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The Boy Who Saw In Colours
WINNER OF LITERARY TITAN'S GOLD BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION
NOMINEE OF BIBA AWARD FOR 2020
"...ambitious, challenging and thought-provoking debut." ~ Irish Examiner
What if colours could speak?
Berlin, 1939, and as a nation holds its breath, Josef, a young boy whose family fall victim to the "moustached man," turns once again to the colours for guidance. Lost in a German school that discourages the very idea of uniqueness, he soon realises that it is because of the mere existence of art that he can express himself at all.
We join Josef on a journey into his upside-down view of Nazi Germany, and how Hitler managed to hypnotise the minds of a generation. Sounds are tasted, memories have colours and the strong do not survive.
NOMINEE OF BIBA AWARD FOR 2020
"...ambitious, challenging and thought-provoking debut." ~ Irish Examiner
What if colours could speak?
Berlin, 1939, and as a nation holds its breath, Josef, a young boy whose family fall victim to the "moustached man," turns once again to the colours for guidance. Lost in a German school that discourages the very idea of uniqueness, he soon realises that it is because of the mere existence of art that he can express himself at all.
We join Josef on a journey into his upside-down view of Nazi Germany, and how Hitler managed to hypnotise the minds of a generation. Sounds are tasted, memories have colours and the strong do not survive.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2020
143 people are currently reading
14088 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Robinson
1 book362 followersLauren Robinson is the author of the highly anticipated The Boy Who Saw In Colours. She is from the small town of Derry in picturesque Northern Ireland.
After pursuing a career in journalism, facts were pivotal, so Lauren spent five years researching and writing her debut novel. Learning German was only one step in the process.
After pursuing a career in journalism, facts were pivotal, so Lauren spent five years researching and writing her debut novel. Learning German was only one step in the process.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
August 3, 2020
I am at a loss to understand all the good reviews. I have a strong interest and a lot of knowledge in this subject, and I found the entire premise of her book to be historically absurd. I got about 50 pages into it and gave up. She seems to imply that Vienna would have been a refuge for Jews in 1939, when in fact it was part of the Reich by then. And the Nazis would hardly have kidnapped half-Jewish children in 1940 (who were known as "mischlinge"--"mixed breeds") for training in an elite Nazi school. (They did have breeding centers for SS men to mate with "Aryan" women, which were called "Lebensborn" centers). And what Jew in Germany would have worn a Star of David around his neck to go into a store where Jews weren't welcome? And that's just the beginning of the book! The writing is tedious, the story is choppy, the dialogue unreal, and quickly becomes tiresome. There are hundreds of great books based on life in Nazi Germany. This is most definitely not one of them.
May 21, 2020
Today will mark my first review on Good Reads, and what a book to begin with. Lauren kindly sent through a PDF copy of The Boy Who Saw In Colours for me for review on my blog, and what an experience it was. First, this novel is unlike any other I read before. The author uses visuals that should not work, but do so perfectly. I don't usually enjoy the first-person narratives, but for this novel, with the addition of synesthesia, it was a must, and I thought it was stunning.
The protagonist, Josef, is immensely likeable. I not only left the novel thinking that he was a real person but hoping that he was. Leaving the story; the characters felt like old friends. Although the young men in this school look similar, they all have distinctive personalities, and their stories were both moving and hilarious in parts.
If my review didn't convey it enough, I loved this novel. If you're a fan of historical fiction, German history, or merely well-told coming of age stories, this novel is a must.
The protagonist, Josef, is immensely likeable. I not only left the novel thinking that he was a real person but hoping that he was. Leaving the story; the characters felt like old friends. Although the young men in this school look similar, they all have distinctive personalities, and their stories were both moving and hilarious in parts.
If my review didn't convey it enough, I loved this novel. If you're a fan of historical fiction, German history, or merely well-told coming of age stories, this novel is a must.
July 23, 2020
Let's try to keep this short. This is a novel about a young boy in 1930s Germany, with a Jewish father and a Christian mother. He and his brother are ripped away from their parents and sent to an elite Nazi school as WWII comes to a head. I didn't like this book very much.
- The book seeks to 'tell two sides of the story'. It encourages us not to think in black and white, but in colour. And uh. This... was not a particularly compelling standpoint for a book set in Nazi Germany. My recent tendency not to read the entirety of blurbs backfired on me spectacularly; I wouldn't have requested this if I'd known that was the path I would be led down. I'm just. Deeply uninterested in this type of narrative. I thought the book would centre on the regime's brainwashing, and how Josef survived it. And it did, to some extent. Just... not enough, imo. Maybe I would have liked this more if the writing was good?
- But it wasn't. The book is narrated by Josef's older self, who interjects, foreshadows, adds little quips and sarcastic bits, speaks directly to the reader. This can work for some books, but it REALLY didn't work here. The tone of the book was all over the place. The flashbacks and foreshadowing come at inconvenient and awkward times. I was often so unsure of place and setting. The book was intelligible, sure, but also everything about it seemed garbled and messy.
- This could have been a consequence of the writing style? Which again, did not work for me. Those short staccato sentences, every new line is a new paragraph... that can work in thrillers, but even there, it's iffy. Here? I was just irritated out of my mind. It felt like the book didn't want to stand still. Which might be the kind of atmosphere you want to create in an action packed book, but action packed this most certainly was not.
- The author's tendency to write dialogue in German, and then give us the direct English translation right after was super annoying, and just served to pad the book out a bit more.
- I was excited to get into some queer Jewish history, but this was just... meh. And is it me, or was that one scene with Oskar lifted almost verbatim from Moonlight? Lmao...
I'll be honest: after the 50% mark, I started to skim heavily because I just could not wait to be done with this book. But the fact that I was in such a hurry to be done with it is a verdict in and of itself. The characters were thin, the writing was standard, the story was not compelling. Very much not for me. 1.5 stars.
