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Il sentimento del ferro
Agli inizi degli anni Quaranta, il maggiore delle SS Hans Lichtblau viene messo alla guida di un programma di ricerca che utilizza i prigionieri dei campi di concentramento come cavie, ma anche come assistenti, inquadrati nel Kommando Gardenia. Sullo sfondo degli esperimenti, la “soluzione finale del problema ebraico”, l’avanzata nazista in Russia e la colonizzazione dei territori dell’Est, poi, inaspettata, la disfatta e la caduta di Berlino. Del Kommando fanno parte Shlomo Libowitz, nato in uno shtetl polacco e convertitosi al sionismo nel Lager, e Anton Epstein, ebreo assimilato della borghesia praghese, convinto che l’unica risposta possibile alla barbarie sia il socialismo. Shlomo e Anton sopravvivono alla guerra e al trattamento di Lichtblau, testimoni scomodi di un mondo passato, eppure ancora capace di influire sul presente. A distanza di quarant’anni, per conto di mandanti diversi e in apparenza inconciliabili, i due reduci si mettono sulle tracce di Lichtblau, il quale, in America Centrale, combatte i sandinisti per conto della CIA, razzia villaggi e smercia droga. Quella di Anton e Shlomo è una vendetta tardiva, in una corsa contro il tempo, perché la vita potrebbe essere troppo breve per saldare tutti i conti. Una spy story in bilico tra due continenti e due epoche, un romanzo corale su una civiltà al tramonto.
463 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
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April 24, 2026
NAZISTI DELLA PORTA ACCANTO
Romanzo corposo, polposo, godurioso, saporito. Coraggioso e sorprendente.
Corpo, polpa, goduria e sapore arrivano dalla trama che dall’inizio alla fine procede alternata su due differenti piani temporali: ieri, e cioè, la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, e l’immediato dopoguerra, profughi e sbandati, arrivando fino alla nascita dello Stato d’Israele. L’oggi, inteso come 1982, i Russi in Afghanistan, Reagan presidente degli Stati dis-Uniti d’America, sandinisti e contras, la giungla tra Nicaragua e Honduras.
Un ufficiale medico delle SS è incaricato da Himmel a capo di un programma di ricerca (più o meno) scientifica su composti chimici: vuoi per fare parlare i prigionieri, vuoi per sterilizzare la razza ebrea, vuoi per rendere i soldati più resistenti alla fatica e al dolore. Gli studi girano intorno a certe piante esotiche coltivate in serra, e man mano si avvicinano all’LSD. Gli esperimenti sono ovviamente su cavie umane prelevate dai lager, stese sul tavolo operatorio senza anestesia.
E alla fine, quando i russi sono alle porte, e poi in anticamera, trucidate senza retro pensieri.
Due si salvano: un contadino polacco, Shlomo, e uno studente di medicina praghese, Anton. Molto diversi tra loro, sono entrambi alquanto atei, nessuno dei due è ebreo praticante.
Shlomo diventa sionista per caso, o forse per amore, e contribuisce alla nascita d’Israle.
Anton rimane in Europa, comunista sempre più disilluso: Praga non è certo il posto migliore per godere dei vantaggi del socialismo sovietico.
Oggi, nel 1982, sono entrambi ‘cacciatori di nazisti’: Shlomo è parte di un gruppo che si dedica a eliminare i nazisti che qua e là ogni tanto tornano a galla come la merda nel mare; Anton invece viene coinvolto perché in grado di riconoscere il bersaglio.
L’obiettivo è, naturalmente, l’ufficiale medico delle SS: sia Shlomo che Anton l’hanno visto in azione, spietato e spregiudicato, carnefice senza rimorso.
Il maggiore delle SS Hans Lichtblau è stato reclutato dal governo degli Stati dis-Uniti d’America subito dopo la guerra: quando, con la Guerra Fredda appena iniziata e già bella calda, sovietici e americani si contendevano scienziati e ricercatori nazisti, un po’ per il valore dei loro studi, un po’ per non lasciarli preda dell’avversario.
