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Jákobovy barvy
Jákob, osmiletý cikánský chlapec, ze čtvrtiny Rom a ze čtvrtiny Jeniš, zůstal úplně sám v nacisty okupovaném Rakousku. Prchá lesem, na nohách boty z pytloviny potřísněné cizí krví, v jedné ruce kámen a v druhé dřevěnou truhličku jako jedinou upomínku na dřívější život. Prchá zběsile a zoufale, plný strachu a zbaven všech nadějí.
Už se naučil rozpoznat, kdy může cizímu člověku věřit a kdy se musí mít na pozoru. Dovede přečíst znamení, která mu dává příroda; ví, kdy se skrýt a kdy utíkat dál. Umí běžet s větrem i schovávat se ve stínech. To všechno ho naučil táta. Ale teď je táta pryč. I máma a sourozenci. A tak Jákob dál dělá to jediné, co může: utíká a skrývá se, pronásledován strašlivými vzpomínkami.
Lindsay Hawdon napsala silný román, jehož děj je rozprostřen do sedmnácti let a tří zemí: Anglie, Rakouska a Švýcarska. Na pozadí tragického příběhu malého Jákoba sledujeme osudy tří generací z naprosto rozdílných společenských vrstev a prostředí, abychom se společně s naším osmiletým hrdinou pokusili nalézt naději tam, kde už žádná naděje nezbyla.
Už se naučil rozpoznat, kdy může cizímu člověku věřit a kdy se musí mít na pozoru. Dovede přečíst znamení, která mu dává příroda; ví, kdy se skrýt a kdy utíkat dál. Umí běžet s větrem i schovávat se ve stínech. To všechno ho naučil táta. Ale teď je táta pryč. I máma a sourozenci. A tak Jákob dál dělá to jediné, co může: utíká a skrývá se, pronásledován strašlivými vzpomínkami.
Lindsay Hawdon napsala silný román, jehož děj je rozprostřen do sedmnácti let a tří zemí: Anglie, Rakouska a Švýcarska. Na pozadí tragického příběhu malého Jákoba sledujeme osudy tří generací z naprosto rozdílných společenských vrstev a prostředí, abychom se společně s naším osmiletým hrdinou pokusili nalézt naději tam, kde už žádná naděje nezbyla.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published March 30, 2015
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798 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 26, 2015
I loved this book for the way it was written and for the stories it told.
It's the story of a half Gypsy boy and his fight, or should I say flight, for survival nearing the end of WWII.
I have read many accounts of the suffering of Jewish people during the war, but this is the first I've read of the plight of the Gypsy. In fact, their suffering has mostly been ignored though it is estimated that up to one and a half million were killed under Hitler's rule.
The book moves back and forward in time and also tells the tale of Jakob's parents.
His mother treated for insanity, that did not exist, in the barbaric fashion that was the way of the time.
His father torn from his parents by the authorities, who disapproved of their lifestyle, deeming them unfit to raise children.
But is also told the story of the love between Jakob's parents and the love and hope they shared with their children. Also of the sacrifices other's were prepared to make for the safety of another, and above all a hope for the future. One of my favourite passages from the book:
'It does not pass. When I run from here, it'll be a life I've not seen the likes of before, an' I'd rather be dying than doing without my old life. Miss it so much it stops my heart beating.'
'That is true. It will not be a life you know of,' said Cherub. 'But there are different lives within one life. Lives that are still worth the living.'
'Even with the aching of the ones you've lost? I fear they'll come haunt you.'
'Would you rather not have it remembered?'
It's the story of a half Gypsy boy and his fight, or should I say flight, for survival nearing the end of WWII.
I have read many accounts of the suffering of Jewish people during the war, but this is the first I've read of the plight of the Gypsy. In fact, their suffering has mostly been ignored though it is estimated that up to one and a half million were killed under Hitler's rule.
The book moves back and forward in time and also tells the tale of Jakob's parents.
His mother treated for insanity, that did not exist, in the barbaric fashion that was the way of the time.
His father torn from his parents by the authorities, who disapproved of their lifestyle, deeming them unfit to raise children.
But is also told the story of the love between Jakob's parents and the love and hope they shared with their children. Also of the sacrifices other's were prepared to make for the safety of another, and above all a hope for the future. One of my favourite passages from the book:
'It does not pass. When I run from here, it'll be a life I've not seen the likes of before, an' I'd rather be dying than doing without my old life. Miss it so much it stops my heart beating.'
'That is true. It will not be a life you know of,' said Cherub. 'But there are different lives within one life. Lives that are still worth the living.'
'Even with the aching of the ones you've lost? I fear they'll come haunt you.'
'Would you rather not have it remembered?'