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
- The book seeks to 'tell two sides of the story'. It encourages us not to think in black and white, but in colour. And uh. This... was not a particularly compelling standpoint for a book set in Nazi Germany. My recent tendency not to read the entirety of blurbs backfired on me spectacularly; I wouldn't have requested this if I'd known that was the path I would be led down. I'm just. Deeply uninterested in this type of narrative. I thought the book would centre on the regime's brainwashing, and how Josef survived it. And it did, to some extent. Just... not enough, imo. Maybe I would have liked this more if the writing was good?
- But it wasn't. The book is narrated by Josef's older self, who interjects, foreshadows, adds little quips and sarcastic bits, speaks directly to the reader. This can work for some books, but it REALLY didn't work here. The tone of the book was all over the place. The flashbacks and foreshadowing come at inconvenient and awkward times. I was often so unsure of place and setting. The book was intelligible, sure, but also everything about it seemed garbled and messy.
- This could have been a consequence of the writing style? Which again, did not work for me. Those short staccato sentences, every new line is a new paragraph... that can work in thrillers, but even there, it's iffy. Here? I was just irritated out of my mind. It felt like the book didn't want to stand still. Which might be the kind of atmosphere you want to create in an action packed book, but action packed this most certainly was not.
- The author's tendency to write dialogue in German, and then give us the direct English translation right after was super annoying, and just served to pad the book out a bit more.
- I was excited to get into some queer Jewish history, but this was just... meh. And is it me, or was that one scene with Oskar lifted almost verbatim from Moonlight? Lmao...
I'll be honest: after the 50% mark, I started to skim heavily because I just could not wait to be done with this book. But the fact that I was in such a hurry to be done with it is a verdict in and of itself. The characters were thin, the writing was standard, the story was not compelling. Very much not for me. 1.5 stars.
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
June 21, 2020
3.5 stars. This debut historical novel by Lauren Robinson tells the story of two brothers Josef and Tomas, who were forcibly taken from their parents and enrolled in one of Hitler's elite boarding schools. Aged 12 and 10 at the time, the two protagonists are substantially younger than the actual recruitment age of 14 to 18 for Adolf Hitler Schools. Still, the author offers a fictional treatment of a topic that few novelists have tackled to date. In this sense, the novel is unique and should be commended.
That said, the author’s writing style closely mirrors that used by Markus Zusak in "The Book Thief." In fact, there are a few places where the author’s wording is almost identical to that used by Zusak; so much so, it dangerously approximates plagiarism. For example, Zusak writes in the "Book Thief": “First up is something white. Of the blinding kind. Some of you are most likely thinking that white is not really a color and all of that tired sort of nonsense.” Compare his words with Robinson’s sentence from this book: “And I know what you’re thinking, white isn’t a colour. It’s just some nonsense – a light. Well, I’m here to tell you that it most definitely is a colour.” Another example, Zusak introduces an indented list about the book’s narrative with the following words:
“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things:
*A girl
*Some words
*An accordionist
*Some fanatical Germans
*A Jewish fist fighter
*And quite a lot of thievery”
Like Zusak, the author of this book uses a similar strategy with similar wording at the beginning of this novel:
“It’s just a small story, really.
*About two brothers,
*A doomed friendship,
*Some colours, and;
*Quite a lot of swearing”
Although the stories told are ultimately very different, such close paraphrasing as well as other stylistic similarities, such as the emphasis on colors and both narrators tendency to digress, at least for me, detracted significantly from the story telling. Rather than finding her narrative voice, it seemed to me that the author had borrowed heavily from the style of another author. As with any imitation, it is never quite as good as the original.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
That said, the author’s writing style closely mirrors that used by Markus Zusak in "The Book Thief." In fact, there are a few places where the author’s wording is almost identical to that used by Zusak; so much so, it dangerously approximates plagiarism. For example, Zusak writes in the "Book Thief": “First up is something white. Of the blinding kind. Some of you are most likely thinking that white is not really a color and all of that tired sort of nonsense.” Compare his words with Robinson’s sentence from this book: “And I know what you’re thinking, white isn’t a colour. It’s just some nonsense – a light. Well, I’m here to tell you that it most definitely is a colour.” Another example, Zusak introduces an indented list about the book’s narrative with the following words:
“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things:
*A girl
*Some words
*An accordionist
*Some fanatical Germans
*A Jewish fist fighter
*And quite a lot of thievery”
Like Zusak, the author of this book uses a similar strategy with similar wording at the beginning of this novel:
“It’s just a small story, really.
*About two brothers,
*A doomed friendship,
*Some colours, and;
*Quite a lot of swearing”
Although the stories told are ultimately very different, such close paraphrasing as well as other stylistic similarities, such as the emphasis on colors and both narrators tendency to digress, at least for me, detracted significantly from the story telling. Rather than finding her narrative voice, it seemed to me that the author had borrowed heavily from the style of another author. As with any imitation, it is never quite as good as the original.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
January 23, 2021
I must have read a different book than the other reviewers. This was a terrible book. I’ve never written a review before, but there is just no way this book deserves the rating it currently has.
Where do I begin?
For one, the book is absolutely *riddled* with spelling and grammar errors. Below are just a few I noted — how these were missed by the editor is beyond me. Some of these mistakes are high school-level.
- “He gave me one of his signature, smiles.”
- “He’s defiantly one of them.” (instead of “definitely”)
- Page 235, Pieter is spelled “Peiter,” then 11 words later, spelled correctly again.
- “key word” spelled “keyword”
- “Heil Hitler” is intentionally written backwards as “Reltir lieH” which, written forward, is “Heil ritleR”
- “The had the Führer in their eyes.”
- “Edition” spelled “addition”
- COUNTLESS errors with quotation marks (and punctuation in general). For example, on page 308, an end quotation is used twice, so you don’t know when Josef’s dialogue has ended. On page 303, an end quotation occurs where a beginning quotation should be used. On page 179 there is a period after a quotation mark. Microsoft Word should catch these errors, so what happened? Where is the editor??