Adesso vive tra Los Angeles, dove vende cocaina e derivati, e la giungla hondurena, dove continua studi e ricerche su funghi e derivati, e trasporta armi ai Contras. È un vecchio hippie che ha vissuto e frequentato la controcultura americana cominciando dalla lunga amicizia con Timothy Leary, indossa camicie hawaiane sotto la coda di cavallo, fa sostanzialmente una bella vita, non ha mai abiurato alle vecchie abitudini, e nessun ricordo gli procura senso di colpa.
Coraggioso e sorprendente perché il romanzo è parto di un italiano, anche se per stile e argomento sembrerebbe creazione estera, più probabilmente a stelle-e-strisce: non mi viene in mente nessuno antecedente tricolore.
Alonge insegna storia del cinema, scrive sul cinema, e scrive per il cinema (sceneggiature): qui si rivela abile e sofisticato romanziere che costruisce un’impalcatura ardita, basata su studi e ricerche e documentazione estesa, senza sbavature, astenendosi dal tipico grand guignol alla Nesbo o Don Wilson o Dan Brown, evitando pruriginose descrizioni di scene di vita sessuale, con misura e, oserei dire, discrezione.
Applausi.
Avere visto il male negli occhi, anche quello più estremo, assolve sempre e comunque da ogni colpa?
La cosa peggiore che può farti il nemico è renderti uguale a lui.
Romanzo corposo, polposo, godurioso, saporito. Coraggioso e sorprendente.
Corpo, polpa, goduria e sapore arrivano dalla trama che dall’inizio alla fine procede alternata su due differenti piani temporali: ieri, e cioè, la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, e l’immediato dopoguerra, profughi e sbandati, arrivando fino alla nascita dello Stato d’Israele. L’oggi, inteso come 1982, i Russi in Afghanistan, Reagan presidente degli Stati dis-Uniti d’America, sandinisti e contras, la giungla tra Nicaragua e Honduras.
Un ufficiale medico delle SS è incaricato da Himmel a capo di un programma di ricerca (più o meno) scientifica su composti chimici: vuoi per fare parlare i prigionieri, vuoi per sterilizzare la razza ebrea, vuoi per rendere i soldati più resistenti alla fatica e al dolore. Gli studi girano intorno a certe piante esotiche coltivate in serra, e man mano si avvicinano all’LSD. Gli esperimenti sono ovviamente su cavie umane prelevate dai lager, stese sul tavolo operatorio senza anestesia.
E alla fine, quando i russi sono alle porte, e poi in anticamera, trucidate senza retro pensieri.
Due si salvano: un contadino polacco, Shlomo, e uno studente di medicina praghese, Anton. Molto diversi tra loro, sono entrambi alquanto atei, nessuno dei due è ebreo praticante.
Shlomo diventa sionista per caso, o forse per amore, e contribuisce alla nascita d’Israle.
Anton rimane in Europa, comunista sempre più disilluso: Praga non è certo il posto migliore per godere dei vantaggi del socialismo sovietico.
Oggi, nel 1982, sono entrambi ‘cacciatori di nazisti’: Shlomo è parte di un gruppo che si dedica a eliminare i nazisti che qua e là ogni tanto tornano a galla come la merda nel mare; Anton invece viene coinvolto perché in grado di riconoscere il bersaglio.
L’obiettivo è, naturalmente, l’ufficiale medico delle SS: sia Shlomo che Anton l’hanno visto in azione, spietato e spregiudicato, carnefice senza rimorso.
Il maggiore delle SS Hans Lichtblau è stato reclutato dal governo degli Stati dis-Uniti d’America subito dopo la guerra: quando, con la Guerra Fredda appena iniziata e già bella calda, sovietici e americani si contendevano scienziati e ricercatori nazisti, un po’ per il valore dei loro studi, un po’ per non lasciarli preda dell’avversario.
