be sexually attracted to Lilly as a child, no matter how beautiful she was supposed to be, and this affected my ability to find the surrounding plot details believable. Once this was out of the way, I was able to focus properly on the story of Lilly's life, which - like all good epic tales - was portrayed against a vividly depicted background of great social upheaval in her country. I absolutely loved the way that each character, no matter how incidental, was given a little bit of history and, more unusually, a snippet of their future too - these details really brought the story to life for me. Extremely pleasurable and the best book I've read in ages.
December 26, 2012
I can't exactly pinpoint why I didn't much care for this book. It was overwritten, but so are a lot of early twentieth-century historical fiction books, and this one had some pretty good moments. It's not as ambitious or poignant as it tries to be, but it manages to be pretty interesting.
Must be the characters, I guess. I am so sick of the neglected orphan girl with the ethereal beauty and the quiet but somehow wildly entrancing presence. Can someone please write about an ugly orphan girl? Who is actually ugly, not one of those obnoxious "ugly" characters who call themselves ugly constantly but still seem to have an endless amount of men falling in love with them? Or an ugly rich girl? Just an ugly girl in general? I keep reading about these eerily beautiful characters, and I'm so tired of it. It's not that interesting of a character to begin with, and now it's just so overdone. So that annoyed me. Also the love interests were boring, and there was a lot of the love-at-first-sight, inexplicably-drawn-to-one-another thing, and that's quite boring as well. The stuff about the changing Berlin film industry between the Wars had so much potential to be interesting, but by that point in the book, I had lost all interest in the characters and the story.
I don't regret reading this book, but there are better ones out there. Unless it sounds really interesting to you, I wouldn't recommend it.
Must be the characters, I guess. I am so sick of the neglected orphan girl with the ethereal beauty and the quiet but somehow wildly entrancing presence. Can someone please write about an ugly orphan girl? Who is actually ugly, not one of those obnoxious "ugly" characters who call themselves ugly constantly but still seem to have an endless amount of men falling in love with them? Or an ugly rich girl? Just an ugly girl in general? I keep reading about these eerily beautiful characters, and I'm so tired of it. It's not that interesting of a character to begin with, and now it's just so overdone. So that annoyed me. Also the love interests were boring, and there was a lot of the love-at-first-sight, inexplicably-drawn-to-one-another thing, and that's quite boring as well. The stuff about the changing Berlin film industry between the Wars had so much potential to be interesting, but by that point in the book, I had lost all interest in the characters and the story.
I don't regret reading this book, but there are better ones out there. Unless it sounds really interesting to you, I wouldn't recommend it.
January 28, 2014
LOVED this book! What a lovely surprise - I don't even recall where I got it - garage sale? Book sale? Anyway, very enjoyable piece of historical fiction set in early 20th century Germany. Not a happy book by any means, but really nicely developed main character & solid storylines.
The ending did leave me a tiny bit empty - what happened with her, Ilya, Stefan...
The ending did leave me a tiny bit empty - what happened with her, Ilya, Stefan...
August 1, 2018
I really don't know how to rate this. I have wrote about this book in my journal the past couple of nights because it gives me all of the mixed feelings. The writing in this book is stunning- I feel like I am reading some mix of poetry with fiction and it is delicious. I also think the premise of the story is super interesting. I loved war-torn Berlin as a backdrop, the trials and tribulations that the country as a whole went through personified in Lilly, and the whole film scene in general. It was written in a way that felt very non-fiction. I kept googling facts to see if an actual actress would pop up because Lilly's life was so well detailed and laid out. However, all of that praise aside, it took me WAY longer than it should have to read this book. The entire plot in the orphanage seemed entirely too long and there was only one or two things that happened there that was of any importance later on. Similarly, the ending (especially the American scenes) seemed rather pointless. While the story was very comprehensive, I dare say it was a bit too much so as I sometimes struggled to pick the book back up again due to the excess of information.
September 5, 2008
In the first few minutes of the year 1900 Lilly Nelly Aphrodite is born in Berlin, Germany. Her mother is a volatile, unmarried cabaret performer. By the time Lilly is two her parents are dead and she is placed in an orphanage where she will remain until she is in her early teens. Lily does not make friends easily and it is not until the age of about twelve when she makes the one friend who will remain a part of her life in the future, Hanne Schmidt.