Again, these are just the errors I bothered writing down. I actually had to google whether English was the author’s first language (it appears to be).
I might have been able to see past these obvious mistakes if the story itself was good. It was not. The main character, Josef, has synesthesia, which essentially causes some of his senses to overlap. This seemed interesting at the beginning of the book, but ultimately proved to be a gimmick and crutch for the author. It is much easier to add meaningless flourish to your writing when you’re not limited to the sensory explanations the majority of us are limited to. I don’t have an example saved, but think: “his sadness tasted blue.”
Apart from that, *The Boy Who Saw in Colours* is absolutely, brutally, cringey. It is riddled with statements like “I was ready to serve the Führer. Heil fucking Hitler.”
I mentioned that the main character has synesthesia. Well, he’s also half Jewish, and pretty much openly gay. All while serving in the Hitler Youth. Again, these could be fascinating character traits, and I have no doubt these people existed, but in this case they are absolutely and obviously used as a crutch. Instead of writing a deeper story, the author squeezed in as many gimmicks as she reasonably could.
Lastly, the narration perspective makes no sense and is wildly inconsistent. The narrator is Josef himself, and at times he speaks from a future perspective, providing historical facts that only someone several generations in the future would know (for example, he mentions wars taking place in the 90’s). Other times, he speaks as though he’s writing in his 1940’s diary.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone. If you’re interested in a child’s perspective of World War II, read *All the Light We Cannot See* instead.
Where do I begin?
For one, the book is absolutely *riddled* with spelling and grammar errors. Below are just a few I noted — how these were missed by the editor is beyond me. Some of these mistakes are high school-level.
- “He gave me one of his signature, smiles.”
- “He’s defiantly one of them.” (instead of “definitely”)
- Page 235, Pieter is spelled “Peiter,” then 11 words later, spelled correctly again.
- “key word” spelled “keyword”
- “Heil Hitler” is intentionally written backwards as “Reltir lieH” which, written forward, is “Heil ritleR”
- “The had the Führer in their eyes.”
- “Edition” spelled “addition”
- COUNTLESS errors with quotation marks (and punctuation in general). For example, on page 308, an end quotation is used twice, so you don’t know when Josef’s dialogue has ended. On page 303, an end quotation occurs where a beginning quotation should be used. On page 179 there is a period after a quotation mark. Microsoft Word should catch these errors, so what happened? Where is the editor??
Again, these are just the errors I bothered writing down. I actually had to google whether English was the author’s first language (it appears to be).
I might have been able to see past these obvious mistakes if the story itself was good. It was not. The main character, Josef, has synesthesia, which essentially causes some of his senses to overlap. This seemed interesting at the beginning of the book, but ultimately proved to be a gimmick and crutch for the author. It is much easier to add meaningless flourish to your writing when you’re not limited to the sensory explanations the majority of us are limited to. I don’t have an example saved, but think: “his sadness tasted blue.”
Apart from that, *The Boy Who Saw in Colours* is absolutely, brutally, cringey. It is riddled with statements like “I was ready to serve the Führer. Heil fucking Hitler.”
I mentioned that the main character has synesthesia. Well, he’s also half Jewish, and pretty much openly gay. All while serving in the Hitler Youth. Again, these could be fascinating character traits, and I have no doubt these people existed, but in this case they are absolutely and obviously used as a crutch. Instead of writing a deeper story, the author squeezed in as many gimmicks as she reasonably could.
Lastly, the narration perspective makes no sense and is wildly inconsistent. The narrator is Josef himself, and at times he speaks from a future perspective, providing historical facts that only someone several generations in the future would know (for example, he mentions wars taking place in the 90’s). Other times, he speaks as though he’s writing in his 1940’s diary.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone. If you’re interested in a child’s perspective of World War II, read *All the Light We Cannot See* instead.
August 2, 2021
I wanted to throw this book against the wall for the first 7/8ths of it. It’s so chaotically written—the author spends all of zero seconds on an idea before moving onto the next IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH. There was no room to form a connection to any of the characters. The protagonists’ voice was so pretentious it made me want to punch him most of the time. The novel’s concept is actually super interesting and provides a unique perspective of WWII. I just can’t get past how much I hated the writing. It felt like the author was trying so hard to be profound and poetic that she kept forgetting about organization and plot development. Part of me wants to believe that it was written that way on purpose, maybe to evoke the confusion and uncomfortable emotions that a weird abstract painting can sometimes bring up, but a bigger part of me is thinking it’s just a novel that missed the mark. Also, there were *a lot* of seemingly not on purpose typos and grammatical errors? 1.5 stars
to-read-maybe
September 12, 2020Not going to lie but all these 5 star reviews by users who have joined GR in May or June 2020 and have written no other reviews...they make me a bit suspicious.
June 14, 2020
4.5 stars
This was both a book I didn't want to put down, but also a book that I needed to take a break from. There was a lot of tension created by the narrator, which is Josef when he is older. He foreshadows a lot, and then says he doesn't want to spoil it for us. And although he sort of has spoiled it for us, we feel the time coming and we wonder when and how. I've read a number of books about WWII from varying points of view, but this is the first time I've read a book from the point of view of a young child in a Nazi boarding school (and not by his choice). The closest I've come to this is All the Light We Cannot See where you do hear some of the story from the point of view of a boy at a Nazi training school. But the boy was older in that story, and the point of view shifts back and forth between past and present, and between the characters. So this was unique, and on top of that, the boy is not exactly prime Nazi material. His eyes are not blue (although his brother's are), he is an artist, and without revealing spoilers, there are a myriad other reasons why he would be executed on the spot if Hitler knew of him. So it's kind of obvious to other kids that he doesn't quite fit in, so he does end up getting bullied. There are many characters who I ended up loving throughout as the narrator makes it very clear that everyone was really doing the best they could. I especially loved Oskar and Von even when I got mad at them. But even the bullies turn out to be much more complex and interesting and I end up feeling really bad for them by the end. The same goes for the cook, who I initially hated, but I just wanted to hug her at the end. Crazy huh? An interesting addition is that the boy has synesthesia, which basically means (in his case) that he senses the world in colors and smells. He doesn't read well as a result and in fact anything having to do with words (including memorizing) is extra challenging for him. What the author does (I'd like to think intentionally) is convey this story in colors and smells. You can almost see them as he tells his story. But it sort of feels like stream-of-consciousness full of colors and smells. It was definitely a unique way of telling the story and I would be very interested to see what her future books would be like. Because it works extremely well for this book, but I don't think it would work as well for any other type of story. In any case, I had to put this book down after reading a chapter or two because there was so much packed in each chapter. This book surprisingly took me over a week to complete. Normally I can read a book of this length in a day or two. But it was a combination of the tough subject and the way it was written that made me take the story in smaller doses. But it did not take away my enjoyment/attention from the book. I just spread it out over a longer period.