Adesso vive tra Los Angeles, dove vende cocaina e derivati, e la giungla hondurena, dove continua studi e ricerche su funghi e derivati, e trasporta armi ai Contras. È un vecchio hippie che ha vissuto e frequentato la controcultura americana cominciando dalla lunga amicizia con Timothy Leary, indossa camicie hawaiane sotto la coda di cavallo, fa sostanzialmente una bella vita, non ha mai abiurato alle vecchie abitudini, e nessun ricordo gli procura senso di colpa.
Coraggioso e sorprendente perché il romanzo è parto di un italiano, anche se per stile e argomento sembrerebbe creazione estera, più probabilmente a stelle-e-strisce: non mi viene in mente nessuno antecedente tricolore.
Alonge insegna storia del cinema, scrive sul cinema, e scrive per il cinema (sceneggiature): qui si rivela abile e sofisticato romanziere che costruisce un’impalcatura ardita, basata su studi e ricerche e documentazione estesa, senza sbavature, astenendosi dal tipico grand guignol alla Nesbo o Don Wilson o Dan Brown, evitando pruriginose descrizioni di scene di vita sessuale, con misura e, oserei dire, discrezione.
Applausi.
Avere visto il male negli occhi, anche quello più estremo, assolve sempre e comunque da ogni colpa?
La cosa peggiore che può farti il nemico è renderti uguale a lui.
March 13, 2019
Parlare de Il sentimento del ferro non è facile: perché tratta di temi e argomenti delicati, perché dire “è bello” non bastava nel commento del libro alle medie e non basta sicuramente ora.
Spy story che fa l’occhiolino al romanzo storico, l'ultima fatica editoriale di Giaime Alonge si svolge nei territori occupati dal Terzo Reich prima e nel Sud America degli anni '80 poi. Le vicende si alternano, di capitolo in capitolo, guidandoci per mano e presentandoci una moltitudine di personaggi, che, come nei romanzi che preferisco, riusciremo a riconoscere autonomamente solo da metà libro in poi, quando, inevitabilmente, le loro storie si intrecceranno.
Nel grande numero di personaggi secondari, sono tre i protagonisti, coloro attraversano l’intero romanzo: Schlomo Libowitz, che insegue il sogno sionista della terra promessa dopo aver visto la propria famiglia (biologica e religiosa) distrutta; Anton Epstein, intellettuale ebreo dei più pericolosi, “uno che poteva passare per ariano, e ingravidare la figlia di qualche poveraccio, che senza neppure saperlo finiva col ritrovarsi dei nipotini mezzosangue”; Hans Lichtblau, maggiore delle SS e guida del programma di esperimenti che, ovviamente, utilizza i primi due (tra gli altri) come cavie.
I capitoli si altenano, così come le epoche e i paesaggi descritti dall’autore: gli esperimenti e il freddo si alternano al caldo e alla polvere, la Luftwaffe alla IAF, la caccia agli ebrei all'inseguimento dei nazisti. Gli oppressi diventano gli oppressori, gli oppressori oppressi; le parti vengono invertite in nome di un unico sentimento: la vendetta. Non solo personale e individuale, bensì di un intero popolo, il quale “non [può] più permettersi di essere debole”.
E la tragedia ricomincia, la stessa storia con nomi diversi. Gli oppressi diventano oppressori, purtroppo non solo nel romanzo edito da Fandango libri.
Noel Rohn diceva che “in un romanzo poliziesco, l’eroe risolve un crimine; in uno di spionaggio, ne commette uno”. Alonge ne è ben consapevole e, se è risaputo che nessuno si salva da solo, qui nessuno si salva davvero.
Spy story che fa l’occhiolino al romanzo storico, l'ultima fatica editoriale di Giaime Alonge si svolge nei territori occupati dal Terzo Reich prima e nel Sud America degli anni '80 poi. Le vicende si alternano, di capitolo in capitolo, guidandoci per mano e presentandoci una moltitudine di personaggi, che, come nei romanzi che preferisco, riusciremo a riconoscere autonomamente solo da metà libro in poi, quando, inevitabilmente, le loro storie si intrecceranno.
