The Wooden King

by Thomas McConnell

Czechoslovakia, 1939. Snow is falling over the city when the Nazis invade. Before the ice on the roads has a chance to melt, everything has changed for the country-and for Viktor Trn.It isn't obvious at first. The day-to-day realities of occupation take time to sink in. After losing his job as a history professor, Trn remains optimistic, preserving what little he can of his family's dwindling freedom. In his family's small apartment, the radio brings worsening news as Europe surrenders to Germany. Friends are arrested, men are hanged in the local school. Trn must protect his young son, but he understands leaving their homeland could prove too dangerous.In the spirit of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale and Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, The Wooden King explores denial, desire, and family drama against the lyrically rendered backdrop of World War II, deftly navigating "the simple difference between what we do and what we ought to do" in the face of rising totalitarianism.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War

324 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark wartime tale showing the extraordinary lengths people go to protect those they love.

Set in Czechoslovakia, 1939, Viktor Trn has to decide resist the Nazi hold on his country or ride out the war hoping that he and his family survive.

I found this book hard to get into. Thomas McConnell’s prose is not initially easy to follow, but once you get into the swing the language he uses cleverly constructs images and ideas.

As the war progresses Trn has to make decisions that go against his beliefs, but ultimately he wants to protect his young son.

McConnell explores the quandary of how we would react under similar circumstances in understated way that illustrates the extraordinary lengths people go to protect those they love.

At times it’s very dark and does take you on a roller coaster as Trn navigates his way across the turmoil of invasion and occupation.

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saddest I’ve read in a long time. But it was worth the emotional downturn. Exceptionally well narrated. Except for the adultery and final betrayal it was clean.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A disturbing reminder of the destruction created by war and totalitarianism and a testimony to the human spirit—dark and light. I accidentally ended up reading this book in tandem with Madeleine Albright’s Prague Winter which provided some useful context for the novel.

[Ladislav Hrbacek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zvláštní kniha. Alespoň pro mě. Výborná atmosféra, příběh trochu pokulhával a překlad to dorazil. Chyby stylistické, překlepy a i když jsem nečetl originál, tak dle mého měl překlad (ob)časné nedostatky. Dávám jednu hvězdičku navíc za Brno. Někdy jsem se musel hodně snažit, abych poznal lokalitu, kde se příběh odehrává, ale popis a prostředí, které z knihy dýchalo občasná zaškobrtnutí plně vynahradilo. Rozhodně nelituji...

[Aaron Urbanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of themes fought for my attention here. The idea of governance rose to the top. McConnell explores two big questions: Who is in charge of our minds? Who is in charge of our bodies?

[Allen Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

When faced with the most difficult of circumstances, what choices will a man make? Will he stand on his principles? Will he risk his life and the lives of his family to act against injustice? Or, is there honor in choosing a path that he deems best suited for survival? And most importantly, what are the consequences of those choices? Many books are full of the stories of heroes who choose action in the face of adversity. Set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, "The Wooden King" is the story of a man, Viktor Trn, who navigates this turmoil with survival as his foremost thought, believing that he, his beloved son and family will share happiness again once the war ends. But despite surviving, Viktor learns that happiness is elusive and that there are consequences he could never have foreseen.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

brought to mind: Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies; Kangor, Dupes: How Adversaries Manipulate . . . .; Kalder, The Infernal Library.
* Should be required reading for Progressives/Socialists, and youths who have no memory/understanding of / experience with dictators.
McConnell presents believable characters - parents, neighbors, colleagues - dedicated to family, country, and culture. This trajectory will surprise no reader familiar with Marxist 20th century abominations.
* ? Least favorite: I wish there could be a different ending Favorite: the father/son relationship of trust, faith, and optimism.
* McConnell's austere use of commas and conjunctions slowed my progress: Good! this well-written tale merits close attention.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I surprised myself by flying through this novel. As expected with a novel focused on war history, the themes of this book are provocative and the reader cannot help but be moved and become emotionally engaged with the war. The Wooden King by Thomas McConnell is a sensational historical piece and takes readers deep into the historical events of the war in Czechoslovakia. Brilliantly well-written and the characters are well-developed. Readers will feel like they went back in time and are experiencing it all first hand. I recommend this book to anyone who devours historical fiction as much as I do.

