Зваблення Єви Фольк

by Девід Бейкер

Більшість читачів роману «Зваблення Єви Фольк» погодяться з тим, що нацизм — це протилежність всьому, що вважається гідним і моральним. Однак історія викриває неприємну реальність: Адольф Гітлер зміг заручитися підтримкою переважної більшості німців, які вважали свій світогляд гідним і моральним.

Але як таке могло статися? В очах юної Єви вся чарівна привабливість нацизму уособлена в її коханому. Відчайдушні пошуки внутрішньої цілісності в навколишньому зруйнованому світі швидко захоплюють пристрастями любові і війни, поки дівчина не стикається віч-на-віч з наслідками духовного засліплення.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to preface this review with the fact that I read the reviews after I downloaded this and was waiting for someone ugly to happen. Maybe it is because I have read some pretty sick & dirty things (Jack Kilborn for one), but this book was very tame on the violence. There was a review that stated that the book had gang rape, illicit sex, and psychical/ verbal abuse. Yes there was a LOT of psychical abuse, but the scene with the "gang rape" was anything but, I'd say more like sexual harassment. Illicit sex? No there was none of that, this isn't a 50 shades of grey kind of book.

I just wanted to preface this review with that so that anyone who is concerned about purchasing this book because of those reasons.

At the beginning of the book it was odd to start reading it. I already knew the ending, we all do, it is history, but the story to get to the ending, now that was new. It was about the main character going through life as a young girl and also about Germany as a whole. I could see the seeds of how the people were thinking before Hitler came into power, the seeds of unhappiness, seeds of them wanting a savior to turn the country around. I really, really enjoyed this book and believe anyone who wants to know how the German people felt after WWI, between the two, and during WWII.

If you are trying to decide whether or not to read this book I would say yes if you want to read about a different side of WWII.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story - an important story, I would say. We always think about the people who allowed the horrors of Nazi Germany during WWII as bad people, but this book takes away that place of moral high ground we all use and makes us look at everyday Germans as "normal people" - even good people, to some degree. It challenges us to think about what we would do if we had lived in Germany during that time.
But.. for as much as I liked the story, this book is in SEVERE need of editing. There are multiple (hundreds, I dare say) of punctuation issues, and a lot of basic grammar concepts that were missed. I'm not sure how much of this was just e-book formatting issues, or what, since I have not read any other books by this author.
Aside from being distracted by some of the above-mentioned stumbling blocks, this was a very good book.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read about the side of Germany that we don't usually think about. Naturally, it's easier to focus on the evil that was done during the War, but what about the Germans who didn't know about any of that? The ones who thought they were doing the right thing by protecting their homes and families? The ones who, if they had known about the death camps, would have been ashamed and mortified by the cruelty of their own government?

This is a story that gives us a window into what the War may have looked like to them, what it may have looked like to us had we been in their shoes, and a reminder of how none of us are exempt from the possibility of being greatly deceived.

[Anastasiia Kyrpychnyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дуже цікаво спостерігати реакцію персонажів селян, а не партійної веррхівки, на становлення і розвиток нацизму, зміну їх ставлення до режиму і один одного

[Justin Barbaree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baker's book is an important story that reminds us that the monsters that we must fear the most are ourselves. It may be easy to stand back and look at history and divide up the bad guys and the good guys, and look back and wonder how an entire nation could be swept up in such madness as Naziism. We may wonder how the promises for prosperity, for law and order, and for a strong nation can put many under a spell in which they ignore the troubling aspects of such a vision. And yet it might not be so strange to us in the 21st century, politically and socially divided as perhaps no time in our history, where we are as quick to demonize the "other" and use fear and animosity as our guiding principles. I won't say anymore on that except that this book helps make sense of that impulse a little more.

It tells the tale of regular "volk" who, while having reservations, get swept up in Hitler's vision for Germany. The book has a rather "stock" villain-- Wolf, who you could imagine a young Dolph Lundgren playing the perfect role of the young, aspiring SS officer. But what makes it interesting is its exploration of the psychology and sociology of regular people on the ground and outside of the central political action of the day. That alone makes it worth the read, but an added bonus is the epigraph quotes at the beginning of each chapter, which highlights just how this ideology twisted and confused otherwise rationale and well-intentioned thinkers and religious people of the age.