Nel grande numero di personaggi secondari, sono tre i protagonisti, coloro attraversano l’intero romanzo: Schlomo Libowitz, che insegue il sogno sionista della terra promessa dopo aver visto la propria famiglia (biologica e religiosa) distrutta; Anton Epstein, intellettuale ebreo dei più pericolosi, “uno che poteva passare per ariano, e ingravidare la figlia di qualche poveraccio, che senza neppure saperlo finiva col ritrovarsi dei nipotini mezzosangue”; Hans Lichtblau, maggiore delle SS e guida del programma di esperimenti che, ovviamente, utilizza i primi due (tra gli altri) come cavie.
I capitoli si altenano, così come le epoche e i paesaggi descritti dall’autore: gli esperimenti e il freddo si alternano al caldo e alla polvere, la Luftwaffe alla IAF, la caccia agli ebrei all'inseguimento dei nazisti. Gli oppressi diventano gli oppressori, gli oppressori oppressi; le parti vengono invertite in nome di un unico sentimento: la vendetta. Non solo personale e individuale, bensì di un intero popolo, il quale “non [può] più permettersi di essere debole”.
E la tragedia ricomincia, la stessa storia con nomi diversi. Gli oppressi diventano oppressori, purtroppo non solo nel romanzo edito da Fandango libri.
Noel Rohn diceva che “in un romanzo poliziesco, l’eroe risolve un crimine; in uno di spionaggio, ne commette uno”. Alonge ne è ben consapevole e, se è risaputo che nessuno si salva da solo, qui nessuno si salva davvero.
January 16, 2022
Un libro originale, coinvolgente, cinematografico (chi fosse Alonge l'ho scoperto dopo), molto poco italiano. Molto interessante lo svolgimento in parallelo tra anni '40 e anni '80. Unica pecca la scrittura, corretta (eccetto il fastidioso "solo più" piemontese) ma un po' piatta e poco ispirata, quando probabilmente mirava ad essere asciutta ed efficace.
August 25, 2025
Exciting book. Bounces back and forth between decades without losing momentum. I love the distinct characterization of the reich Germans vs the diaspora, the sabra Jewish vs the European diaspora, the peasants from the bourgeois, socialists vs Soviet Union apparatchiks. The author is a screenwriter, I look forward to the movie.
May 14, 2026
Every author, consciously or unconsciously, chooses a writing style when deciding how to tell a story. That’s true of fiction and nonfiction, and can play a major role in how readers feel about the exposition and characters. Some novels contain lush descriptions of characters’ feelings, something commonly found in melodrama. Others offer a more sparse tone with characters who nonchalantly perform horrifying actions as if they were everyday, unimportant occurrences. This low-key approach means that sometimes a simple decision or statement only offers emotional depth when readers supply added layers of meaning. This sparse style can be found in Giaime Alonge’s impressive novel “The Feeling of Iron” (Europa Editions). The 440-plus page work focuses on two different timelines: the 1940s with an emphasis on World War II, concentration camps and the founding of the state of Israel; and the 1980s, which looks at the failures of communism and the battles between the Soviet-supported forces and the American-backed Contra in South America.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...
February 11, 2026
This is a book I didn’t expect to like, but I feel in love with the characters and their quest. A searing tale of retribution, heartache, friendship forged through fire, and the grisly world of war. This story enlightens and enlivens events of WW2 and its international ripple effects on geopolitical events I’ve rarely considered.
January 30, 2026
An ambitious novel that moves between the 40s and the early 80s, tracing the long shadow of the Holocaust and the hunt for those who escaped justice. Starts really well - great pacing, intriguing premise.
The later 1980s sections feel more uneven, and it doesn't quite deliver on the promise, but there are moments that have stayed with me.
The later 1980s sections feel more uneven, and it doesn't quite deliver on the promise, but there are moments that have stayed with me.