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book after she bought it at the author's talk. She said it looked like too many words for her. It was a little difficult to get started, but once I was introduced to the characters (a Czech family: grandfather, daughter, her husband and their young son) I was intrigued. Most WWII stories are not happy, and this is no exception. But I am constantly amazed at the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of war, starvation and poverty. Viktor struggles to keep his family safe and his morals and beliefs in tact while his friends and neighbors are being arrested and deported.

[Jerry Knoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting book about a Czech family during Nazi occupation 1941 - 1945. Trn, the central character is an unannounced pacifist simply trying to live out the days of abuse, suspicion and repression. He seems to passively accept whatever new restrictions or draconian rules the Germans impose upon the Czech people. The most impressive part of the book is Trn's journey to be with his family during the chaos of the Russian attacks. Here the author conveys a horrific landscape with confident prose. Keeping with Trn's passivity, the prose itself makes great use of the passive voice - which is probably the most unusual facet of the book.

[Edy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story set in Czechoslovakia during WWII. Each chapter represents a year in the life of Vicktor, Alana, and Aleks. It painted a diffferent perspective of life as a civilian in war-torn Europe.

Much of the action takes place through dialogue-sometimes, especially at the beginning, so many character shifts was confusing. Once I knew the characters fairly well, it wasn’t a problem.

I wouldn’t classify this book as great literature, but it was an interesting read.

[Helen Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only two stars. they story is mundane. I kept reading waiting for the plot to advance or reveal much about the characters' inner lives. The novel also suffers from a fatal flaw: its unappealing protagonist. Other than a close relationship with his son and a couple of fitful affairs it is hard to understand him.

[Darlene Golbitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could sense the danger and feel the emotions in this dramatic and harrowing account of WWII Czechoslovakia. Relating the horrors of wartime, the narrator of the audiobook was perfect. It did take me a while to adjust to the lack of transition in this novel. This well written story definitely added to my knowledge the wartime ravages of Czechoslovakia

[Jim Dunlap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a shot of Becherovka, The Wooden King carries a punch. McConnell takes the reader on a journey through the moral hall of mirrors that was Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. To be sure, his meticulously crafted story is not for the faint of heart. But the trip is well worth it.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting to read a book on WWII that was a citizen in Czechoslovakia during occupation. How Nazis treated people that were not Jews or threats. Author Thomas McConnell developed the characters with dialog very well. Once I got into the book it was a really interesting read. Enjoyed the book!

[Janette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Closer to 2 1/2 stars. Story from the Czech point of view during the Nazi occupation which gave me a better understanding of their culture. Too wordy at times.....

[Greg Schott · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Deoressing.

[Batu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chillingly realistic view of life for "everyman" during WWII; not a soldier, not a resistance fighter, just a decent man.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly heartbreaking - the story of an ethical man in WWII Czechoslovakia.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was well written and not bad and it grabbed me in the beginning but slowly lost me.

[Adri Dosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jako fajn. Autor tu byl a věděl o čem píše a bylo to znát. Možná v Americe zapůsobí, ale jinak to byla prostě nuda.Mozna i proto se v Česku neprosadila

[Carole]

Perhaps not the best reading choice in times of stress, but The Wooden King is an excellent book about a Czech family during the German occupation, the Russian liberation and the Russian occupation after the War. Perhaps it is the best choice in times of stress to concern oneself with the stories of people enduring worse times. The writing is wonderful; the relationship between the protagonist and his son is heart wrenching; their dialog is calm amidst chaos. Read this on a sunny day, but do read this book.

[Nikki Rizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, heartrending
book!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read books set during World War II written from the perspective of Holocaust survivors, perpetrators, and civilians who joined various Resistance movements. Thomas McConnell offers a unique narrator in The Wooden King: a pacifist. Viktor Trn, a history professor, shows us his life in Prague during World War II. In spite of everything that happens—having his country stolen, losing his job, seeing his Jewish neighbors rounded up, slowly starving with his family—he does not fight back. Reading about Trn was simultaneously fascinating and frustrating. I’m still not sure I have a good answer for the question I kept asking while I read: how can someone stand on one side in a fight against one of the greatest evils ever perpetrated?

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.