April 22, 2019
Hiç kimseden duymadığım,hakkında tek bir yorum dahi okumadığım bir kitaptı.Kitabın anlatımında,aynı ailenin bireylerinin ( Anne,baba ve çocuklar) farklı zaman dilimlerdeki hayatlarına dair dönüşler vardı.Bu kısmı,kitabın tam anlamıyla içine girene kadar karmaşa yarattı bende.Yazarın ilk kitabı olduğu içindi belki bu,bilemiyorum.Kitaba uzun bir süre,bir türlü adapte olamadım.Bu dönüşlerdeki kopukluk ve belirsizlik kitabın eleştirdiğim noktası oldu.Çingene Soykırımı ile ilgili olması ise,kurbanların sesi olması adına; son derece önemliydi benim için.Çünkü bu kitaba kadar böyle bir şeyin varlığını bile duymamıştım.1945 sonuna kadar hayatını kaybeden Romanların sayısı yarım milyonla bir buçuk milyon arasındaymış.Acı olansa,Yahudi Soykırımı konusunda bunca film ya da kitap varken,o insanların görmezden gelinişi de çok üzücü.1939’da Nazi Irksal Hijyen Birimi’nden Johannes Behrendt tarafından verilen talimatla,Romanlara kalıtsal hastalar olarak muamele edilmeleri ve yok edilmeleri istenmiş.Bu gelişmeyi takip eden yıllarda Almanlar ile Romanlar arasında evlilik yasaklanmış,Romanların oy verme hakları ellerinden alınmıştır.Ayrıca Almanya’dan Avusturya’ya Romanlar işkenceye maruz bırakılmış,çocukları ellerinden alınarak kobay olarak kullanılmışlar ve toplama kamplarında ( Salzburg/Lackenbach) işkence ya da gaz yoluyla öldürülmüşler.Nazilerin Çingenelere uyguladığı soykırım ancak 1982 yılında Helmut Schmidt tarafından resmi olarak kabul edilmiş.Yahudi emsallerinin aksine,Naziler tarafından onlara herhangi bir tazminat ödenmemiş.Birleşik Devletler Holokost Memorial,çingene kurbanlar için ilk anmayı ancak 14 Nisan 1994’te gerçekleştirmiş.Romanlar’ın kökenine ve nerden geldikleri konusuna gelirsek;en az 1000 yıl öncesinde Orta-Batı Asya’ya ve ardından Avrupa’ya gelen Hint kökenli bir diaspora topluluk oldukları söyleniyor.Dünyada,Romany,Roma,Zigeuner,Cigani ya da Gitano gibi isimlerle anılmaktalarmış.Çoğunlukla Avrupa ile Kuzey ve Güney Amerika’da yaşamaktalarmış.
May 10, 2016
Review can also be found on my blog:
https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.
The story told, takes us across England, Austria and Switzerland spanning the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s telling the tale of Jakob (an eight year old Gypsy Boy), his English Mother Lor and his Roma Father Yavy through separate yet interwoven story arcs that focus on the childhoods of Lor and Yavy, how they meet and the subsequent building of their relationship and finally the plight of Jakob and his Romany family during The Porrajmos (Gypsy Holocaust).
Jakob’s Colours is a book that is divided into five parts with each part advancing the chronological story arcs of the intertwining stories and timelines with all chapters having headings of ‘This Day’, ‘Before’ and ‘Long Before’ allowing the reader to easily transition from one arc and time frame to the next. This is a very character driven read. The story and narrative are occasionally slow and it’s never fast paced but it is far from boring and the pacing feels just perfect for the story being told through the interwoven arcs and timelines with the right amount of both setting and character development throughout.
The story shows you the light and the darkness in the world, the good and the bad in people and both the best and worst of humanity. The individual acts of kindness shown to Jakob throughout the book in the worst of times show you that not everyone in the world is evil and cruel. That people are prepared to self-sacrifice and help others and that there is hope to be found amongst the despair if you look for it and a glimmer of light in the darkness, no matter how small. That is what I felt to be the meaning of the book, hope, wonder and that colour canbe found where there is no colour.
I really enjoyed this book, it truly is an amazing, emotive read but after writing that sentence I feel that I’m doing the book a disservice by merely saying ‘I enjoyed it’ as while true, the subject matter isn’t something you enjoy reading about as genocide and persecution are abhorrent subjects. For me Jakob’s Colours was so much more than the simple enjoyment of a story well told. I found it to be an emotional journey that you take along with Jakob and his family. Lindsay Hawdon pulls you into her tale right from the first page through to the last putting you many times through the emotional wringer during the process of reading this heartbreaking tale. Jakob’s Colours is beautifully written with a poetic prose that both easily saddens and makes you smile and when needed bleeds emotion from the pages.
I’m a fantasy fan, those of you who read this review and are kind enough to follow my blog know that it’s my chosen and favoured genre of book, particularly the Grimdark subgenre. I do however read other genres and occasionally like to venture into finding a completely different book to read and Jakob’s Colours falls into that category as it’s not something I’d normally choose to read, but the cover and synopsis lured me in and I’m glad they did as I feel privileged to say I’ve now read this book, it’s an important, poignant read highlighting the atrocity that is the little known Gypsy Holocaust of WW II and also feels relevant to todays society.
There’ll be booklovers out there who like me, have a favoured genre of book that they read but sometimes read a variety of others to and then there’ll be those booklovers who simply read one genre and won’t read anything else, no matter how much praise, plaudits or recommendations a book gets. And to you all in both categories I write that this is a book you should read, it’s a captivating, engrossing, thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking, harrowing, unforgettable story that deserves to be added to your TBR list. The highest praise I can give Jakob’s Colours is to say that I think it’s a book everyone should read and that from now on if I am asked by people for reading recommendations it willbe high on that list.
A thought provoking book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it.
Highly recommended.
https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.
The story told, takes us across England, Austria and Switzerland spanning the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s telling the tale of Jakob (an eight year old Gypsy Boy), his English Mother Lor and his Roma Father Yavy through separate yet interwoven story arcs that focus on the childhoods of Lor and Yavy, how they meet and the subsequent building of their relationship and finally the plight of Jakob and his Romany family during The Porrajmos (Gypsy Holocaust).
Jakob’s Colours is a book that is divided into five parts with each part advancing the chronological story arcs of the intertwining stories and timelines with all chapters having headings of ‘This Day’, ‘Before’ and ‘Long Before’ allowing the reader to easily transition from one arc and time frame to the next. This is a very character driven read. The story and narrative are occasionally slow and it’s never fast paced but it is far from boring and the pacing feels just perfect for the story being told through the interwoven arcs and timelines with the right amount of both setting and character development throughout.