January 9, 2026
A book I would highly recommend. Not for the weak though. Reading about the holocaust is never easy but important to do so. The storyline goes back and forth from the 40s to the 80s smoothly, with each chapter explaining the next. The characters are drawn very well and the writing superb. Will definitely read more from this author.
August 26, 2025
A group of people whose lives intersect in the horror of World War II and again in the world of 1982. The evil of Nazis, the tragedy and hope of the Jews.
August 20, 2025
An engrossing story of the search by 2 former inmates for a German officer who experimented on Jews in a concentration camp. But, it is so much more: a fascinating history of the WWII era, the creation of Israel and the Contra-Sandinista war in Central America. An expansive, sprawling well-written and well-plotted novel.
January 18, 2026
A truly outstanding piece of historical fiction. It’s about World War II and the holocaust and the vile vile Nazis, who would not let it go until the bitter end! Then there’s the CIA taking all these former Nazis and bringing them into the fold. This leads us into the Sandinistas the Contras. Very complicated.
August 19, 2025
I III thought “ The Feeling of Iron” was absolutely outstanding.
Set in 1941 and 1982 following characters through their journeys through World War II and after. The authors story telling is rich in character development and historical references.
I definitely recommend reading this book.
Set in 1941 and 1982 following characters through their journeys through World War II and after. The authors story telling is rich in character development and historical references.
I definitely recommend reading this book.
August 23, 2025
Story
A great story about a trying time of hope,strength and revenge. A real page turner that will keep you up at night
A great story about a trying time of hope,strength and revenge. A real page turner that will keep you up at night
February 18, 2026
karl-heinz rummenigge mentioned! pretty stunning to be reminded how much history overlaps and rebounds back on itself in unexpected ways
August 23, 2025
lame
He should’ve written in Italian and gotten a translator. I hate to be brutal, but this book was a real disappointment.
He should’ve written in Italian and gotten a translator. I hate to be brutal, but this book was a real disappointment.
October 5, 2021
Buon libro che si classifica tra il romanzo storico e il genere spionaggio.
La vicenda si alterna tra gli anni della seconda guerra mondiale nell'est Europa e il 1982 in Sudamerica.
Un libro che ho apprezzato per la trama e la scorrevolezza nella lettura non mancando di quell'atmosfera di suspense che fa da traino alla lettura.
La vicenda si alterna tra gli anni della seconda guerra mondiale nell'est Europa e il 1982 in Sudamerica.
Un libro che ho apprezzato per la trama e la scorrevolezza nella lettura non mancando di quell'atmosfera di suspense che fa da traino alla lettura.
July 6, 2021
Per una volta, rimando ad una recensione articolata che sottoscrivo, quella di Orsodimondo: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 26, 2025
"Grief, like debts, should never be bequeathed. But sometimes life is too short to settle all your accounts."
"The kibbutz was a good idea,” Shlomo said. “Confidence in the future, solidarity, peace, labor. A great program. But a socialist utopia doesn’t help us fight terrorists"
"We have made peace with the Germans.” “Oh, we have, have we?” Shlomo asked with a sour smile on his lips. “We have made peace with the Germans. Good. Then how come we can’t make peace with the Palestinians? It’s not like they put us in the gas chambers.”
"The Negroni went down easily, momentarily chasing away the heat of summer. There was nothing like it in Czechoslovakia. Presumably, not even in Russia. Over there, you drank strong, tasteless stuff. You drank to dull the senses, to forget, to punish yourself. It was solitary drinking, even when in company. In Italy, on the other hand, you drank to refresh yourself, to enjoy food more, to be with others. It was a pleasure, not a resentful, impotent gesture"
"Hans wondered what Paul would think had he known that the trainset was originally intended for another child. A child who may well have vanished: buried—along with his family, friends, and neighbors—in a large pit dug by a bulldozer that worked non-stop."
"The buffet was absurdly insubstantial, as it so often was in wealthy homes. That was how they had made their money: by saving on dips. Communists called it primitive accumulation."