[Karmen Selby · Rating 5 out of 5]

New look at a horrible period in th World's history

I never submit reviews of books I have read, however of the many
Holocaust stories I have read this book finally explained to me how an entire country could go off the rails. From the simple story of a small village I could finally understand how the rise of Hitler under the cloak of being Christian could sweep in the citizens of Germany. In our simple lives how much would we believe of rumors we heard when life is suddenly so much better. The few rumours heard at first seemed ridiculous. We must all be aware of evil being presented as good. As in the book, when the awareness comes it is too late . Thank you for helping me understand a question I have been wrestling with for some time.

[Nathan James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible book.

The first quarter had a number of glaring typographical errors, and there were two chance meetings that seemed overly contrived. But those are my only two criticisms of the book.

Baker crafted an incredible narrative. He created characters we readily identify with, and rooted for. Baker also gave his readers a good understanding of how decent German people could plausibly go along with Hitler's regime. It is a horrifying warning to us all. The slide into evil happened with little resistance or notice.

[Maria Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective and was worth reading.

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about a young girl growing up in pre-WWII Germany and the effects of the rise of Hitler's philosophy on her nad on others. This is a really major point, and a very important one, of the book.

It starts out around 1929 and there's emphasis on the results of the treaty ending WWI on the German people themselves. They viewed that treaty as incredibly heavy-handed and in many ways it actually was. Their economy had collapsed, there was a lot of damage and a lot of death. Keep in mind, also, that this was when the world was going through a depression started off with the greed of Wall Street.

Their family has a way to make money producing illegal wine.

French soldiers end up forcing her and a girl friend of hers to strip, showing just how bad some of the Germans were being treated by the victors of the war.

There was a great feeling of their being treated very badly by the victors and part of this feeling involves their hatred of the Jews who they claim have lots of money and buy whatever they want and they control the banks.

The book shows how Eva ends up seduced by this whole thing going on, especially with the rise of Hitler and how he claimed he would restore Germany to its 'greatness.' The things that actually led to the war involved a tremendous amount of psychology and that should never been overlooked.

Eva thinks she eventually finds love and gets married. Bad decision on her part.

There is so much going on in this book and so much to think about that it's almost impossible to cover it all in a review. Get the book and read it. You won't be disappointed.

[Victoria Haugen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was great! What an interesting story about Eva as she grows up during and after Hitler's madness. I was taken away, back in time, to a place where unimaginable horror and unimaginable love intertwine. I'm fairly new to this genre, but really enjoyed this story! Very, very powerful story, and wonderful job by both author and narrator. Highly recommended! :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Iryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вони (німці) дійсно не уявляли, чим все закінчиться. Ця книжка про війну з іншого боку, про те, як до влади в Німеччині прийшли націонал-соціалісти, про те, як Гітлер зміг заручитися підтримкою переважної більшості німців, про релігійні питання, про любов і відданість, про духовне засліплення...
Мені чомусь здалося, що за цією книгою можна зняти дуже драматичне кіно чи може вже і зняли.
Гарна книга, рекомендую.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Спочатку я думала, що це документальна книжка, але ні - художня.
В основу цього роману лягло життя Єви Фольк – дитини пастиря села Вайнхаузен. У романі доволі детально описано тиск влади на церкву. А також як жив німецький народ в період війни і чому вони закривали очі на звірства проти єврейського народу.
Інколи варто подивитись на історію з іншої сторони, щоб краще бачити загальну картину.

[Erik McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A piece of historical fiction that does more than entertain. ‘The Seduction of Eva Volk’ is a great read (at times difficult, because of the sheer cruelty described) to include alongside a study of WWII. It gives you something other than the facts, figures, and dates. It gives you a story that you can enter into to better sympathize with “Hilter’s Christians,” and understand why so many of Germany’s Christians would support someone like Hitler.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the historical information & German POV of this era. I could understand and even see how some Americans are fell for a leader who promises economic & moral recovery but authority & overpowering other doesn’t work, as WW2 demonstrated. I didn’t care for the hyperbolic character of the heroine, villain & hero. This seemed more melodramatic than realistic.