Although the main character of this book starts out very young, I would probably recommend this book to teens and above.
Thanks to #LaurenRobinson, #NetGalley, and #BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was both a book I didn't want to put down, but also a book that I needed to take a break from. There was a lot of tension created by the narrator, which is Josef when he is older. He foreshadows a lot, and then says he doesn't want to spoil it for us. And although he sort of has spoiled it for us, we feel the time coming and we wonder when and how. I've read a number of books about WWII from varying points of view, but this is the first time I've read a book from the point of view of a young child in a Nazi boarding school (and not by his choice). The closest I've come to this is All the Light We Cannot See where you do hear some of the story from the point of view of a boy at a Nazi training school. But the boy was older in that story, and the point of view shifts back and forth between past and present, and between the characters. So this was unique, and on top of that, the boy is not exactly prime Nazi material. His eyes are not blue (although his brother's are), he is an artist, and without revealing spoilers, there are a myriad other reasons why he would be executed on the spot if Hitler knew of him. So it's kind of obvious to other kids that he doesn't quite fit in, so he does end up getting bullied. There are many characters who I ended up loving throughout as the narrator makes it very clear that everyone was really doing the best they could. I especially loved Oskar and Von even when I got mad at them. But even the bullies turn out to be much more complex and interesting and I end up feeling really bad for them by the end. The same goes for the cook, who I initially hated, but I just wanted to hug her at the end. Crazy huh? An interesting addition is that the boy has synesthesia, which basically means (in his case) that he senses the world in colors and smells. He doesn't read well as a result and in fact anything having to do with words (including memorizing) is extra challenging for him. What the author does (I'd like to think intentionally) is convey this story in colors and smells. You can almost see them as he tells his story. But it sort of feels like stream-of-consciousness full of colors and smells. It was definitely a unique way of telling the story and I would be very interested to see what her future books would be like. Because it works extremely well for this book, but I don't think it would work as well for any other type of story. In any case, I had to put this book down after reading a chapter or two because there was so much packed in each chapter. This book surprisingly took me over a week to complete. Normally I can read a book of this length in a day or two. But it was a combination of the tough subject and the way it was written that made me take the story in smaller doses. But it did not take away my enjoyment/attention from the book. I just spread it out over a longer period.
Although the main character of this book starts out very young, I would probably recommend this book to teens and above.
Thanks to #LaurenRobinson, #NetGalley, and #BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2021
Maybe the new edition is coming out to fix all the editing problems. I have never read a book with so many mistakes. Incorrectly used words and quotation marks. There were so many mistakes that at first I thought it was purposeful, but no, it was just beyond distracting. The story line itself was interesting, but the writing style and errors ruined it.
May 30, 2020
I came across this book by accident and it was a lucky one. The writing in the book is lyrical and wrought with personification at every opportune moment. Everyday feelings and objects were given human dispositions that made sense and added to the quality of writing. Josef is such a unique character and the choice of narrator was unique and made for creative storytelling.
The decision to include synaesthesia was informative for someone who was unfamiliar with the condition itself. But with the way the narrator explains it to us in a way that doesn’t feel like we are being treated like children and spoon fed. I can’t wait to see more from this author.
The decision to include synaesthesia was informative for someone who was unfamiliar with the condition itself. But with the way the narrator explains it to us in a way that doesn’t feel like we are being treated like children and spoon fed. I can’t wait to see more from this author.
June 30, 2020
The book starts out so beautifully, magically, wonderfully. But what happened in the last chapter? The ending lacks consistency, as though the book were finished by another writer or group of writers. The quality of writing takes such a noticeable nose-dive. Like Mozart's Requiem was finished by his students after his death, this book loses its voice and becomes dull - as though the author was blinded herself to a way to finish the novel. Very disappointing. I want to erase those last chapters and send them back for a rewrite. They don't hold up in logic or quality of writing.
January 29, 2021
Beautifully written, and incredibly life-affirming despite the tough themes and period of time it covers.
What were the lives of young people like in Nazi germany? How do average people respond to the slow creep of propaganda and become indoctrinated to antisemitism and discrimination? And what does this all look like through the eyes of kids?
Broadly that’s what this book explores, as Josef and his brother Thomas are torn away from their Jewish father and taken to a boarding school alongside other young people. Age 12 through to 17, these kids end up losing their identity and falling in line with all they’re taught.
But at its heart, the book really highlights that they’re all just kids. Figuring themselves out, trying to prove themselves, cruel at times, but ultimately too young to know better.
Josef is a fantastic narrator as he sees the world through such a unique perspective. How he describes people and events around him in colours and tones, makes the imagery of this book incredible.
He’s a painter, he’s prone to emotional outbursts, and is often called a f*g by the other kids - he’s always at risk of being outed because he’s far too individual to survive in Nazi Germany - yet over time, the other kids start to accept him. When things go south, and the reality of the war and Nazism start to pierce their bubble, the bonds the kids have made is the only thing holding them together.