"It depressed him at times, but compared to the miserable train wreck that his life might have been without her, marital fidelity had been a small price to pay."
"The kibbutz was a good idea,” Shlomo said. “Confidence in the future, solidarity, peace, labor. A great program. But a socialist utopia doesn’t help us fight terrorists"
"We have made peace with the Germans.” “Oh, we have, have we?” Shlomo asked with a sour smile on his lips. “We have made peace with the Germans. Good. Then how come we can’t make peace with the Palestinians? It’s not like they put us in the gas chambers.”
"The Negroni went down easily, momentarily chasing away the heat of summer. There was nothing like it in Czechoslovakia. Presumably, not even in Russia. Over there, you drank strong, tasteless stuff. You drank to dull the senses, to forget, to punish yourself. It was solitary drinking, even when in company. In Italy, on the other hand, you drank to refresh yourself, to enjoy food more, to be with others. It was a pleasure, not a resentful, impotent gesture"
"Hans wondered what Paul would think had he known that the trainset was originally intended for another child. A child who may well have vanished: buried—along with his family, friends, and neighbors—in a large pit dug by a bulldozer that worked non-stop."
"The buffet was absurdly insubstantial, as it so often was in wealthy homes. That was how they had made their money: by saving on dips. Communists called it primitive accumulation."
"It depressed him at times, but compared to the miserable train wreck that his life might have been without her, marital fidelity had been a small price to pay."
April 3, 2026
Revisiting the horrors of World War II may keep future generations from living the horrors of a World War III. But the real horror is personal, and Andrea Alonge paints that horror throughout this important novel, capably translated to English by Clarissa Botsford. Purists may question the random or late introduction of characters who presage greater relevance only to have their storylines end abruptly. War does that. And for those fortunate enough to have avoided an abrupt ending, The Feeling of Iron reminds readers of their personal fortune.
With deft date shifting between WWII Germany and 1980s Nicaragua we follow Anton Epstein and Shlomo Libowitz from their shared horror in a death camp to their search for Nazi scientist Hans Lichtblau who after medically torturing hundreds escaped Soviet troops as the Reich fell. Chauffeured back to the U.S. through Operation Paperclip, Lichtblau was given a new name by the C.I.A. and years later shipped down to produce drugs to aid the Contras against the Sandinistas during the Nicaraguan proxy war with the Soviet Union. Enter Natalya Yakovchenko, the capable Soviet agent charged with extracting information from Lichtblau before letting Epstein and Libowitz have their revenge. The trio join up with the Sandinistas to hunt for Lichtblau, now known as Victor Huberman, a Timothy Leary acolyte drug lord worshipped by his band of Contras. (And even the most diehard apologists for America’s illegal funding of the Contras are going to be rooting for the other side this time.) But war being what war is, the tension generated through stark prose between four decades leaves the reader longing for something good, something decent. And Alonge gives that, a bit here and a bit there, but mostly amidst personal horror here, there, and everywhere. War does that.
With deft date shifting between WWII Germany and 1980s Nicaragua we follow Anton Epstein and Shlomo Libowitz from their shared horror in a death camp to their search for Nazi scientist Hans Lichtblau who after medically torturing hundreds escaped Soviet troops as the Reich fell. Chauffeured back to the U.S. through Operation Paperclip, Lichtblau was given a new name by the C.I.A. and years later shipped down to produce drugs to aid the Contras against the Sandinistas during the Nicaraguan proxy war with the Soviet Union. Enter Natalya Yakovchenko, the capable Soviet agent charged with extracting information from Lichtblau before letting Epstein and Libowitz have their revenge. The trio join up with the Sandinistas to hunt for Lichtblau, now known as Victor Huberman, a Timothy Leary acolyte drug lord worshipped by his band of Contras. (And even the most diehard apologists for America’s illegal funding of the Contras are going to be rooting for the other side this time.) But war being what war is, the tension generated through stark prose between four decades leaves the reader longing for something good, something decent. And Alonge gives that, a bit here and a bit there, but mostly amidst personal horror here, there, and everywhere. War does that.