The story shows you the light and the darkness in the world, the good and the bad in people and both the best and worst of humanity. The individual acts of kindness shown to Jakob throughout the book in the worst of times show you that not everyone in the world is evil and cruel. That people are prepared to self-sacrifice and help others and that there is hope to be found amongst the despair if you look for it and a glimmer of light in the darkness, no matter how small. That is what I felt to be the meaning of the book, hope, wonder and that colour canbe found where there is no colour.
I really enjoyed this book, it truly is an amazing, emotive read but after writing that sentence I feel that I’m doing the book a disservice by merely saying ‘I enjoyed it’ as while true, the subject matter isn’t something you enjoy reading about as genocide and persecution are abhorrent subjects. For me Jakob’s Colours was so much more than the simple enjoyment of a story well told. I found it to be an emotional journey that you take along with Jakob and his family. Lindsay Hawdon pulls you into her tale right from the first page through to the last putting you many times through the emotional wringer during the process of reading this heartbreaking tale. Jakob’s Colours is beautifully written with a poetic prose that both easily saddens and makes you smile and when needed bleeds emotion from the pages.
I’m a fantasy fan, those of you who read this review and are kind enough to follow my blog know that it’s my chosen and favoured genre of book, particularly the Grimdark subgenre. I do however read other genres and occasionally like to venture into finding a completely different book to read and Jakob’s Colours falls into that category as it’s not something I’d normally choose to read, but the cover and synopsis lured me in and I’m glad they did as I feel privileged to say I’ve now read this book, it’s an important, poignant read highlighting the atrocity that is the little known Gypsy Holocaust of WW II and also feels relevant to todays society.
There’ll be booklovers out there who like me, have a favoured genre of book that they read but sometimes read a variety of others to and then there’ll be those booklovers who simply read one genre and won’t read anything else, no matter how much praise, plaudits or recommendations a book gets. And to you all in both categories I write that this is a book you should read, it’s a captivating, engrossing, thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking, harrowing, unforgettable story that deserves to be added to your TBR list. The highest praise I can give Jakob’s Colours is to say that I think it’s a book everyone should read and that from now on if I am asked by people for reading recommendations it willbe high on that list.
A thought provoking book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it.
Highly recommended.
July 11, 2016
This is, without a doubt, the most achingly beautiful book I have ever read. I feel as though my life has been drifting in these richly imagined other lives, another time, another world, for these last few days when my mind has been unpressured by my own life's demands. I haven't been deterred by the knowledge that yes, this book will be sad and that 'sad' is certainly too small a word for what I feel having now finished it. Life-affirming in the most haunting way possible. I knew from the first chapters that this would be a story I'll carry inside me for years yet, and will never want to forget. This is such an important book. There's an ache inside me that feels too real and too deep inside me to be fictional, and really, it's not fictional. There are real people in the fabric of this story.
It doesn't shy from the brutal reality of the Romany Holocaust, or the treatment of people in psychiatric institutions in the earlier parts of the story. Despite the horrors, it's sensitively written, without judgment. It reminds us of the humanity of the victims and the survivors, as well as those committing awful acts, through those blessed other things that make up a life, other than it's horrors and the manner of it's ending. The novel weaves between three times, bringing each closer to the beginning of another, overlapping in places where memory blends past and present until everything is woven together at the end.
I could quote this whole book. Each sentence feels crafted, careful and rich, but understated. Pitch-perfect, enchanting description, the sometimes artful use of repetition, tentative characterisation which is starkly contrasted between speech and narrative. The characters all felt close but distant at the same time, and I have no idea how. There are only a few critiques I can think of: some unnatural dialogue, that some of the descriptions are overdone to the point of purpleness, and there were a lot of things (like Jakob's heritage) that didn't need to be repeated so often. Also, while I enjoyed Yavy's sense of voice, Jakob himself never sounded to me like a child. There's sentiment, of course -people are sentimental beings, we like to keep things and collect and remember well, and love - and this isn't a flaw as in other books, but something I think that gave this story so much more weight. What can something or someone mean to us without sentiment? I don't know how to describe how I feel upon finishing this book, but I don't ever want to forget it.
It doesn't shy from the brutal reality of the Romany Holocaust, or the treatment of people in psychiatric institutions in the earlier parts of the story. Despite the horrors, it's sensitively written, without judgment. It reminds us of the humanity of the victims and the survivors, as well as those committing awful acts, through those blessed other things that make up a life, other than it's horrors and the manner of it's ending. The novel weaves between three times, bringing each closer to the beginning of another, overlapping in places where memory blends past and present until everything is woven together at the end.
I could quote this whole book. Each sentence feels crafted, careful and rich, but understated. Pitch-perfect, enchanting description, the sometimes artful use of repetition, tentative characterisation which is starkly contrasted between speech and narrative. The characters all felt close but distant at the same time, and I have no idea how. There are only a few critiques I can think of: some unnatural dialogue, that some of the descriptions are overdone to the point of purpleness, and there were a lot of things (like Jakob's heritage) that didn't need to be repeated so often. Also, while I enjoyed Yavy's sense of voice, Jakob himself never sounded to me like a child. There's sentiment, of course -people are sentimental beings, we like to keep things and collect and remember well, and love - and this isn't a flaw as in other books, but something I think that gave this story so much more weight. What can something or someone mean to us without sentiment? I don't know how to describe how I feel upon finishing this book, but I don't ever want to forget it.
April 1, 2015
I have already read many books this year, but this is perhaps the first one of 2015 that has touched my heart. Jakob's Colours is the debut novel of the writer Lindsay Hawdon and it did not disappoint.