Hanne is a new arrival at the orphanage and is a couple of years older than Lilly. She shows Lilly the seedy world of nighttime Berlin, home to cheap cabaret bars called "Tingle-Tangles". The girls begin sneaking out of the orphanage at night to sell flowers in the clubs. When the orphanage is suddenly shut down shortly thereafter, Hanne deserts Lilly and disappears.
As the build-up to World War I begins, Lilly tries to make her way in the world. She finds a job as a maid for a difficult Countess but it is not long before she is assaulted by the husband and must eventually leave. She encounters Hanne again as the deprivations that the war brings begin to set in.
The necessities of life become scarce during the war and especially in it's aftermath, so the residents of Berlin throw themselves into the seedy nightlife of cabaret bars & cinemas. Any escape is preferable to the misery of daily life. It is at a cinema that Lilly meets Ilya Yurasov, a Russian who came to Berlin after the war and plays piano at the theater. He falls in love with Lilly and, with his contacts in the film industry, gets her a job typing film scripts.
From the typing pool, Lilly is discovered. She begins to appear in movies and is an immediate success. But success does not bring the happiness that she thought it would and she is not able to enjoy her new life.
I found this book difficult to get through. The author did a wonderful job with the historical setting of Berlin from 1900-1934, from the glitz and glamour to the starvation and despair. Unfortunately the characters were not very likable. They consistently made poor choices that contributed to their misery and kept them in the bad situations that they found themselves in. It made for a very dark, gritty, depressing novel. I'm sure that this was the author's intent, not all stories have happy endings, after all. But I did not enjoy it, though it was well written and the story was interesting.
Hanne is a new arrival at the orphanage and is a couple of years older than Lilly. She shows Lilly the seedy world of nighttime Berlin, home to cheap cabaret bars called "Tingle-Tangles". The girls begin sneaking out of the orphanage at night to sell flowers in the clubs. When the orphanage is suddenly shut down shortly thereafter, Hanne deserts Lilly and disappears.
As the build-up to World War I begins, Lilly tries to make her way in the world. She finds a job as a maid for a difficult Countess but it is not long before she is assaulted by the husband and must eventually leave. She encounters Hanne again as the deprivations that the war brings begin to set in.
The necessities of life become scarce during the war and especially in it's aftermath, so the residents of Berlin throw themselves into the seedy nightlife of cabaret bars & cinemas. Any escape is preferable to the misery of daily life. It is at a cinema that Lilly meets Ilya Yurasov, a Russian who came to Berlin after the war and plays piano at the theater. He falls in love with Lilly and, with his contacts in the film industry, gets her a job typing film scripts.
From the typing pool, Lilly is discovered. She begins to appear in movies and is an immediate success. But success does not bring the happiness that she thought it would and she is not able to enjoy her new life.
I found this book difficult to get through. The author did a wonderful job with the historical setting of Berlin from 1900-1934, from the glitz and glamour to the starvation and despair. Unfortunately the characters were not very likable. They consistently made poor choices that contributed to their misery and kept them in the bad situations that they found themselves in. It made for a very dark, gritty, depressing novel. I'm sure that this was the author's intent, not all stories have happy endings, after all. But I did not enjoy it, though it was well written and the story was interesting.
January 2, 2011
This book was a great finish to 2010. It takes place in 20th century Germany and has a lot of historical content as well as a lot of personal stories. The main character is Lilly Nelly Aphrodite, whom we follow throughout the book, starting from the day she was born. I can sum it up like this: she grows up in an orphanage, then she has to leave when the orphanage is closed down, and then she becomes a movie star. And, of course, there are quite a bit of people who walk in and out of her life along her life.
The writing is absolutely beautiful. It's amazing how Collins can make you smile even when reading about such hard, sad times. It shows a different side of quite well-known times, and it does it rather well. Hanne Schmidt, whom Lilly befriends at the orphanage, is a character that comes and goes into Lilly's life. She's kicked out of the orphanage and then later separated from her brothers, which leads to quite a messed up personality. I felt for Lilly and was mad at her at the same time when she kept waiting for Hanne when it's obvious she has a tendency to disappear.
Another character I found interesting was Eva. She and her brother Stefan meet Lilly right after she leaves her job as a maid for a countess, when they hit her while driving. How Eva felt about Lilly and her relationship with Stefan was given out pretty clearly, but I thought she was evil for doing what she'd done.