November 27, 2025
This is a story of the Second World War and the rise of Hitler's Nazi party and the final solution through the multiple perspectives of the Nazi "scientist" who is recruited by the CIA post war and becomes one of its men of business funding the Contras against the Sandinistas, at the heart of the evil arrangements of drugs, arms and civil war. In parallel, a group of Nazi hunters from Eastern Europe and Israel close in on him while remembering their terrible unspeakable journey to the death camps and then to the scientists' playground. What was illuminating was the divide among the Jewish survivors on the concept of Israel and the clarity of how the oppression in Israel went to the fundamentals of what is humanity and humane living and what lessons had been learned or unlearned from WWII. While fast paced, Mr. Alonge raises core and disturbing reflections throughout this excellent story.
April 30, 2026
The Feeling of Iron is one of the most remarkable books I've read in the last 10 years, and I recommend it to anyone interested in literary novels, history, politics, morality, the Holocaust and Nazism, Zionism, or even someone just looking for a good, dense thriller. Because it plays as all of those things, brilliantly. I can't fathom how intelligent an author must be to convey so much history and geographic context, across three continents, while making it look effortless by wrapping it in a meticulously plotted, character-filled story. The basic structure alternates between two groups of people in early 1940s East Prussian occupation, and the same characters in 1982 in a Nazi hunt that converges on the Honduran/Nicaraguan border. The highest recommendation I can give a book these days is that I read this one from the library, but am now going to find a hardcover copy to buy and keep.
September 24, 2025
I ran straight through this book in less than a week (admittedly, I had Covid and so was excused from most other things that normally take up my time.) Fast-moving, gripping story about World War II, Nazis, and hunting Nazis afterwards, along with the contradictions of the creation of the Israeli state. It's historical fiction that goes heavy on the historical -- there are parts where one character or another basically just recites some interesting historical context.
As fiction, it's a bit clumsy at times. It does descend into some unfortunate fictional tropes near the end. The main villain is literally a mad scientist who invents a superdrug and then dies by falling into quicksand and slowly being swallowed completely while begging for help. I rolled my eyes, but it didn't take much away from the good parts for me.
As fiction, it's a bit clumsy at times. It does descend into some unfortunate fictional tropes near the end. The main villain is literally a mad scientist who invents a superdrug and then dies by falling into quicksand and slowly being swallowed completely while begging for help. I rolled my eyes, but it didn't take much away from the good parts for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2025
Overall a good read but with some significant qualifications. The characters were not well developed overall but I think this is less important because the story is so plot driven. The short chapters and the switching back and forth among different times and places took me a while to get used to but I think it works in the end. The comparison at the end between the holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel struck me as gimmicky despite the fact that I thoroughly agree that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians was and continues to be utterly shameful and cruel. But this subject is so complex it deserves more in depth presentation than it was given here. Also while the book was full of historical context during WWII, its treatment of the Cold War alliances was a bit shallow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2026
I wanted to like this novel (so many people seem to), but there was so much to dislike:
—Way too many characters: Even when many hundreds of pages into the novel, I kept having to remind myself who certain characters were
—Lack of character development: There are a few core characters that drive the narrative, but they were like cardboard cutouts. Very little change, growth, etc. I didn’t have an emotional connection to any of them.
—TV/Film prose: A number of scenes, especially in the beginning of the novel, were rendered as if they were describing a Hollywood-style action movie. This was balanced by other scenes of beautiful prose, but the intermingling of these modes of writing was jarring and bizarre.
Ultimately, though, my biggest complaint has to do with the characters. I just didn’t care about any of them one bit.
—Way too many characters: Even when many hundreds of pages into the novel, I kept having to remind myself who certain characters were
—Lack of character development: There are a few core characters that drive the narrative, but they were like cardboard cutouts. Very little change, growth, etc. I didn’t have an emotional connection to any of them.