The book does shift backwards and forwards in time, but they are like pieces of a finely crafted puzzle which are building up to the ending. It makes you ask why is Jakob, an eight year old boy, alone in the woods, fending for himself. What happened to his family. You are told the backstory of his parents and how he came to be. The horror of how he ended up where he is, only truly unfolds in the last chapter or two.
The colours in the book are quite powerful in the storytelling too, It is at a dangerous time in European history where the black spider of Nazi Germany is crawling into every space and extinguishing love, hope and families that do not fit into their Aryan ideal. We have heard and seen many accounts of the suffering of the Jews in WW2, but the Gypsies have definitely been ignored. Some of the incidents in the story were based on things that actually happened to them, like the testing of Zyklon B, on 250 gypsy children.
Although Jakob is an eight-year-old boy, he is much older inside. However, he remembers the words to run, and for him to run is to live. He is seen as a beacon of hope by others he comes across who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for him to ensure his continued existence. The words, the ideas are beautifully written. I actually rather liked the different time frames in the book, they were clearly titled so you knew who was where and what. It made the final truth of what Jakob had to do as a horrific kindness (of sorts) all the more emotional.
The book does shift backwards and forwards in time, but they are like pieces of a finely crafted puzzle which are building up to the ending. It makes you ask why is Jakob, an eight year old boy, alone in the woods, fending for himself. What happened to his family. You are told the backstory of his parents and how he came to be. The horror of how he ended up where he is, only truly unfolds in the last chapter or two.
The colours in the book are quite powerful in the storytelling too, It is at a dangerous time in European history where the black spider of Nazi Germany is crawling into every space and extinguishing love, hope and families that do not fit into their Aryan ideal. We have heard and seen many accounts of the suffering of the Jews in WW2, but the Gypsies have definitely been ignored. Some of the incidents in the story were based on things that actually happened to them, like the testing of Zyklon B, on 250 gypsy children.
Although Jakob is an eight-year-old boy, he is much older inside. However, he remembers the words to run, and for him to run is to live. He is seen as a beacon of hope by others he comes across who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for him to ensure his continued existence. The words, the ideas are beautifully written. I actually rather liked the different time frames in the book, they were clearly titled so you knew who was where and what. It made the final truth of what Jakob had to do as a horrific kindness (of sorts) all the more emotional.
December 27, 2020
Son dönemlerde bu kadar aşırı sıkıldığım bir kitap okuduğumu hatırlamıyorum. Onun için bu acıya bir son verdim. Okumayı bıraktım.
Kusura bakma Yakup, hikâyen ilgimi çekmedi. İçinde bulunduğun kasvet ve çaresizlik gönlümü dağladı. Olayları ve zamanları karıştırdım.
Hiçbir şey anlamadım. Sen yine koşmaya devam et. Elbet birileri seni okuyacak ve hak ettiğin değeri verecek.
Kusura bakma Yakup, hikâyen ilgimi çekmedi. İçinde bulunduğun kasvet ve çaresizlik gönlümü dağladı. Olayları ve zamanları karıştırdım.
Hiçbir şey anlamadım. Sen yine koşmaya devam et. Elbet birileri seni okuyacak ve hak ettiğin değeri verecek.
August 23, 2015
De jongen die ontsnapte - Lindsay Hawdon Ik heb zoveel boeken over de tweede wereldoorlog gelezen. voor het eerst lees ik meer over de zigeuners. ik had er geen weet van dat zij ook vervolgd werden. Dit boek vind ik echt een aanrader. Niet omdat het alleen een ontroerend boek is wat mooi en goed is geschreven, maar juist omdat iets word verteld wat veel eerder verteld had mogen worden.
July 16, 2017
5 yıldızdan fazlasını hakediyor. Harikaydı.
May 15, 2016
I was given this book through a goodreads giveaway but have had it on my to read list since I saw the hardback on Amazon's new release list, so I was looking forward to reading it.
Usually I feel not much shame in giving low or middling ratings for books but I do for this one. Jakob's Colours is beautifully written, so beautifully that I found myself reading it out loud when I was alone. Hawdon's words are chosen so well she almost paints Jakob's story as it meanders back and forth through the generations of his family and to his present day on the run from Nazis. However beautiful it is though, I did find it difficult to read. I'm not sure if it was the harshness of the subject matter, how some things in Lor's life cut a bit too close to my own or if it was just the pacing of the story but I seemed to wade through this book like it was treacle so I can't rate it as highly as I'd have liked to.
That being said I did enjoy the experience for the most part and I can honestly say I've never read a book concerning the gypsy holocaust or the treatment of the Yennish in Switzerland before so I'm glad of that even if it's a fictional account.
I'm pretty sure less picky, more cultured readers than myself would love this book.
Usually I feel not much shame in giving low or middling ratings for books but I do for this one. Jakob's Colours is beautifully written, so beautifully that I found myself reading it out loud when I was alone. Hawdon's words are chosen so well she almost paints Jakob's story as it meanders back and forth through the generations of his family and to his present day on the run from Nazis. However beautiful it is though, I did find it difficult to read. I'm not sure if it was the harshness of the subject matter, how some things in Lor's life cut a bit too close to my own or if it was just the pacing of the story but I seemed to wade through this book like it was treacle so I can't rate it as highly as I'd have liked to.
That being said I did enjoy the experience for the most part and I can honestly say I've never read a book concerning the gypsy holocaust or the treatment of the Yennish in Switzerland before so I'm glad of that even if it's a fictional account.
I'm pretty sure less picky, more cultured readers than myself would love this book.