One thing I enjoyed a great deal in general was the foreshadowings throughout the book. It made me want to keep going and find out the details of what was to happen.
I highly recommend this to everyone, especially to those who are fans of historical fiction.
The writing is absolutely beautiful. It's amazing how Collins can make you smile even when reading about such hard, sad times. It shows a different side of quite well-known times, and it does it rather well. Hanne Schmidt, whom Lilly befriends at the orphanage, is a character that comes and goes into Lilly's life. She's kicked out of the orphanage and then later separated from her brothers, which leads to quite a messed up personality. I felt for Lilly and was mad at her at the same time when she kept waiting for Hanne when it's obvious she has a tendency to disappear.
Another character I found interesting was Eva. She and her brother Stefan meet Lilly right after she leaves her job as a maid for a countess, when they hit her while driving. How Eva felt about Lilly and her relationship with Stefan was given out pretty clearly, but I thought she was evil for doing what she'd done.
One thing I enjoyed a great deal in general was the foreshadowings throughout the book. It made me want to keep going and find out the details of what was to happen.
I highly recommend this to everyone, especially to those who are fans of historical fiction.
June 10, 2015
This book took me by surprise with how much I liked it. I think I originally wanted to read it because it was set during WWI and WWII and that's always a good historical fiction time, but it was so much more than that. Besides being beautifully phrased and paced, I thought this book was a really lovely exploration of love, and what it means to love yourself, others, and life.
Wait, let me rephrase:
This book was about the pursuit of life.
Most books present the pursuit of life as the same thing as the pursuit of life, and this book turned that idea on its head. Lily didn't spend her life pursuing men, women, or things. She didn't pine endlessly for someone she couldn't have, or daydream about marrying an educated, handsome man to liberate her from the slums of Berlin. No - Lily's too amazing for that. Instead, she spent her life pursuing herself; every decision she made was driven by her own desires and agendas which, in a town where women were reduced to nothing more than a warm mouth, a pair of legs, and an escape from reality, is pretty amazing.
Yeah, thinking about this now, I just really, really loved Lily Nelly Aphrodite. Like, what a #dynamitegal. And the fact that she didn't want to become an actress because she didn't want to give up her spot in the typing pool? Both hilarious and empowering. She never fell victim to the glitz and glamour of Berlin or the film industry.
AND THE ENDING. I honestly didn't see it coming and didn't expect to be as heartbroken as I was about it. And like, I felt that hurt. It wasn't just like "oh that sucks", it was an honest-to-goodness gut clenching sadness.
Yeah. I really like this book.
Wait, let me rephrase:
This book was about the pursuit of life.
Most books present the pursuit of life as the same thing as the pursuit of life, and this book turned that idea on its head. Lily didn't spend her life pursuing men, women, or things. She didn't pine endlessly for someone she couldn't have, or daydream about marrying an educated, handsome man to liberate her from the slums of Berlin. No - Lily's too amazing for that. Instead, she spent her life pursuing herself; every decision she made was driven by her own desires and agendas which, in a town where women were reduced to nothing more than a warm mouth, a pair of legs, and an escape from reality, is pretty amazing.
Yeah, thinking about this now, I just really, really loved Lily Nelly Aphrodite. Like, what a #dynamitegal. And the fact that she didn't want to become an actress because she didn't want to give up her spot in the typing pool? Both hilarious and empowering. She never fell victim to the glitz and glamour of Berlin or the film industry.
AND THE ENDING. I honestly didn't see it coming and didn't expect to be as heartbroken as I was about it. And like, I felt that hurt. It wasn't just like "oh that sucks", it was an honest-to-goodness gut clenching sadness.
Yeah. I really like this book.
December 30, 2014
For some reason, this book stayed on my unread shelf for a long time. Perhaps the name and cover put me off (I actually prefer the American version's name and cover, The Glitter Ball, though the life of Lilly Aphrodite seems more appropriate). So when I finally got around to reading it, I was very pleasantly surprised!
Colin's writing style is rich and evocative and she certainly crafts a beautiful sentence. She manages to switch between small detailed and conversational sections and wider time sweeps masterfully, enabling her to cover a large portion of Lilly's life from birth to orphanage to film star, as well the rise of cinema, and briefly covers the political landscape of pre-WWII Germany (without ever making this a book about war).