—TV/Film prose: A number of scenes, especially in the beginning of the novel, were rendered as if they were describing a Hollywood-style action movie. This was balanced by other scenes of beautiful prose, but the intermingling of these modes of writing was jarring and bizarre.
Ultimately, though, my biggest complaint has to do with the characters. I just didn’t care about any of them one bit.
April 10, 2026
Three and a half stars. The story takes place mostly in Europe in the 1940's and Nicaragua in 1982. It follows the Major SS Hans Lichtblau and a couple of young men, Anton and Sholomo, who were in the concentration camp that Lichtblau oversaw. The later time frame of the book deals with Anton & Sholomo trying to find Lichtblau. I might not have started if I had know that so much of the book takes place in a concentration camp and details the horrors the Nazi's inflicted on the Jewish population. I would have been more interested if the segment that took place in 1982 had been expanded and the 1940's shortened. Also, I thought that rapid jumping back and forth in place and time did not do justice to the story. I wonder if the technique was aimed at a demographic with short attention spans.
August 27, 2025
This book was absolutely devoid of any joy. not even one sentence. I am not sure how or why I finished it - perhaps being in a joy-less period of my life made me soldier on.
I'm not sure what got lost in translation here. I wanted to be invested in the characters, but the narratives were disjointed. And joyless. The attempts to create compassion and connection to the characters may have been the worst I've ever read.
The descriptions of violence and cruelty were overwhelming. Yeah, I understand this was about war and revenge...but I think the reason people read about this time in history is to find the humanity, hope and JOY that nevertheless existed.
I think I need a break from the WWII genre.
I'm not sure what got lost in translation here. I wanted to be invested in the characters, but the narratives were disjointed. And joyless. The attempts to create compassion and connection to the characters may have been the worst I've ever read.
The descriptions of violence and cruelty were overwhelming. Yeah, I understand this was about war and revenge...but I think the reason people read about this time in history is to find the humanity, hope and JOY that nevertheless existed.
I think I need a break from the WWII genre.
January 4, 2026
It feels odd to promote and praise a book that can haunt you. However, I haven’t encountered a book like this in a while. At the beginning, it can seem like there are too many threads to follow, yet each one provides a glimpse into a different perspective that rounds out the whole narrative. It was difficult to hear the thoughts of the German characters and be shown how each rationalized their behavior but that exposure gave the book depth. It was equally compelling to explore the differing opinions on religion and nationalism each Jewish character held. It is infrequent that a book is able to capture so many heavy and emotional storylines, interspersed with opposing views and principles, and not lose the reader along the way.
Since I can’t give it 4.5 stars, I rounded up.
Since I can’t give it 4.5 stars, I rounded up.
March 17, 2026
So, being a new reader (I’ve only read 3 books in the last 16 years) this is the third book that i’ve finished over the past 1.5 years since i started to read again. With that being said, this book did a great job at blending all of the different characters point of views together, without confusing me despite the timeline jumps that came with each chapter. Chapter 54 was my favorite in the entire book, a sort of ending where it all began kind of theme that i really enjoyed for the character in it. Overall i gave it a 4/5 and i really enjoyed it, especially the second half of the book as all of the individual stories came to their own conclusion’s.
May 10, 2026
Een fascinerend boek. Het verhaal wisselt steeds tussen de 40'er jaren (WWII, holocaust) en de 80'er jaren (koude oorlog, Israel, CIA intriges). Het is zeer informatief over het oorlogsgedeelte, hoewel waarschijnlijk niet alles historisch correct is. Het tweede deel, dat grotendeels bij de Sandinistas in Nicaragua (en Honduras) speelt, lijkt mij wat meer speculatief. Het is hoe dan ook een spannende thriller met veel om over na te denken. Twee Joodse mannen worden door een SS'er misbruikt. Zij weten aan het eind van de oorlog te ontkomen en komen vervolgens 40 jaar later weer bij elkaar met de opdracht die SS'er op te sporen.
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