An Infinity of Mirrors

by Richard Condon

AN INFINITY OF MIRRORS takes place between 1932 and 1944 in Paris and Berlin. A beautiful young French Jew, Paula Bernheim, and a Prussian officer, Wilhelm von Rhode, meet and fall in love.

Within a few months they are married and settled in Berlin--just as Hitler's rise to power begins.

The story of what happens to this young couple serves as a microcosm for the European convulsion, as Hitler's poisonous brand of anti-Semitism invades every strata of society.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II

291 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Richard Thomas Condon was a satirical and thriller novelist best known for conspiratorial books such as The Manchurian Candidate.

After service in the United States Merchant Marine, Condon achieved moderate success as a Hollywood publicist, ad writer and Hollywood agent. Condon turned to writing in 1957. Employed by United Artists as an ad writer, he complained that he was wasting time in Hollywood and wished to write a novel. Without Condon's knowledge, his boss, Max E. Youngstein deducted amounts from his salary then fired him after a year giving him the amount of money he had deducted in the form of a Mexican bank account and the key to a house overlooking the ocean in Mexico. Youngstein told him to write his book. His second novel, The Manchurian Candidate (1959), featured a dedication to Youngstein. The movie made from it in 1962, made him famous. Prizzi's Honor (1982) was likewise made into a successful movie.

Condon's writing was known for its complex plotting, fascination with trivia, and loathing for those in power; at least two of his books featured thinly disguised versions of Richard Nixon. His characters tend to be driven by obsession, usually sexual or political, and by family loyalty. His plots often have elements of classical tragedy, with protagonists whose pride leads them to a place to destroy what they love. Some of his books, most notably Mile High (1969), are perhaps best described as secret history. And Then We Moved to Rossenara is a humorous autobiographical recounting of various places in the world where he had lived and his family's 1970s move to Rossenarra, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland.

Reviews

[Faye Johnson]

I read this book years ago and found it chilling! The story of a wealthy young Jewish woman and her German military officer husband, set in the years before and during the rise of the Nazi Germany, it demonstrates the subtle (and not so subtle) ways the Nazis were able to take power. Using fear, hatred and blind loyalty as tools, one power crazy madman destroyed millions of lives and devastated countries.

In re-reading this book, I found myself skimming over some of the military titles - there are many, and they created more as it became helpful to their cause. While some reviewers have found the historical parts to be difficult, they are pertinent to the overall picture. We look back today and wonder how entire countries could have accepted and/or participated in the atrocities that happened during those years, the author shows us, through the various personalities, how even good people can be blindsided by ambition, fear, or desire for revenge.

In the case of Veelee, he was trained from a very young age, to follow the family tradition in the military. Paule, on the other hand, was a sheltered Jewish girl. Neither of them could comprehend the evil that was to face them - or how it would affect the way they would deal with it.

As I look at our own country today, we must NEVER forget what happened in Europe not so long ago. And we must NOT allow the media, the press or a government to dictate what our children are (or are not) taught!

[Mark]

Good mostly and great at times. Suffered when the story steered toward actual history and away from characters.

[David]

One of the five best books I've ever read

[Pam Mcmahon]

Intriguing and depressing at the same time.

[Jack Boyat]

Ugh, why does this book have to be so frustrating? Why must it take considerable efforts to spoil its own greatness?

The good stuff:

There was many an occasion during my time with An Infinity of Mirrors where I was entirely engrossed in the novel, caught in between an inability to stop reading and a revulsion towards the idea of reading even one more word. This is a truly bleak depiction of the holocaust, which is frankly how any depiction should be on some level, but Condon manages to capture the horror of the time in such a potent and frank way that I doubt I'll forget any time soon. There is a matter of factness that intertwines with a truly impressive amount of detail to produce an exhaustively upsetting and enraging story of some of the most horrific dehumanization to ever occur.

On top of that, the book is made far more interesting by its dedication to the psychology of its characters and the different positions they represent. Drayst could have been, and in fact sort of is, a cartoonish Nazi villain, sort of a Hanz Landa type (not that theres anything wrong with that idea), but Condon spends a lot of time going over his progression through the ranks of the SS and the nexus of personal ideologies, influences, and feelings that create his fetishization of the Jewish people. As such, he is far more interesting to read about than he otherwise would have been, and his villainy feels all the more real for it. The same is largely true of Paule, Veelee, and other more minor players like Strasse and Paule's father; all of them are strong and interesting characters who Condon uses effectively to explore the process of how a person can allow themself to consign to horrors beyond imagination.