The topic matter is heavy, but the way Josef tells his story makes it charming and pleasant, even during low moments.
A minor flag, my copy seemed to be littered with grammatical and formatting errors that sometime threw me off. Other than that, I really enjoyed it!
What were the lives of young people like in Nazi germany? How do average people respond to the slow creep of propaganda and become indoctrinated to antisemitism and discrimination? And what does this all look like through the eyes of kids?
Broadly that’s what this book explores, as Josef and his brother Thomas are torn away from their Jewish father and taken to a boarding school alongside other young people. Age 12 through to 17, these kids end up losing their identity and falling in line with all they’re taught.
But at its heart, the book really highlights that they’re all just kids. Figuring themselves out, trying to prove themselves, cruel at times, but ultimately too young to know better.
Josef is a fantastic narrator as he sees the world through such a unique perspective. How he describes people and events around him in colours and tones, makes the imagery of this book incredible.
He’s a painter, he’s prone to emotional outbursts, and is often called a f*g by the other kids - he’s always at risk of being outed because he’s far too individual to survive in Nazi Germany - yet over time, the other kids start to accept him. When things go south, and the reality of the war and Nazism start to pierce their bubble, the bonds the kids have made is the only thing holding them together.
The topic matter is heavy, but the way Josef tells his story makes it charming and pleasant, even during low moments.
A minor flag, my copy seemed to be littered with grammatical and formatting errors that sometime threw me off. Other than that, I really enjoyed it!
June 6, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in return for an honest review. This book was a break away from the norm for me, but what a lovely break that was. This is a story of childhood and friendship and was a peek into a world I had never really considered before. We all know that there are two sides to every war and that one person's enemy is another's son, but now that son has a name, Joseph.
I'm not here to tell you what the book is about, you should read it, but I'm here to tell you it is beautifully written and delicately delivered. The characters feel real and they are all likeable in their own way. I enjoyed the writing style although personally I'd like a little more of the direct speech to the reader. I did have to reread a couple bits as it jumped a little in places but that adds to the style of the book. The time in the war was short, and I was unsure why Joseph never knew the man's name but he appeared more than once. I possibly would have liked to know more.
Overall a really thought provoking read and something I would like to know more about. Very unique, well I haven't read anything like this before.
I'm not here to tell you what the book is about, you should read it, but I'm here to tell you it is beautifully written and delicately delivered. The characters feel real and they are all likeable in their own way. I enjoyed the writing style although personally I'd like a little more of the direct speech to the reader. I did have to reread a couple bits as it jumped a little in places but that adds to the style of the book. The time in the war was short, and I was unsure why Joseph never knew the man's name but he appeared more than once. I possibly would have liked to know more.
Overall a really thought provoking read and something I would like to know more about. Very unique, well I haven't read anything like this before.
December 20, 2020
A tenuous plot stitched together with clumsy dialogue. A frigid and soul-less novel that fails to capture the spirit of youth, brotherhood, sexuality or even wartime. Beggars belief how this rates so highly. Two stars feels generous for this trashy historical novel.
March 14, 2021
For my reference and yours, if you're interested, I'll be going over the differences between the older (and worse) version of this novel and the current (far superior) version. The Boy Who Saw In Colours begins with Josef and his family enjoying a quiet, normal life in Berlin, Germany before the Second World War. Josef is a budding artist, but he and his younger brother, Tomas, are gifted in sport— able to run several metres in mere seconds, which garners the attention of various nefarious people.
One of the major changes is in the first few chapters. The readers are introduced to Ben and Lissette in a way that makes them more human, more likeable, and they seem like a normal family, albeit a tad dysfunctional at the time of the novel. Josef walks with us through his youth in Berlin, reading adventure books, playing with Tomas, conversing with nature in such a beautiful way. I ate the pages!
When Josef makes it to Inland, he meets "the nobodies," nicknamed so later in the novel and for heartbreaking reasons. Josef's friends are infinitely better here: they are given more time to be friends, show how they would be friends, and the dedication makes a lot more sense.
All in all, the version of last year felt like the author was holding back, like someone wanted her to tell her story and be done, but with this version, and probably a lot more experience, she told a gorgeous story with gorgeous characters and gorgeous prose.
One of the major changes is in the first few chapters. The readers are introduced to Ben and Lissette in a way that makes them more human, more likeable, and they seem like a normal family, albeit a tad dysfunctional at the time of the novel. Josef walks with us through his youth in Berlin, reading adventure books, playing with Tomas, conversing with nature in such a beautiful way. I ate the pages!
When Josef makes it to Inland, he meets "the nobodies," nicknamed so later in the novel and for heartbreaking reasons. Josef's friends are infinitely better here: they are given more time to be friends, show how they would be friends, and the dedication makes a lot more sense.
All in all, the version of last year felt like the author was holding back, like someone wanted her to tell her story and be done, but with this version, and probably a lot more experience, she told a gorgeous story with gorgeous characters and gorgeous prose.
August 2, 2020
4.5 stars
One of the most painfully beautiful and beautifully painful (does that even make sense?) books I have read this year. The Boy Who Saw In Colours is a story about childhood torn apart by war. It's about the human's selfishness and the ugly price others have to pay, the strange beauty of life and humanity, the wonders that are love and friendship, the complexity of human nature, as well as the incredible power of art in expressing the inexpressible.
I don't think my review would do this book the justice it so rightfully deserves. Plus, I have so much to say about this book, the characters and the story, but I don't want the review to be too lengthy and wordy, so I will instead stick to talking about the aspects from this book that stood out to me the most.
• I would say without doubt that the characters, Josef in particular, are the strongest point of the book. Josef's voice was so refreshingly unique it was memorable. He, and the other characters, felt so much like a real person rather than a fictional character. Robinson succeeded in capturing the endearing and annoying qualities of children and gracefully portrayed them through Josef and the boys. And Josef is a good choice of narrator for a heavy story such as this because it didn't make the entire book a downright depressing one. I simply could not imagine any other character telling this story the way Josef did.