April 21, 2016
The Porrajmos, Or Gypsy Holocaust, was not recognised at the Nuremberg trials and not a single gypsy was called to witness. To this day only one guard has received any sentence for crimes against them. The latest figure of the number of Romani that lost their lives by 1945 is staggeringly inaccurate, 'between a half and one and a half million'.
Hawdon's brave writing and extensive research is a testament to those living and dead and in important work. For much of it, the novel itself becomes too entwined in the romance of Yavy and Lor. Alternate chapters flash back to at least 4 periods in Jakob's young life and their relationship - too much I think.
The ending is very special though, and the previous 85% is put into perspective.
Hawdon's brave writing and extensive research is a testament to those living and dead and in important work. For much of it, the novel itself becomes too entwined in the romance of Yavy and Lor. Alternate chapters flash back to at least 4 periods in Jakob's young life and their relationship - too much I think.
The ending is very special though, and the previous 85% is put into perspective.
August 25, 2017
Öncelikle... KAHROLSUN BAĞZI TEZLER!
Şu güzelim kitabı bir aydır okuyor olduğuma inanamıyorum. Başka başka zorunluluklarımdan ötürü kitaba sürekli ara vermek durumda kalmış olmama rağmen, hikaye, sıcaklığından hiçbir şey kaybetmedi. Kurgu olmasına rağmen, temelindeki İkinci Dünya Savaşı gerçeğiyle birlikte, yazar, acı bir şekilde de olsa, umudu ve inancı korumanın önemine vurgu yapmış; ben kitabı yeni bitirmiş halimle, henüz acı içindeyim. Zamanla, Yakup'un renklere koştuğunu, renklerine kavuştuğunu, renkleriyle başkalarının hayatına renk kattığını düşünmeye başlayabilirim belki.
Şu güzelim kitabı bir aydır okuyor olduğuma inanamıyorum. Başka başka zorunluluklarımdan ötürü kitaba sürekli ara vermek durumda kalmış olmama rağmen, hikaye, sıcaklığından hiçbir şey kaybetmedi. Kurgu olmasına rağmen, temelindeki İkinci Dünya Savaşı gerçeğiyle birlikte, yazar, acı bir şekilde de olsa, umudu ve inancı korumanın önemine vurgu yapmış; ben kitabı yeni bitirmiş halimle, henüz acı içindeyim. Zamanla, Yakup'un renklere koştuğunu, renklerine kavuştuğunu, renkleriyle başkalarının hayatına renk kattığını düşünmeye başlayabilirim belki.
July 20, 2016
A beautiful, lyrical novel of the gypsies and their persecution during WWII. How do you survive life, a life that is never easy, one others seek to take from you? Colors, stories, and love are what bind, but always remember love is connected with pain, there is not one without the other.
April 18, 2015
Probably the best book I've ever read!
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June 24, 2015
A book that touched me deeply. Beatifully written, every word exactly where it needs to be.
June 12, 2016
Mooi verhaal, maar had korter gemogen, iets te langdradig.
March 22, 2018
Jakob is an 8-year-old half-Roma gypsy boy who is alone on the run somewhere in Austria in the year 1944. These facts are enough for the reader to know that Jakob is running from something terrible and that the danger is far from over.
I am emotionally drained after having read this. Right from the very first page, my heart went out to Jakob, I was afraid for him and wished I could protect him. Yes, this is fiction, Jakob is a fictional character but the writing is so powerful, I was drawn into the novel and felt as if I was running alongside Jakob.
The novel tells the story of not only Jakob, but of his parents, too - of the hardships they faced in life, how they met and finally found love and happiness. The different stories are interwoven and jump back and forth from the late 1920s/earlyearly 1930s to the 1940s. While this may be irritating or confusing in some novels, I didn't find it to be the case in this one and it worked really well. The threads all come together in the end.
This book is beautifully written, but it is truly heartbreaking. I was frequently overcome by a sense of dread while reading. On the one hand, you want to know what has happened to Jakob and his family, on the other hand, you don't want to know either. This is the kind of book where you just wish the author had a vivid imagination, that the horrors they describe are imaginary. It may be a fictional story, but these things did - and sadly do still - happen in reality.
One more thing: a lot of very good research on the Porrajmos (the Gypsy Holocaust) was done by the author. While I was aware that Roma and Sinti were also persecuted and murdered during the Second World War, I didn't know that this was not recognized at the Nuremberg Trials and nobody was convicted for them. Not one gypsy was called to witness either. This Holocaust was "ignored" for the most part and Hawdon has done a highly commendable job of portraying the cultures and traditions of the gypsies, how they were treated in Europe not just during the war but before.hand Her background information at the end of the novel is a very interesting read.
Jakob's Colours deserves no less than 5 stars in my opinion. It is a book that will stay with me always.
I am emotionally drained after having read this. Right from the very first page, my heart went out to Jakob, I was afraid for him and wished I could protect him. Yes, this is fiction, Jakob is a fictional character but the writing is so powerful, I was drawn into the novel and felt as if I was running alongside Jakob.
The novel tells the story of not only Jakob, but of his parents, too - of the hardships they faced in life, how they met and finally found love and happiness. The different stories are interwoven and jump back and forth from the late 1920s/earlyearly 1930s to the 1940s. While this may be irritating or confusing in some novels, I didn't find it to be the case in this one and it worked really well. The threads all come together in the end.
This book is beautifully written, but it is truly heartbreaking. I was frequently overcome by a sense of dread while reading. On the one hand, you want to know what has happened to Jakob and his family, on the other hand, you don't want to know either. This is the kind of book where you just wish the author had a vivid imagination, that the horrors they describe are imaginary. It may be a fictional story, but these things did - and sadly do still - happen in reality.