There is also good exploration of the inherent unsustainablility of the Nazi project, a sort of suicidal inherency at its core that the book presents in some cases as a result of the mental divide created by such dehumanization. The mind knows that it is wrong and evil, and so like Strasse, it becomes split into two emotional landscapes at odds with each other. In this case, however, the corruption influence of Nazi ideology allowed the apparent incentives of the Nazi project to overwhelm what Condon seems to portray as inherent moral considerations. It's all reply interesting stuff.

Bad stuff:

However, that stuff is only like 60 percent of the book, maybe. So much of the novel is dedicated to long and rather dry recitation of absurdly detailed histories of the third Reich, many of which are helpful and interesting in their own way, but I'm reading a novel, not a textbook. The pacing and flow are greatly hindered by this style to the point where certain sections are hard to get through. There are also instances where Condon dedicates absurd amounts of time to characters that either dont matter at all or that dont matter enough to warrant such a heavy focus.

I also am unsure about the shift in the book's tone/focus over time. It goes from being a more literary work of ideas to a kind of cathartic war thriller in the final act. It remains really engaging, but it feels like the material might be cheapened slightly by what seems like a move towards more standard, commercial WW2 fiction. This may matter more or less depending on the reader, though, and I'd dare to say there's nothing inherently wrong with that kind of WW2 fiction if it's handled with proper respect.

There is one thing about this book I genuinely despise, though, and it's the last page. Spoilers here: the novel ends with an incredibly gratifying beat down of the main antagonist, Drayst, before he is then made to suffer the same fate as the Jews he murdered on mass, being sent to Auschwitz in an act of deception. It is brutal and a little uncomfortable, but it also feels incredibly fitting and right. For me, at least, this man undoubtedly deserves to die, and Paule's earlier assertion that his death would be an upholding of honor rings true to me; I just believe that killing an architect of genocide is just, especially in this case. As such, when the Condon heel turns on the last page and has Paule literally say "We have become the monsters" im the stupidest fashion possible, I wanted to throw the book out. Like, no the fuck no, they are not the monsters now! Beyond how stupid, corny, and out of place the line is, the sentiment is just wrong; they took down a mass murdering genocidal rapist. You can't portray the actions of the Nazi's with such accurate horror and depravity and then whip around so hard at the last minute that you give the reader whip lash. It's not offensiv, I don't think, but it sure is fuckin stupid. Remove the last page and the book is significantly better. It would probably get 3.5 stars from me, but as it stands, I think I'm willing to give 3 even, which is very dissapointing to me.

Overall, pretty good for a book I randomly picked up for 2 dollars on a bargain cart at a half priced book store.

Also, "He had never been in love before-mainly because no one had ever liked him," is a hilarious thing to write about a Nazi. Good job Richard 👍. Good line

[Allison]

Paule, a French-Jewish woman, marries Willi, a German officer, in the 1930s. As they fall in love, Germany descends into madness. When it seems Willi has chosen his career over her, Paule and her son flee to Paris. But of course, the war eventually follows them there. I should have expected this from a book over fifty years old, but the style was a little archaic. It took some time getting used to, but it certainly didn't deter me from enjoying the story. However, there are many paragraphs of historical exposition I could have done without. It almost seemed like Condon was just trying to show off his research. While there is some melodrama, it didn't get too over-the-top and never cheapened the story. Except for the ending, that is.

The main antagonist is Colonel Drayst, a perverted SS officer who wants to rape and murder Paule. In the hands of a lesser writer, Drayst could have been a ridiculous character, but he was actually quite well-written. He's completely evil and repulsive but never becomes a cliche or a cartoon. His death- well, his eventual death- was very karmic and satisfying. Paule and Willi beat him, disguise him as a Jew, and have him deported to Auschwitz. The ending, though, really threw me for a loop. Drayst got what he deserved, no question about that. So why does Paule suddenly regret it? I guess she feels like deporting Drayst makes her no better than the nazis? I wish this had been elaborated on more. As it is, it just feels overly-dramatic and cliched. A disappointing conclusion to a book I otherwise really liked.