[antoinette Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

This story was a riveting depiction of a village trying to hold on to their lives ..as Germany went to war
Characters from beginning to end were believable and sympathetic.......

[Kathryn Spurgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book

Although I’ve read many WW2 books, fiction and nonfiction, this is the first to explain the war from the German people’s point of view. Enlightening and very well done. I want to buy the print book now to keep.

[Marcia Pottenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work of fiction which takes place during WW II, but from a completely different perspective than most WW II novels. A young German woman in a small village, who is raised in a Christian home, is seduced into believing in the cause of Hitler.

[Kay Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking to say the least.

A novel that shows a side of WW2 that we forget existed. Imagine ourselves in the same predicament. Astonishing thought.

[B99A02GK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read!

The reader becomes a part of this story, not just a reader of history. It draws you in and won't let you go. Wonderful!

[Wanda Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving

Exceptional book. Insight into what life was like for average German people both prior to and during WWll. How many Evas and Andreas' survived this horrific war?

[Diane E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

The development of characters, especially Eva, is superb
It was difficult to put the book down once I started reading

[Hannah]

DNF I'll probably try and finish it some other time... idk

[Mv · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author (previously The Pursuit of Leviathan) and I would listen to another.

This story was quite interesting, very believable, and thought provoking.
It follows Eva from when she’s a young girl (and a tragic event happens) and Hitler is just starting to have influence, to well after she’s married and Hitler dies. We see the slow progression of the Nazi party- starting with the initial positive changes for the German people, to the downward spiral into a war torn country dealing with war shortages, cruelty by their own neighbors, and increasing concern over their Führer’s intentions / involvement in horrendous events. To me, parts were reminiscent of the frog in the pot of boiling water- increase the heat gradually and they are blind to what’s really happening until it’s too late.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator (Michael Wolf) and I would listen to another. He did a wonderful job narrating this book. His portrayal of the characters added to the book making listening a pleasant experience.

There are no explicitly described sex scenes but the topic of rape and marital abuse does arise. There is no excessive violence or swearing, but there is some descriptions of the war but not terribly detailed.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Story 5/5
Narration 5/5

[Kathy DeShong · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Seduction of Eva Volk" was a novel about Hitler/Nazis before and during WWII but it was told from the German perspective. Not that I could conceive believing in Hitler and his fanatics, but the German people were brainwashed by his ideas because in the beginning he did improve life for the Germans, although they didn't really know what he was doing with the Jewish population. Not until the end of the novel, did the German soldiers find out what was being done...then it ate at their conscience. I appreciate the Epilogue explained what happened to the various characters that disappeared in the novel.

[Steve Copland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, although sometimes disturbing story which portrays the nazi issue from within. As a Westerner - my father fought in the war as an RAF pilot - I have often thought deeply about how the German people could have followed such a man as Hitler.

Baker describes the economic, political and religious culture of Germany in the decade or so before WW2, in a way that answers many questions and challenges the Western mind to let go of judgmental attitudes. As the old adege says, 'there but for the grace of God, go I'.

Thank you, David, for the free copy and excellent read.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was disturbing, yet riveting. Such a great example of tolerance going bad, what happens when people look the other way, and trust without exercising discernment. It's also an example of good = bad and bad = good.... a frightening scenario that actually happened.

Gives one pause when we look at the current culture and the vein of political correctness.

[Kimberly Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War II from the point of view of German families. Interesting take on what the German people were going through after WWI and what lead up to Hitler's ability to gain such a hold on the country. Despite the horrific things that happened because of his lunacy and fanaticism, the author made me feel sympathy for the ordinary people caught up in the madness.

[Robert Frans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different view of Nazis

I rated it being because I thought it was a good history of Naziism told from an unusual viewpoint - that of ordinary German folks trying to recover from the crushing Versailles treaty following WWI - most thought-provoking

[Larisa Durbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good reading about the domestic side of prewar and wartime Germany,religion,national politics,local grudges in a small German village.I think it was well written.I really enjoy this book

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost 5 stars. Very, very well written from another point of view--the German population. It doesn't make what happened alright, but it does make it more understandable.