• Yes, it's a story told by the point of view of one of the Germany youth during the World War II. But the story doesn't try to make the readers sympathize with any of the characters present in the plot. It doesn't try to do or prove anything to readers. Instead it merely, and delicately, shows us the humans that they are. Disagreeable and likeable. Flawed and complicated. Strong yet vulnerable. Same and yet, different.
• The writing and the narrative structure were hard for me to get used to in the beginning, but it worked well with the story. That, combined with the fact that it was told through Josef's point of view made a very emotionally profound story that will break and crush you beyond words.
• Some readers might not like the writing and find it to be pretentious. Might not like the experimental way of the storytelling and find it disrupting and at times disjointed. But personally, I liked it. I adored it. It gives the book its charming and bizzare qualities that captivated me.
• The story is character-driven, so if you come here expecting more of the political aspect, the brainwashing, stuff like that, you might not get so much of those out of this book. Come here for the characters instead, and you will not be disappointed.
• The history aspect of the story was so detailed and accurate (as far as I know) it's both heartrending and appalling to learn that such horrible things happened to these children in real life.
• The integration of synesthesia was effortlessly seamless. It blended so well and harmoniously within the narrative, painting the whole story in various colours despite the grim setting of the book and the tough subject it tackles.
• The beginning and the middle part of the book were nicely paced. The last few chapters before the ending, however, was a bit fast paced. I wished the author could take some time to explore more of the unnamed friend of Josef as well as his complicated relationship with his mother.
• If there's any complaint from me towards this book it would be the editing aspects. Like the misspellings. I don't think I have any other gripe with this book that's worth my attention. (Note that this is a digital copy I received from NetGalley. It might be a different case for the physical copy.)
All in all, The Boy Who Saw In Colours is a book you will need to experience first-hand every bit it has to offer for you to fully understand how intense these emotions the story evoked and stirred within my chest are. My advice would be to go into this book blind, with no expectation at all, so you can experience Josef's journey in its entirety and all its splendour .
Truly a very strong debut from Lauren Robinson. I'd love to see how the author and her writing would grow and develop later in her future works.
One last thing, Josef will definitely stay in my head and heart for a very long time.
cw: violence, death, profanity, war themes, trauma, racism, fascism, bullying, use of offensive slang, mention of concentration camp, homophobia, internalized homophobia, self-harm
The quotes above are taken from the digital copy. They might differ from the physical one.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for kindly providing me a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.
One of the most painfully beautiful and beautifully painful (does that even make sense?) books I have read this year. The Boy Who Saw In Colours is a story about childhood torn apart by war. It's about the human's selfishness and the ugly price others have to pay, the strange beauty of life and humanity, the wonders that are love and friendship, the complexity of human nature, as well as the incredible power of art in expressing the inexpressible.
I don't think my review would do this book the justice it so rightfully deserves. Plus, I have so much to say about this book, the characters and the story, but I don't want the review to be too lengthy and wordy, so I will instead stick to talking about the aspects from this book that stood out to me the most.
• I would say without doubt that the characters, Josef in particular, are the strongest point of the book. Josef's voice was so refreshingly unique it was memorable. He, and the other characters, felt so much like a real person rather than a fictional character. Robinson succeeded in capturing the endearing and annoying qualities of children and gracefully portrayed them through Josef and the boys. And Josef is a good choice of narrator for a heavy story such as this because it didn't make the entire book a downright depressing one. I simply could not imagine any other character telling this story the way Josef did.
My life story is the product of the stories of everyone I have ever met. A mixture. A blending of colours that connect like dots. They all had their part to play.
“I will be a painter.”
You’re weak if you think violence can sway me from my passion.
• Yes, it's a story told by the point of view of one of the Germany youth during the World War II. But the story doesn't try to make the readers sympathize with any of the characters present in the plot. It doesn't try to do or prove anything to readers. Instead it merely, and delicately, shows us the humans that they are. Disagreeable and likeable. Flawed and complicated. Strong yet vulnerable. Same and yet, different.
“I’m a mess. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“We’re all a mess, Josef.”
• The writing and the narrative structure were hard for me to get used to in the beginning, but it worked well with the story. That, combined with the fact that it was told through Josef's point of view made a very emotionally profound story that will break and crush you beyond words.
• Some readers might not like the writing and find it to be pretentious. Might not like the experimental way of the storytelling and find it disrupting and at times disjointed. But personally, I liked it. I adored it. It gives the book its charming and bizzare qualities that captivated me.
• The story is character-driven, so if you come here expecting more of the political aspect, the brainwashing, stuff like that, you might not get so much of those out of this book. Come here for the characters instead, and you will not be disappointed.
• The history aspect of the story was so detailed and accurate (as far as I know) it's both heartrending and appalling to learn that such horrible things happened to these children in real life.
He didn’t understand what had happened to us, nor did I.
But we knew it was awful.
We were Germany’s future with no future.
• The integration of synesthesia was effortlessly seamless. It blended so well and harmoniously within the narrative, painting the whole story in various colours despite the grim setting of the book and the tough subject it tackles.
Young youth leaders entered like a parade of colours. A mixture of red and black, blue and yellow. All together.
• The beginning and the middle part of the book were nicely paced. The last few chapters before the ending, however, was a bit fast paced. I wished the author could take some time to explore more of the unnamed friend of Josef as well as his complicated relationship with his mother.
• If there's any complaint from me towards this book it would be the editing aspects. Like the misspellings. I don't think I have any other gripe with this book that's worth my attention. (Note that this is a digital copy I received from NetGalley. It might be a different case for the physical copy.)
All in all, The Boy Who Saw In Colours is a book you will need to experience first-hand every bit it has to offer for you to fully understand how intense these emotions the story evoked and stirred within my chest are. My advice would be to go into this book blind, with no expectation at all, so you can experience Josef's journey in its entirety and all its splendour .