I should also mention: There's an interesting subplot about Strasse, an SS officer who becomes increasingly mentally unstable. Through his character, we see the holocaust play out like some strange bureaucratic farce. As the book progresses, he becomes increasingly dependent on stimulants. The scenes where he hallucinates and slowly loses his mind are truly surreal. At first I wasn't sure why his character was important, but it made sense later on.

This was an extremely ambitious book. I can't help but admire Condon's efforts, and for the most part they're successful. It's a tragic story of war, genocide, and also revenge. I can tell Paule and Willi's relationship was supposed to be important, but I wish it had been developed more. It's clear they love each other, but I never really got a sense of what they're like as a couple. A lot of themes and subplots in this book would seem very cliched today, but in 1964 they were still fresh. An Infinity of Mirrors is a product of its time, and there are some parts that haven't aged well. But if you can get past that- as I was able to- it's still an excellent book.

[Brian]

One of the major themes of this book is the acquiescence of an entire society to a leader that many, including the German army, knew was a mad man. They knew that it would all end badly; they thought they could control Hitler. But when the moment came to stand up for what was right, they acquiesced. Some even became devoted to the mad man.
Reading this book in the first few months of Trump's second term was quite the experience. Various segments of American society are acquiescing to Trump in the same way that their counterparts in 1930's Germany did for Hitler. It's disturbing to watch it happen, but perhaps too much time has passed between the time of the Third Reich and the present. Very few people alive today remember the horrors of fascism. The connection to that era is all but lost. Richard Condon wrote this book in 1964, less than 20 years after the end of World War II. From his writing, it's clear that the horrors of Nazi Germany were still fresh.
After publication, Condon wrote a letter explaining why he wrote the book, and from it, I gathered that he wanted to do what he could to ensure that such a regime would never rise again. And yet, here we are in 2025 with another mad man in power. Regardless of what the American oligarchs believe, it will likely all end badly, even for them.

[Cyndy]

This is a different perspective on WWII that I haven't encountered before. I liked this book, other than all of the German ranks that have no explanation in the book. It would have been nice for the various words and phrases to be provided in a list somewhere in the book. Some of the words did not have a translation or definition available in my Kindle version of the book. What happens when a young German Army Officer falls in love with a beautiful Parisien Jew in 1932 Paris? That is the basis of the novel, but it is by no means a romance novel. It is mainly about how the war impacts Paris, its occupation, and how people did not see what they were watching. Recommended read for this different perspective.

[Francisco Rojas]

Enjoyed the story between Paule and Veelee. At first, I was a bit under-whelmed, but it quickly grabbed my attention. I am always astounded by the conformity of people to these leaders who are insanely cruel, and this book brought an interesting perspective how the German army really struggled with Hitler yet their ego was too much for them to go against the army and uphold what they actually believed in. I appreciated the chapters where Condon provides historical context of what was occuring at the time, and even though there was an overwhelming amount of statuses and words that I was not familiar with I enjoyed learning as I read through.

[William Thompson]

Not as enjoyably bonkers as The Manchurian Candidate but an engaging read. Some good writing and funny, despite the subject matter, satirical lists showcasing the madness of the Nazi’s. The scenes in the velodrome were effectively horrifying. The ending is satisfyingly vengeful. This satisfaction is meant to implicate the reader in the novel’s violence. Perhaps it does.

[Blasr]

A tough read, because of the content (Nazi Germany & Paris). The writing style, often just statements with no spin, increases the tension & sadness.

[Justin Rifis]

A great exploration of how things change gradually and then are realized all of a sudden.

[Lysergius]

"...stories are about people, and people are never merely one thing or another. Writers are drawn to weak heroes who have strength, because that is what men are: weaklings with strengths...What I wanted to say was that when evil confronts us in any form, it is not enough to flee or pretend that it is happening to somebody else. But though evil must be opposed, when it is fought with evil's ways it must ultimately corrupt and strangle the opposer"

[Brenda Hawley]

Published in 1964, A French Jewish wealthy girl and a German Military officer before and during World War II fall in love and marry. The complications are obvious as the wife moves to Berlin and gets caught up in Krystal Night, leaves her husband to return to Paris with her son and when Paris is occupied, becomes once again an enemy of the state. It has a typical 1960s melodramatic ending, but was worth reading.

[Carroll Straus]

Changed my thinking...

[Mark Lazarus]

Great WWII novel - once you start reading - you cannot put it down.