Her characterisation of Lilly is so convincing that I wondered whether I was reading a fictionalised biography of someone who really existed. The flashes into the lives of other characters also adds to the ephemeral atmosphere of the time, and while adeptly depicting the squalor and poverty of the time, Colin manages to avoid the novel being miserable, instead a little shabby glittery.
My only criticism of the novel is that Ilya's arrival is so late and brief that I found it difficult to be moved by their love story, I never really got to grips with his character or why the otherwise impenetrable Lilly loved him.
Colin's writing style is rich and evocative and she certainly crafts a beautiful sentence. She manages to switch between small detailed and conversational sections and wider time sweeps masterfully, enabling her to cover a large portion of Lilly's life from birth to orphanage to film star, as well the rise of cinema, and briefly covers the political landscape of pre-WWII Germany (without ever making this a book about war).
Her characterisation of Lilly is so convincing that I wondered whether I was reading a fictionalised biography of someone who really existed. The flashes into the lives of other characters also adds to the ephemeral atmosphere of the time, and while adeptly depicting the squalor and poverty of the time, Colin manages to avoid the novel being miserable, instead a little shabby glittery.
My only criticism of the novel is that Ilya's arrival is so late and brief that I found it difficult to be moved by their love story, I never really got to grips with his character or why the otherwise impenetrable Lilly loved him.
March 22, 2018
A decadent book that drew me in with its title alone (why was it changed to The Glitter Room in the US? Not nearly as good). It embraces everything I love in a book: rich storytelling, unpredictability, swift action yet absorbing prose at all the right bits. Seeing Berlin torn apart by war from this perspective was absorbing, fascinating and insightful, just as historical fiction should be.
November 19, 2020
I was surprised by this book. The beginning feels slow, yet, I was startled to reach the end. A bit like a film, there. I was so lost in Lilly’s world that when I turned the page to find the Acknowledgements, it was like watching credits roll.
Lilly is born on New Year’s Day in 1900, her birth was not necessarily celebrated, and after the murder of her mother, she winds up in an orphanage run by Catholic nuns. Lilly attracts a friend in Hanne, who will haunt her for the rest of her life.
When the orphanage is closed, Lilly, Hanne, and a great many others are cast into the cruel streets of Berlin. The girls try and survive in the seedy underbelly of the city, and live through a tumultuous period that has been beat into my head by my high school history teachers, but never has World War One, the inflation, depression, and rise of Hitler’s Nazi party seemed so personal. Along the way, Lilly and Hanne fall in and out of friendship, the two take lovers, marry, and preform in Berlin’s night club scene. When film is invented, they each make their own way into that medium.
Lilly and Hanne are the main characters, but I found the Russian character of Ilya to be the most heroic.
AS much as it is about this time of history, it also has a lot to say about why we go to the movies and what is reflected there. The period of silent films and early Hollywood (particularly pre-Hayes Code, before the heavy censorship) is absolutely fascinating and full of fearless storytelling, even if the technical side is lagging. So much of today's films success is because these early films were so daring.
The end killed me.
Lilly is born on New Year’s Day in 1900, her birth was not necessarily celebrated, and after the murder of her mother, she winds up in an orphanage run by Catholic nuns. Lilly attracts a friend in Hanne, who will haunt her for the rest of her life.
When the orphanage is closed, Lilly, Hanne, and a great many others are cast into the cruel streets of Berlin. The girls try and survive in the seedy underbelly of the city, and live through a tumultuous period that has been beat into my head by my high school history teachers, but never has World War One, the inflation, depression, and rise of Hitler’s Nazi party seemed so personal. Along the way, Lilly and Hanne fall in and out of friendship, the two take lovers, marry, and preform in Berlin’s night club scene. When film is invented, they each make their own way into that medium.
Lilly and Hanne are the main characters, but I found the Russian character of Ilya to be the most heroic.
AS much as it is about this time of history, it also has a lot to say about why we go to the movies and what is reflected there. The period of silent films and early Hollywood (particularly pre-Hayes Code, before the heavy censorship) is absolutely fascinating and full of fearless storytelling, even if the technical side is lagging. So much of today's films success is because these early films were so daring.
The end killed me.
August 25, 2012
I absolutely fell in L O V E with this book, the whole concept of it kept me hooked until the very end. It is one of those books that when you pick it up you just can't seem to put it back down again, I ended up reading it within 9 hours.