Truly a very strong debut from Lauren Robinson. I'd love to see how the author and her writing would grow and develop later in her future works.
One last thing, Josef will definitely stay in my head and heart for a very long time.
We are our stories.
cw: violence, death, profanity, war themes, trauma, racism, fascism, bullying, use of offensive slang, mention of concentration camp, homophobia, internalized homophobia, self-harm
The quotes above are taken from the digital copy. They might differ from the physical one.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for kindly providing me a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.
March 27, 2022
One of the best books I've ever read so far. Josef and Tomas was just exactly what I needed 😭 — and the ending??? It justified the story and broke my heart at the same time.
"I thought that I would always have the memories, but as I got older, I realised that time would take those from me too. Time was always taking things that didn’t belong to it." –The Boy Who Saw In Colours
"I thought that I would always have the memories, but as I got older, I realised that time would take those from me too. Time was always taking things that didn’t belong to it." –The Boy Who Saw In Colours
December 23, 2020
This was incredibly meh untill 2/3s of the way through. But with such a horrowing and gutwrenching ending, this book has managed to become one of my favorite reads of this year.
The amount if spelling/grammar mistakes in this book are fucking insane though; not kidding there is literally a you're/your fault in this published novel... Still really good though
The amount if spelling/grammar mistakes in this book are fucking insane though; not kidding there is literally a you're/your fault in this published novel... Still really good though
April 8, 2021
Amazing book! You should definitely buy this book if you love to read about World War 2 .Great point of view! Totally different and cool! Warning ..when you buy this book make sure to by Kleenex too!!😂
April 9, 2021
What a strange and satisfying journey. I felt like I was part of Josef throughout the story. At times, very odd, but it all worked so well.
September 1, 2020
A deeply moving and gripping novel set in war time Germany. Hugely relevant for these troubled times, I highly recommend this book.
November 9, 2020
Josef is young. Josef is gay. Josef is half-Jewish. Josef has synesthesia. Josef’s parents are dead. Josef is recruited into the Hitler Youth.
Interesting, right?
I love reading about WWII. And this book has MAD high ratings. As an extra-sensory person myself, I was particularly excited to read about synesthesia. You’d think with this premise + high reader praise I’d be in for a serious intellectual treat, but NEIN.
I wanted to know more about Josef tasting colors and less about his burgeoning sexuality. I did, however, appreciate the author’s stance that not every Nazi wanted to be there. Per Josef:
Did those boys know who they were? Did they like it? Even if I didn’t always like who I was, I always knew who I was. The boys at Inland liked who they were but didn’t know who they were. They only liked who they were told to be by various adults. Now, tell me which one is worse? To know who you are even if you don’t like yourself? Or to not know who you are and love yourself.
“Heil Hitler.”
Their arms shot into the sky.
“Heil Hitler.”
* * *
There were some beautiful passages. But sometimes the prose was so flowery and esoteric I wasn’t sure what was real vs. Josef’s perception, which may have been the point, but that didn’t really work for me. It left me feeling Carolina blue and I don't like Carolina blue.
Interesting, right?
I love reading about WWII. And this book has MAD high ratings. As an extra-sensory person myself, I was particularly excited to read about synesthesia. You’d think with this premise + high reader praise I’d be in for a serious intellectual treat, but NEIN.
I wanted to know more about Josef tasting colors and less about his burgeoning sexuality. I did, however, appreciate the author’s stance that not every Nazi wanted to be there. Per Josef:
Did those boys know who they were? Did they like it? Even if I didn’t always like who I was, I always knew who I was. The boys at Inland liked who they were but didn’t know who they were. They only liked who they were told to be by various adults. Now, tell me which one is worse? To know who you are even if you don’t like yourself? Or to not know who you are and love yourself.
“Heil Hitler.”
Their arms shot into the sky.
“Heil Hitler.”
* * *
There were some beautiful passages. But sometimes the prose was so flowery and esoteric I wasn’t sure what was real vs. Josef’s perception, which may have been the point, but that didn’t really work for me. It left me feeling Carolina blue and I don't like Carolina blue.
January 27, 2021
4.5 stars
I found The Boy Who Saw In Colours on net galley and from what I can see, it's a republished version.
This book grabs the soul and weaves itself around the heart like a knitted blanket. A true connection to Joseph and his mates. I'm docking it half a point because, at one point, it gets very abstract, and I wasn't sure what was happening or what was in the kid's minds.
I found The Boy Who Saw In Colours on net galley and from what I can see, it's a republished version.
This book grabs the soul and weaves itself around the heart like a knitted blanket. A true connection to Joseph and his mates. I'm docking it half a point because, at one point, it gets very abstract, and I wasn't sure what was happening or what was in the kid's minds.
January 4, 2021
I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this one, and I was reluctant to read it due to the heaviness of the story. I also wasn't sure if I could open my heart to the enemy, but luckily, the novel knew people would have these reservations and cleverly weaved these challenges into the story. At times, I was shocked by the abundance of violence, mostly aimed at children but it was necessary for a story like this.
Have no fear, this is equally balanced with charming displays of humanity and benevolence and this will move you beyond belief and keep you hooked until the very last page. I do not doubt in my mind, every reader will be rooting for the teenage protagonist Josef as he touches your heart, mind and soul.
This is a first-person narrative, so most of the character development is centred around Josef, but the author does a great job at subtly developing the other characters as well; the group of boys in Inland who are at the heart of the story. These boys are friends of circumstance, but they are, nevertheless, friends and will make your heart ache for your childhood friends. I would have liked a little more development from certain side characters who play a huge role in developing the plot later on — as well as more insight into how Josef's first love feels about situations.
Have no fear, this is equally balanced with charming displays of humanity and benevolence and this will move you beyond belief and keep you hooked until the very last page. I do not doubt in my mind, every reader will be rooting for the teenage protagonist Josef as he touches your heart, mind and soul.