One more thing: a lot of very good research on the Porrajmos (the Gypsy Holocaust) was done by the author. While I was aware that Roma and Sinti were also persecuted and murdered during the Second World War, I didn't know that this was not recognized at the Nuremberg Trials and nobody was convicted for them. Not one gypsy was called to witness either. This Holocaust was "ignored" for the most part and Hawdon has done a highly commendable job of portraying the cultures and traditions of the gypsies, how they were treated in Europe not just during the war but before.hand Her background information at the end of the novel is a very interesting read.
Jakob's Colours deserves no less than 5 stars in my opinion. It is a book that will stay with me always.
August 24, 2019
When I think of Hitler and his plan to create his perfect race, I immediately think of the persecution of the Jews. This story is about persecution but this time of the Gypsies.
The story is told in a style that alternates between chapters that are headed “This Day”, “Before” and “Long Before” and they are spread across five sections that gradually take you through the story. It is a style that is very easy to follow.
This is a story about 8 year old Jakob, a boy who is half Roma (Gypsy) and half Yenish (Swiss Gypsy). It is also about his parents and tells their life-story. With the alternating timelines it is a chance to build up valuable insight and knowledge of the family and their experiences. It also gives meaning to the importance of colour in the lives of this family.
This is a story that has been well researched, this research has then been woven and incorporated into an absolutely amazing story. It is a story that is heartbreaking as you would imagine, but it also has something that has a special balance to it. It shows people at their best as well as at their very worst. This means that not only do you get the desperation and plight of a persecuted people, you also get the balance of those willing to go out on a limb and by doing that they instil a sense of hope.
This is a very special book that has been so well written that I am really struggling with a review. It is a book, that as I read, I wanted to highlight and quote every single sentence. It is beautifully worded and it’s one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time indeed.
If you want to read about the plight of a people who were persecuted and almost wiped out, then this is the book to pick up. If you want a story about the balance of life and death, then pick this book up. If you want a story that is beautifully written and yet harrowing and heartbreaking then pick this book up.
It is a book that once I had read, I just knew I would not be able to do justice to when it came to write a review. I just hope that as you read this, it sparks a little curiosity in you and you go and pick this book up and read it.
Highly Recommended Book.
The story is told in a style that alternates between chapters that are headed “This Day”, “Before” and “Long Before” and they are spread across five sections that gradually take you through the story. It is a style that is very easy to follow.
This is a story about 8 year old Jakob, a boy who is half Roma (Gypsy) and half Yenish (Swiss Gypsy). It is also about his parents and tells their life-story. With the alternating timelines it is a chance to build up valuable insight and knowledge of the family and their experiences. It also gives meaning to the importance of colour in the lives of this family.
This is a story that has been well researched, this research has then been woven and incorporated into an absolutely amazing story. It is a story that is heartbreaking as you would imagine, but it also has something that has a special balance to it. It shows people at their best as well as at their very worst. This means that not only do you get the desperation and plight of a persecuted people, you also get the balance of those willing to go out on a limb and by doing that they instil a sense of hope.
This is a very special book that has been so well written that I am really struggling with a review. It is a book, that as I read, I wanted to highlight and quote every single sentence. It is beautifully worded and it’s one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time indeed.
If you want to read about the plight of a people who were persecuted and almost wiped out, then this is the book to pick up. If you want a story about the balance of life and death, then pick this book up. If you want a story that is beautifully written and yet harrowing and heartbreaking then pick this book up.
It is a book that once I had read, I just knew I would not be able to do justice to when it came to write a review. I just hope that as you read this, it sparks a little curiosity in you and you go and pick this book up and read it.
Highly Recommended Book.
June 13, 2018
This book was beautifully written; Hawdon does a wonderful job painting a vivid picture in the reader's mind, "The cupboard doors are open, and there, hunched in the splintered darkness, are his companions, raw and slight, with hollowed jowls, and hair that is barely distinguishable from the jaundiced pallor of their skin. Too much hollowness. Too much bone."
However, her descriptive style is to the detriment of the storyline, and it feels stale in many places. The stories of Jakob (son), Yavy (dad), and Lor (mom) are supposed to be interwoven and connected, but it feels stunted, and I put the book down many times in fatigue. Stories about the Roma Porrajmos (the Devouring) need to be told to fully flesh out a full narrative of the Holocaust, but this one, while it paints beautiful pictures in my mind, bored me much of the time. The chapters would have been easier to follow if they would have just been titled: Lor, Yavy, and Jakob, instead of This Day, Before, and Long Before...that was very confusing and did not add to the story.
However, this novel does make me want to seek out more books about the Roma community.
However, her descriptive style is to the detriment of the storyline, and it feels stale in many places. The stories of Jakob (son), Yavy (dad), and Lor (mom) are supposed to be interwoven and connected, but it feels stunted, and I put the book down many times in fatigue. Stories about the Roma Porrajmos (the Devouring) need to be told to fully flesh out a full narrative of the Holocaust, but this one, while it paints beautiful pictures in my mind, bored me much of the time. The chapters would have been easier to follow if they would have just been titled: Lor, Yavy, and Jakob, instead of This Day, Before, and Long Before...that was very confusing and did not add to the story.
However, this novel does make me want to seek out more books about the Roma community.
January 16, 2021
Příběh Jákoba, osmiletého cikánského chlapce, který putuje sám v nacisty okupovaném Rakousku. Přišel o celou rodinu a snaží se dostat tam, kde mu bude líp. Zároveň s tím sledujeme život jeho matky a jeho otce, jejich dětství a jak k sobě našli cestu.