It's about an orphan called Lilly who we see develop throughout the book to become a thriving young lady in the busniess of film which in Germany 1930's/40's were a massive success with bringing about fresh new supporters of the Nazi party. As it's set in Berlin where Hitler was becoming well known until Hindenburg passed away and you see Hitler becoming president. I like the whole social and political vibe to the book. And how also the fact that Hitlers propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels had a role in it.
The detail of the book was beautifully written and concept of how she came about as nothing with being an orphan and doing odd end jobs such as "Selling roses to couples" and working in pubs to becoming a very successful movie star and falling in love with a Russian movie director was very inspiring to me.
It's about an orphan called Lilly who we see develop throughout the book to become a thriving young lady in the busniess of film which in Germany 1930's/40's were a massive success with bringing about fresh new supporters of the Nazi party. As it's set in Berlin where Hitler was becoming well known until Hindenburg passed away and you see Hitler becoming president. I like the whole social and political vibe to the book. And how also the fact that Hitlers propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels had a role in it.
The detail of the book was beautifully written and concept of how she came about as nothing with being an orphan and doing odd end jobs such as "Selling roses to couples" and working in pubs to becoming a very successful movie star and falling in love with a Russian movie director was very inspiring to me.
September 12, 2009
This was a gorgeous and devastating book. The advertised material makes this novel sound like a fun romp. However, it takes place in Germany at the turn of the 20th century and travels through the life of its protagonist into Hitler's rise. I knew little about the travails that lead to the power of the Nazi's. I recommend this book with the caveat that there was much sadness and depravity in this history and you must be prepared to read about how that translated into the life of a child without parents to protect her.
July 21, 2012
This is one of those books where I fall completely in love with it, give it 5 stars, yet still want to scream FUCK THIS BOOK. This book was beautiful, stunning, and above all, HEARTBREAKING. And sad. So much sadness. The writing is, as I said, stunning. The descriptions of that era, of WWI and the lead-up to WWII, the suffering, the lifestyles and struggles, the beauty, the ugliness, everything. It's lyrical, magical, perfect. Well, almost. That ending. I cannot not forgive it....yet, how else could it have ended?
September 20, 2011
This is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read. With a WWI Berlin background it weaves a fascinating story of an orphan who eventually becomes a movie star. The characters are very interesting and the plot is riveting. It kept me guessing right up to the end and it just seemed so real that I really had to keep reminding myself it was fiction. The war and its after effects are always in the background, but this novel deals with the German people and how politics affected them not in direct battle scenes.
February 10, 2010
Historical fiction about an orphan in World War 1 and her survival and success as a film star in Hitler's Germany. I finished this one with absolute astonishment about how a Germany so decimated in the first World War could deliberately start another one.
December 2, 2020
I liked this book. Reading it felt like a journey through history.
The main character is a bit bland though, she doesn't seem to have clear conviction in her decisions and is led very much by the actions and events in the book. However this makes sense in 2 ways:
1 It makes it easier to relate to the events and other characters in the book from the reader's own perspective. Maybe this is a trick by the author to make the history of the book more relatable.
2. Lilly grew up poor with very little choices in her own life. From the moment she was young people made choices for her about her life. Maybe that is why she kept relying on other people later on in her life.
This book is about Berlin before, during and after WO1. It stops when Hitler comes to power. This gives an interesting perspective of Berlin in those times. They were a crazy time for German people. I admire history books which are told from the perspective of ordinary people who are not considered to be on the right side of history. It makes it clear that there are so many normal people on the 'wrong side of history', just living their lives without any choice. The same is done with the Book Thief by Markus Zuzak.
This book is highly recommendable for everyone interested in history, historical fiction, Germany and coming of age stories.
The main character is a bit bland though, she doesn't seem to have clear conviction in her decisions and is led very much by the actions and events in the book. However this makes sense in 2 ways:
1 It makes it easier to relate to the events and other characters in the book from the reader's own perspective. Maybe this is a trick by the author to make the history of the book more relatable.
2. Lilly grew up poor with very little choices in her own life. From the moment she was young people made choices for her about her life. Maybe that is why she kept relying on other people later on in her life.
This book is about Berlin before, during and after WO1. It stops when Hitler comes to power. This gives an interesting perspective of Berlin in those times. They were a crazy time for German people. I admire history books which are told from the perspective of ordinary people who are not considered to be on the right side of history. It makes it clear that there are so many normal people on the 'wrong side of history', just living their lives without any choice. The same is done with the Book Thief by Markus Zuzak.