This is a first-person narrative, so most of the character development is centred around Josef, but the author does a great job at subtly developing the other characters as well; the group of boys in Inland who are at the heart of the story. These boys are friends of circumstance, but they are, nevertheless, friends and will make your heart ache for your childhood friends. I would have liked a little more development from certain side characters who play a huge role in developing the plot later on — as well as more insight into how Josef's first love feels about situations.
August 17, 2020
Genuinely one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.
Some people might read it and see it as an account of the time. What those schools were like. What Germany was like. It is that, in a wonderfully told way, but it is so much more than that.
It's about how important beauty, art and love are in the world. About being an outsider and not accepting what other people or society demands of you, not out of defiance but because of holding on to hope that you and the world can be something more, something better.
The story will in turns break your heart and let it soar. The stark reality of war and bonds of love and friendship are told in a poetic style that I absolutely adore. I would (and will) recommend this book to anyone I know that loves a good book and an appreciation for art.
Some people might read it and see it as an account of the time. What those schools were like. What Germany was like. It is that, in a wonderfully told way, but it is so much more than that.
It's about how important beauty, art and love are in the world. About being an outsider and not accepting what other people or society demands of you, not out of defiance but because of holding on to hope that you and the world can be something more, something better.
The story will in turns break your heart and let it soar. The stark reality of war and bonds of love and friendship are told in a poetic style that I absolutely adore. I would (and will) recommend this book to anyone I know that loves a good book and an appreciation for art.
July 20, 2020
A complex tale of Nazi Germany as seen through the eyes of a young boy. As Hitler's tentacles slowly extend to take freedom after freedom away from the Jews, one day a forceful knock at the door announces the arrival of the SS to the home of Lissette and Ben and their sons, Thomas and Josef. The boys would be taken to Inland, a "school", which will train them to be "fine, young Ayran men". A school where there are man children, but very little childhood. We were Germany's future with no future.
"It's a small story, really. About two brothers. A doomed friendship. Some colours." Josef can hear colours, see scents and taste sounds; he had synthesia, before that word is known. He is an artist -- a painter. He creates ten paintings during the 5 years in Inland, and they tell his story.
I read this EARC courtesy of Books Go Social and Net Galley. pub date 06/06/20
"It's a small story, really. About two brothers. A doomed friendship. Some colours." Josef can hear colours, see scents and taste sounds; he had synthesia, before that word is known. He is an artist -- a painter. He creates ten paintings during the 5 years in Inland, and they tell his story.
I read this EARC courtesy of Books Go Social and Net Galley. pub date 06/06/20
July 22, 2020
The Boy Who Saw in Colours by Lauren Robinson is an interesting story about a boy with synthesia: he can hear colours, see scents and taste sounds.
It is set in Nazi Germany during WW II when young boys were removed from their parents and sent Inland, to training camps.
It is written from Josef’s point of view and the descriptions are full of colours and sounds. He is an aspiring painter and paints 5 paintings during his stay at Inland, each one commemorating an event or a feeling he experiences.
It’s a beautifully written story in a very unusual tone and I found it interesting to read.
#netgalley #theboywhosawincolours #laurenrobinson #booksgosocial
It is set in Nazi Germany during WW II when young boys were removed from their parents and sent Inland, to training camps.
It is written from Josef’s point of view and the descriptions are full of colours and sounds. He is an aspiring painter and paints 5 paintings during his stay at Inland, each one commemorating an event or a feeling he experiences.
It’s a beautifully written story in a very unusual tone and I found it interesting to read.
#netgalley #theboywhosawincolours #laurenrobinson #booksgosocial
July 27, 2020
The Boy Who Saw In Colours tells the inspiring story of a young painter who was chosen for an elite Nazi school during the years of the Third Reich.
The writing and prose of the novel were beautiful and the author used metaphors that work perfectly. The characters are the real stars of this novel, as the story is simply life. Albeit, a very tough life that is incredibly interesting. Robinson tackles real-life issues that children still struggle with today, so in that sense, I recommend this novel to teenagers. Josef is charming and his persistence for doing what be loves is inspiring.
The writing and prose of the novel were beautiful and the author used metaphors that work perfectly. The characters are the real stars of this novel, as the story is simply life. Albeit, a very tough life that is incredibly interesting. Robinson tackles real-life issues that children still struggle with today, so in that sense, I recommend this novel to teenagers. Josef is charming and his persistence for doing what be loves is inspiring.
February 4, 2022
this book deserves an award and not only for it’s well written story and heart gripping character, but for the pure and true reality for it’s core. my heart belongs for his book because it displayed the sorrow and pain of a child, but also the happiness and love found in his friend. i won’t ever forget this books and i’ll probably want to tattoo every quote on my body.
if you want to know how children truly lived during world war two, read this book. if you want to dive into love, friendship, brotherhood and care about all of them then please read this book. but i promise it will crush you.
if you want to know how children truly lived during world war two, read this book. if you want to dive into love, friendship, brotherhood and care about all of them then please read this book. but i promise it will crush you.
Want to read
July 21, 2020I normally do not like to read historical fiction, not really my cup of tea. But the title of this debut novel intrigued me.
***Warning there is a lot of swearing***
The setting of the story is in Nazi Germany during WW II and is mainly written from the point of view of Josef (the boy who sees in colors). It beginning Josef is an old man on his deathbed. The point of view shifts back and forth from past to present and between the characters. Each chapter begins with a list of colors, some of which I had never heard of. I found this to be unique and interesting way to set the mood of the novel.
Beautifully written...I would recommend this to teens and adults.
***Warning there is a lot of swearing***
The setting of the story is in Nazi Germany during WW II and is mainly written from the point of view of Josef (the boy who sees in colors). It beginning Josef is an old man on his deathbed. The point of view shifts back and forth from past to present and between the characters. Each chapter begins with a list of colors, some of which I had never heard of. I found this to be unique and interesting way to set the mood of the novel.
Beautifully written...I would recommend this to teens and adults.
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