Tak tohle byl další ze silných příběhů z druhé světové války. Tentokrát téma, které není tak často používáno a to pronásledování Romů. Spousty z nich bylo zabito nebo odvezeno do koncentračních táborů.
V knížce sledujeme tři časové linie. Neměla jsem s nimi problém zhruba do poloviny knihy, než se v jedné linii ocitáme najednou zase někde jinde a pak už mi to přišlo trošku zmatené. Ale to je jen malá vada na výborně napsané knížce. Myslím si, že kdyby kniha byla napsána klasicky jako jeden příběh od minulosti do současnosti, tak by jí to slušelo více. I když takhle nám autorka spoustu věcí naznačovala a pomalu odkrývala a tím to možná vytvářelo větší napětí. No, posuďte sami.
Kdo máte rádi příběhy z období druhé světové války, tak rozhodně doporučuji. Navíc je tam i pár dalších zajímavých témat (nebudu rozvádět, abych nespoilerovala). Kniha je to rozhodně silná a krutá a stojí za Vaši pozornost.
Tak tohle byl další ze silných příběhů z druhé světové války. Tentokrát téma, které není tak často používáno a to pronásledování Romů. Spousty z nich bylo zabito nebo odvezeno do koncentračních táborů.
V knížce sledujeme tři časové linie. Neměla jsem s nimi problém zhruba do poloviny knihy, než se v jedné linii ocitáme najednou zase někde jinde a pak už mi to přišlo trošku zmatené. Ale to je jen malá vada na výborně napsané knížce. Myslím si, že kdyby kniha byla napsána klasicky jako jeden příběh od minulosti do současnosti, tak by jí to slušelo více. I když takhle nám autorka spoustu věcí naznačovala a pomalu odkrývala a tím to možná vytvářelo větší napětí. No, posuďte sami.
Kdo máte rádi příběhy z období druhé světové války, tak rozhodně doporučuji. Navíc je tam i pár dalších zajímavých témat (nebudu rozvádět, abych nespoilerovala). Kniha je to rozhodně silná a krutá a stojí za Vaši pozornost.
May 3, 2022
For once Jakob finally feels safe, the cupboard is cramped and he’s hungry, but he’s safe. For months he’s wandered the forests all alone, trying to stay one step ahead. Jakob knows the words of the land and sky, he knows when to stop and run, always looking over his shoulder, waiting in fear. Until one day an old man finds him and offers him a hiding place in a cupboard, away from the Nazis. However hiding is no life for an eight year old boy and sooner than later he has to run again.
Taking place during the Gypsy Holocaust in which countless Romani lives were lost and the exact number is still unknown to this day. Told from two different perspectives, Jakob-a half blood gypsy boy trying to survive and his mother growing up-her life story. A beautiful tale of love, survival and the sacrifices we make, the kindness that can be shown in the harshest of times. This book brought me through a roller coaster of emotions and made my hurt heart. Such a wonderful book that truly shows how hope can be found and given. Highly recommended reading. Thank you to the author for the background information for this story and taking the time to share it, much appreciated!
Taking place during the Gypsy Holocaust in which countless Romani lives were lost and the exact number is still unknown to this day. Told from two different perspectives, Jakob-a half blood gypsy boy trying to survive and his mother growing up-her life story. A beautiful tale of love, survival and the sacrifices we make, the kindness that can be shown in the harshest of times. This book brought me through a roller coaster of emotions and made my hurt heart. Such a wonderful book that truly shows how hope can be found and given. Highly recommended reading. Thank you to the author for the background information for this story and taking the time to share it, much appreciated!
March 25, 2019
Čo nám pomáha prežiť? Čo nás ženie vpred? Čo nás núti dýchať, prečo chceme žiť? Láska k blízkym, naša vlastná fantázia, farby? Cesta životom pre nikoho nie je ľahká. Obzvlášť pre tých, ktorých chcú zabiť.
Kníh, v ktorých sa hovorí o 2. svetovej vojne, o utrpení Židov, o koncentračných táboroch, sa už popísalo veľa. Aj keď pravdou je, že ich nikdy nebude dosť. (Kiežby nemuselo.)
Román Jákobovy barvy sa tiež odohráva počas vojny, no tentoraz nie je ústredným hrdinom Žid, ale Róm. Jákob má iba osem rokov a ako niekoľkokrát zdôrazňuje sama autorka, je: "napůl cikán, ze čtvrtiny Rom a ze čtvrtiny Jeniš".
Je pravda, že o utrpení Rómov počas vojny sa veľa nehovorí, musím sa priznať, že kým som nečítala túto knihu, ani som o tom nevedela. Až popri čítaní som si musela vyhľadať informácie a overiť si skutočnosti. Skutočnosti, ktoré sú faktami. A klobúk dole pred autorkou, ktorá si k tomu spravila podrobný výskum, a pri tých poznatkoch dospela k rozhodnutiu napísať o tom knihu. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.sk/2017/05/ja...
Kníh, v ktorých sa hovorí o 2. svetovej vojne, o utrpení Židov, o koncentračných táboroch, sa už popísalo veľa. Aj keď pravdou je, že ich nikdy nebude dosť. (Kiežby nemuselo.)
Román Jákobovy barvy sa tiež odohráva počas vojny, no tentoraz nie je ústredným hrdinom Žid, ale Róm. Jákob má iba osem rokov a ako niekoľkokrát zdôrazňuje sama autorka, je: "napůl cikán, ze čtvrtiny Rom a ze čtvrtiny Jeniš".