This book is highly recommendable for everyone interested in history, historical fiction, Germany and coming of age stories.
June 19, 2024
I kept expecting throughout the book that it'd get better..the next chapter something good would definitely happen!
But it was progressively getting worse.
The book was marketed as bildungsroman..but i suppose it was my fault for assuming it'd be the Frances h. Burnett kind.
It was the James Joyce kind.
But the historical accuracy was chefs' kiss!
Each time I picked up this book i was immediately transported to the Weimar republic and the seedy, glittery world of cabarets and coffee houses..a Garbo on the rise...anarchy in the horizon.
But it was progressively getting worse.
The book was marketed as bildungsroman..but i suppose it was my fault for assuming it'd be the Frances h. Burnett kind.
It was the James Joyce kind.
But the historical accuracy was chefs' kiss!
Each time I picked up this book i was immediately transported to the Weimar republic and the seedy, glittery world of cabarets and coffee houses..a Garbo on the rise...anarchy in the horizon.
March 20, 2017
I'm exhausted reading this book - so much happens in it. It started out all Orphan Annie (Its a hard luck life....) then merged in with "Cabaret" (Life is a .....). The writing was good but there was just too much of everything in it. I always like to give a book a good chance to get going - usually 50 pages does it. At page 48 I was getting set to ditch it but the storyline suddenly perked up and I kept going. This happened all the way through the book really - a lot of peaks and troughs and interesting storylines suddenly appearing which meant that I kept reading.
July 17, 2017
This was a quick spellbinding read. I loved how consistently blase/checked out "angelically wrecked" Lilly was. The orphanage in many ways seemed to give her an emotional outlook made of teflon.
I was going to give this less stars, because I wanted a little more action/drama- especially after such heavy foreshadowing...
but it gets an extra star from me for mentioning Saint Wilgefortis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YC0P...
super deluxe for lyfe.
I was going to give this less stars, because I wanted a little more action/drama- especially after such heavy foreshadowing...
but it gets an extra star from me for mentioning Saint Wilgefortis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YC0P...
super deluxe for lyfe.
August 7, 2017
Ho divorato la prima metà, mentre ho faticato con la seconda parte.
January 15, 2019
İki kimsesiz kızin ibret verici hayatı.Bir de buna savaşı ekleyin, yoksulluğu,açlık.vs.
Savaş yüzünden çekilen acılar yaşanan dramlar.
Ölüm ölüm,her yerde görülen ölümler.
Savaşlarda en Çok etkilenen kadın ve çocuklar olur genelde.Bu kitapta da kural bozulmuyor.
Bu şartlarda Lilly ve Hannah'in arkadaşlığı bazen kopsalarda tekrar bir araya geliyorlar..Hannah artist olmak isterken hiç düşünmediği halde şans Lilly'ye gülüyor...
Hayatının aşkını da bu sayede buluyor da. Aşk hep mutluluk demek değildir tabii ki..Kaybetmeleri gereken cok yol var. Bu tabii ki Hitler Almanya'sinda pek de kolay değil..
Okurken cok etkilendm..Yazarın kalemi cok güzel de başka kitabı yayınlanmamış.Keske diğer kitapları da basilsa iyi olurdu..
Savaşın ağır şartlarında bir ülkenin çökmesi hem de iki savaşta..Halkın yaşamının kesitleri açlık yokluk kıtlık ölüm...Okunmalı bence..
Savaş yüzünden çekilen acılar yaşanan dramlar.
Ölüm ölüm,her yerde görülen ölümler.
Savaşlarda en Çok etkilenen kadın ve çocuklar olur genelde.Bu kitapta da kural bozulmuyor.
Bu şartlarda Lilly ve Hannah'in arkadaşlığı bazen kopsalarda tekrar bir araya geliyorlar..Hannah artist olmak isterken hiç düşünmediği halde şans Lilly'ye gülüyor...
Hayatının aşkını da bu sayede buluyor da. Aşk hep mutluluk demek değildir tabii ki..Kaybetmeleri gereken cok yol var. Bu tabii ki Hitler Almanya'sinda pek de kolay değil..
Okurken cok etkilendm..Yazarın kalemi cok güzel de başka kitabı yayınlanmamış.Keske diğer kitapları da basilsa iyi olurdu..
Savaşın ağır şartlarında bir ülkenin çökmesi hem de iki savaşta..Halkın yaşamının kesitleri açlık yokluk kıtlık ölüm...Okunmalı bence..
July 15, 2019
I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book when I first started it, but I’m glad I persisted. The depictions of life in Berlin before, during and after the First World War are harrowing and vivid. I found the story compelling right to the end.
December 26, 2019
I got this book in one of the book fair from a heap of old books and it has turned out to be a great find! I was hooked from the first page as the fascinating story started unfolding. A mesmerizing story of pre-first world War Berlin and the magic behind the early German movie industry, this book highlights the plighta of the average citizen during the time, including economic crisis, poverty, inflation, disease, and strife. It is painful to see how much the biggest power house of Europe was struggling during those years.....and the main character(Lily) is almost surreal and i googled actually to see if it is based on a true story so you can imagine the impact!! I can't recommend this book highly enough - it's the kind of book you wish you could go back and un-read just so you could read it again.
December 4, 2014
In short: a tale of one woman’s life which spans across decades of intense political, social and economic change in the bustling city of Berlin.
Firstly, the blurb is a little disingenuous. It makes the story sound incredibly whimsical, romance-based and relatively light-hearted, when in reality this book is far from fluffy and upbeat.
This is certainly an ambitious undertaking: a book set during moments of historical significance, intertwining real events with the fictional life of an orphan turned actress. Is it successful? On the whole, absolutely.
Lilly Aphrodite is born in the first few minutes of the year 1900 to a somewhat disinterested cabaret dancer. By the time she’s two, Lilly has lost both of her parents and ends up in an orphanage under Sister August’s care. Once there, she remains isolated and lonely until she befriends Hanne Schmidt, a girl who begins to open her eyes to the world beyond the walls of the place she calls home. Liberated from the structure and routine of the orphanage by the time she’s eleven, Lilly must learn to survive whilst battling against constant uncertainty and instability.
Essentially, it’s a rags to riches tale, where Lilly is in various degrading, dangerous and lowly situations before finally becoming a “success”. Nothing new I hear you cry?
It’s the historical setting which really sells this book. Through Lilly’s story, we view a city on the cusp of change. The outbreak of World War One; the rise of German silent filmmaking; debauchery; vitality; economic meltdown; vibrancy; moral bankruptcy; the meteoric rise of Hitler and the beginning of World War Two – it’s all there and it’s brought to life spectacularly well.
Berlin is like an extra character; full of life, personality and a heartbeat. It has vivaciously light and disturbingly dark facets, serving to both nurture and destroy the cast of characters. In fact, Berlin is the soul of the book and arguably the most successful aspect, despite the story very much belonging to Lilly. I guess that’s because Lilly is a somewhat difficult character to quantify. It feels like she’s never fully laid bare to the reader as there’s always a slight veil of separation; she’s stoic and a survivor, but at times that means she comes across as distant and indecipherable. Her beauty propels the story along, determines events and serves her better than any other aspect of her personality, which tends to feel underdeveloped as a result.
Unusually, we’re given the precise details of what happens to characters as Lilly encounters them. To discover character fates in this much detail, at such regular intervals in the story, is somewhat surprising. For example: ‘The beautiful woman died 10 years later from a gunshot wound administered by a psychotic neighbour’. (I made that up but you get the idea). This actually gives the book a brutally realistic feeling, immediately dislodging any preconceptions that a reader may have. It can be quite shocking as you’re reading an interaction or conversation, then in the same breath discover what actually happens to them. There isn’t any pretence or overly sentimental ‘I wonder where they end up…’ Boom. The author hits you with it and I must admit, it aids the overall feel of the story exceptionally well. Downside? Given that the author is so open about the fate of the majority of her characters, it’s somewhat jarring that the ending doesn’t follow the same path. We’re left with a fairly loose and muted end which either cleverly (or annoyingly) bucks reader expectations.
So, what kept me reading? As I’ve mentioned, Berlin and the historical atmosphere are beautifully created. The characters are all varied and well-realised with distinct personalities and lifelike descriptions. Yes, The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite is undoubtedly depressing and sombre at points, yet it always maintains a fierce sense of reality and stark honesty.
Beatrice Colin can certainly weave an intricate tale and her storytelling is second to none. The research and the passion for the subject is clear to see. The author has a masterful use of language which really brings Lilly’s world to life and ensures that the story flows along despite the occasional blips. I never fully knew what to expect and I was genuinely swept along by Lilly’s life story, finding it difficult to put the book down.