Je pravda, že o utrpení Rómov počas vojny sa veľa nehovorí, musím sa priznať, že kým som nečítala túto knihu, ani som o tom nevedela. Až popri čítaní som si musela vyhľadať informácie a overiť si skutočnosti. Skutočnosti, ktoré sú faktami. A klobúk dole pred autorkou, ktorá si k tomu spravila podrobný výskum, a pri tých poznatkoch dospela k rozhodnutiu napísať o tom knihu. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.sk/2017/05/ja...
May 14, 2018
This could have been a very good historical fiction novel. Its subject matter has been written very little about. But I feel like the author overly described everything in the book. She droned on and on...adjectives and adverbs all over the place. I sometimes found myself forgetting where we were in the story line because she was spending so many words making me understand exactly what the air smelled like and every little thing every single character in the book was thinking and feeling. I also felt like there were too many time lines and characters. It became confusing at times.
This book was a disappointment for me. In my opinion, had she focused more on the story and less on painting a vibrant picture, it would have been outstanding.
This book was a disappointment for me. In my opinion, had she focused more on the story and less on painting a vibrant picture, it would have been outstanding.
April 2, 2019
Jak to mám říct, vzhledem k tomu, že v zahraničí je to bodováno pěti hvězdičkami a já na to jdu jen s dvojkou.
Hmmm
Fakt to má divný překlad. Snaží se. Hraje si na co není a příjde mi, že překladatelka se v tom dost topila. Já se na tu knihu dost těšila, protože jsem si ji vyhlídla v knihkupectví, ale tehdy jsem odolala a půjčila jsem si ji v knihovně. Teď jsem ráda, že jsem si ji nekoupila.
Snažila jsem se, četla jsem pod nátlakem, ale postupně jsem se ztrácela, protože jsem přestala vnímat. Nešlo to, ten text byl nudný, ubíjející a to písmo zastaralé, překlad divný. Příběh slibuje druhý Schindlerův seznam, ale tedy nevím.
Zkuste to s ní vy, třeba vás nadchne, já to s ní nevydržela, zaklapla jsem ji 40 stránek do konce.
Hmmm
Fakt to má divný překlad. Snaží se. Hraje si na co není a příjde mi, že překladatelka se v tom dost topila. Já se na tu knihu dost těšila, protože jsem si ji vyhlídla v knihkupectví, ale tehdy jsem odolala a půjčila jsem si ji v knihovně. Teď jsem ráda, že jsem si ji nekoupila.
Snažila jsem se, četla jsem pod nátlakem, ale postupně jsem se ztrácela, protože jsem přestala vnímat. Nešlo to, ten text byl nudný, ubíjející a to písmo zastaralé, překlad divný. Příběh slibuje druhý Schindlerův seznam, ale tedy nevím.
Zkuste to s ní vy, třeba vás nadchne, já to s ní nevydržela, zaklapla jsem ji 40 stránek do konce.
September 30, 2018
I really wanted to give this more than one star, because the author's effort and devotion to Jakob's Colours was obvious in the vivid settings and the emotive depictions of poverty strewn throughout the novel. Unfortunately, the random chronological jumping made the story impossible to follow, and I found that despite the heart-wrenching nature of the book's content, I could feel no connection or care about any of the characters, simply because I never felt that I was allowed any time at all to get to know any of them.
July 28, 2017
Uzun zamandır böyle sürükleyici bir kitap okumamıştım gerçekten çok hoşuma gitti. Kitapta 3 zaman dilimi var, şimdi, yakın geçmiş ve uzak geçmiş. Bittigi zaman bir ailenin öyküsünü okumuş oluyorsunuz. Yakup yarı roman yarı yeniş,çinngene çocuğu. Çoğumuzun bildigi gibi 2. Dünya Savaşında Çingeneler de çok zarar görmüştü. Ben ilk kez bu konuyla alakalı bir kitap okudum, ve cok begendim. Tavsiye ediyorum
July 18, 2020
Since this was a freebie from Goodreads I thought I’d write a small review! Initially I found this book quite hard to follow, the jumping through time was confusing and the story wasn’t clear. Once I got into it, it started to flow so much more easily and I enjoyed the descriptions and poetry of it. It’s a very interesting, moving and sad story and has taught me a lot about a historical event I had no idea about so overall I did really enjoy it in the end. Thanks for the free book Goodreads!
May 17, 2017
Jelikož budu psát recenzi, nechci všechny své dojmy psát sem. Ale líbilo se mi to. Ze začátku jsem tomu spíš nerozuměla, příběh mi moc nedával smysl. Až na konci zjistíte, jak se to všechno propojí, jak je to strašidelné a bohužel (nebo bohudík) snad i realistické, tehdy v té podivné válečné době.
October 5, 2017
Het verhaal over de zigeunerjongen Jacob en zijn familie.
Het wordt geschreven van uit Jacob, zijn moeder Lore en zijn vader Yavi en steeds verspringend vanuit een andere tijd.
In het begin een beetje verwarrend, die verschillende verhaallijnen en tijden, tot ik in de gaten had hoe het zat. (Vrij vlug)
Aangrijpend van begin tot einde en zeker de moeite waard om te lezen.
Het wordt geschreven van uit Jacob, zijn moeder Lore en zijn vader Yavi en steeds verspringend vanuit een andere tijd.
In het begin een beetje verwarrend, die verschillende verhaallijnen en tijden, tot ik in de gaten had hoe het zat. (Vrij vlug)
Aangrijpend van begin tot einde en zeker de moeite waard om te lezen.
July 23, 2018
This was by far the most deeply moving depiction of the Holocaust I've ever read. Told through the eyes of a young boy who faces horrific challenges, mostly on his own. He clings to what he's learned from his parents to keep his spirit alive, and fights to survive. The writing is beautiful, at moments--stunning. It left me in a puddle of tears.
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