Overall: Absorbing, well-woven, vivid, gritty and unflinchingly raw. A (largely dark) adventure through an important period of history, told from a German perspective. Well constructed and well executed on the whole. There are undeniable bumps in the road but the sheer vision and ambition of the author’s words often makes up for it.
*This review has also been posted over at http://miscrawl.wordpress.com/
Firstly, the blurb is a little disingenuous. It makes the story sound incredibly whimsical, romance-based and relatively light-hearted, when in reality this book is far from fluffy and upbeat.
This is certainly an ambitious undertaking: a book set during moments of historical significance, intertwining real events with the fictional life of an orphan turned actress. Is it successful? On the whole, absolutely.
Lilly Aphrodite is born in the first few minutes of the year 1900 to a somewhat disinterested cabaret dancer. By the time she’s two, Lilly has lost both of her parents and ends up in an orphanage under Sister August’s care. Once there, she remains isolated and lonely until she befriends Hanne Schmidt, a girl who begins to open her eyes to the world beyond the walls of the place she calls home. Liberated from the structure and routine of the orphanage by the time she’s eleven, Lilly must learn to survive whilst battling against constant uncertainty and instability.
Essentially, it’s a rags to riches tale, where Lilly is in various degrading, dangerous and lowly situations before finally becoming a “success”. Nothing new I hear you cry?
It’s the historical setting which really sells this book. Through Lilly’s story, we view a city on the cusp of change. The outbreak of World War One; the rise of German silent filmmaking; debauchery; vitality; economic meltdown; vibrancy; moral bankruptcy; the meteoric rise of Hitler and the beginning of World War Two – it’s all there and it’s brought to life spectacularly well.
Berlin is like an extra character; full of life, personality and a heartbeat. It has vivaciously light and disturbingly dark facets, serving to both nurture and destroy the cast of characters. In fact, Berlin is the soul of the book and arguably the most successful aspect, despite the story very much belonging to Lilly. I guess that’s because Lilly is a somewhat difficult character to quantify. It feels like she’s never fully laid bare to the reader as there’s always a slight veil of separation; she’s stoic and a survivor, but at times that means she comes across as distant and indecipherable. Her beauty propels the story along, determines events and serves her better than any other aspect of her personality, which tends to feel underdeveloped as a result.
Unusually, we’re given the precise details of what happens to characters as Lilly encounters them. To discover character fates in this much detail, at such regular intervals in the story, is somewhat surprising. For example: ‘The beautiful woman died 10 years later from a gunshot wound administered by a psychotic neighbour’. (I made that up but you get the idea). This actually gives the book a brutally realistic feeling, immediately dislodging any preconceptions that a reader may have. It can be quite shocking as you’re reading an interaction or conversation, then in the same breath discover what actually happens to them. There isn’t any pretence or overly sentimental ‘I wonder where they end up…’ Boom. The author hits you with it and I must admit, it aids the overall feel of the story exceptionally well. Downside? Given that the author is so open about the fate of the majority of her characters, it’s somewhat jarring that the ending doesn’t follow the same path. We’re left with a fairly loose and muted end which either cleverly (or annoyingly) bucks reader expectations.
So, what kept me reading? As I’ve mentioned, Berlin and the historical atmosphere are beautifully created. The characters are all varied and well-realised with distinct personalities and lifelike descriptions. Yes, The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite is undoubtedly depressing and sombre at points, yet it always maintains a fierce sense of reality and stark honesty.
Beatrice Colin can certainly weave an intricate tale and her storytelling is second to none. The research and the passion for the subject is clear to see. The author has a masterful use of language which really brings Lilly’s world to life and ensures that the story flows along despite the occasional blips. I never fully knew what to expect and I was genuinely swept along by Lilly’s life story, finding it difficult to put the book down.
Overall: Absorbing, well-woven, vivid, gritty and unflinchingly raw. A (largely dark) adventure through an important period of history, told from a German perspective. Well constructed and well executed on the whole. There are undeniable bumps in the road but the sheer vision and ambition of the author’s words often makes up for it.
*This review has also been posted over at http://miscrawl.wordpress.com/
December 29, 2021
The prose was decent, but I just couldn’t connect with the main character. She came across as too detached for most of the book and I found myself not really caring about her fate.
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