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A Postcard from the Volcano: A Novel of Pre-War Germany
Beginning in 1914 and ending on the eve of World War II, this epic story follows the coming of age and early manhood of the Prussian aristocrat, Max von Hofmannswaldau. From the idyllic surroundings of his ancestral home to the streets of cosmopolitan Breslau menaced by the Nazi SS, Hofmannswaldau uncovers the truth about his own identity and confronts the modern ideologies that threaten the annihilation of millions of people.
A Postcard from the Volcano opens with the outbreak of World War I and the Prussian pride and patriotism that blind the noble von Hofmannswaldau family to the destruction that lies ahead for their country. The well-researched narrative follows the young count as he leaves home to finish his education and ends up a stranger in the land of his birth.
Both intelligent and sensitive, Beckett’s prose explores the complex philosophical and political questions that led Europe into a second world war, while never losing sight of a man whose life is shaped by his times. A deeply moving historical novel that shows the horrific impact that two world wars had on whole countries, and how individuals struggled to deal with the incredible challenges presented by such devastation.
521 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2009
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June 1, 2021
Lucy Becket is an excellent writer as well as a minor philosopher. I remember really enjoying her even-handed treatment of the English Reformation in The Time Before You Die: A Novel of the Reformation, so I had few fears in approaching this.
If you like books you can sink your teeth into, thoughtful conversations, not much action, but much to ponder, then A Postcard from the Volcano: A Novel of Pre-War Germany is for you.
Becket captures the time 1914-1933 in the city of Breslau, then considered part of Germany, on the banks of River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, now Wrocław again, the historical capital of Silesia and Lower Silesia. The history of the city dates back over a thousand years; at various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the so-called Recovered Territories, the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after the Second World War.
The story is told from the perspective of a young ½ German, ½ Jewish Count, Max von Hofmannswaldau who tries to make sense growing up during the mess of the world of German/Polish/Prussian/Russian/Soviet/Nazi politics of the period. Considering everything, it is amazing he does as well as he does.
Becket shows how Max and his friends are especially initially influenced by Nietzsche, then see how he has ruined so much for their beloved Germany.
Very little action, but so much to think about.
If you like books you can sink your teeth into, thoughtful conversations, not much action, but much to ponder, then A Postcard from the Volcano: A Novel of Pre-War Germany is for you.
Becket captures the time 1914-1933 in the city of Breslau, then considered part of Germany, on the banks of River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, now Wrocław again, the historical capital of Silesia and Lower Silesia. The history of the city dates back over a thousand years; at various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the so-called Recovered Territories, the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after the Second World War.
The story is told from the perspective of a young ½ German, ½ Jewish Count, Max von Hofmannswaldau who tries to make sense growing up during the mess of the world of German/Polish/Prussian/Russian/Soviet/Nazi politics of the period. Considering everything, it is amazing he does as well as he does.
Becket shows how Max and his friends are especially initially influenced by Nietzsche, then see how he has ruined so much for their beloved Germany.
Very little action, but so much to think about.
March 5, 2019
What a peculiar, slightly flawed but memorably brilliant book about the history of two young aristocrats (one of them of half-Jewish and half-Prussian heritage) who develop a deep friendship and who grow up in Germany between the wars.
This novel is quite ambitious in its attempt to portrait the cultural and political world of post-WWI Germany, an objective which it manages to accomplish quite successfully. It is also very realistic and compelling in representing the tragedy of the explosion of Antisemitism in Germany during this period, and the immense damage that it caused to the integrity and very soul of the German nation and culture.
Moreover, this book manages to highlight the climate of the crumbling Weimar Republic with noteworthy realism, and it also delves quite successfully into an interesting, more general portrayal of the richness and contradictions of the German culture.
This book also explores deep questions in areas of politics, religion, philosophy, and even music, without ever degenerating into a pedantic or over-exacting exercise. The author is clearly well-educated and this transpires clearly throughout the narrative
The only issue with the book is that, while the first two-thirds are brilliant and riveting, there is a section of the book that would definitely not be to everybody's taste, where the author (through the main characters of the book) tends to fall into a sort of religious mysticism, occasionally almost getting into an exercise of Christian apologetics.
A good 4-star rating, an uncommon book that is well-worth reading.
This novel is quite ambitious in its attempt to portrait the cultural and political world of post-WWI Germany, an objective which it manages to accomplish quite successfully. It is also very realistic and compelling in representing the tragedy of the explosion of Antisemitism in Germany during this period, and the immense damage that it caused to the integrity and very soul of the German nation and culture.
Moreover, this book manages to highlight the climate of the crumbling Weimar Republic with noteworthy realism, and it also delves quite successfully into an interesting, more general portrayal of the richness and contradictions of the German culture.
This book also explores deep questions in areas of politics, religion, philosophy, and even music, without ever degenerating into a pedantic or over-exacting exercise. The author is clearly well-educated and this transpires clearly throughout the narrative
The only issue with the book is that, while the first two-thirds are brilliant and riveting, there is a section of the book that would definitely not be to everybody's taste, where the author (through the main characters of the book) tends to fall into a sort of religious mysticism, occasionally almost getting into an exercise of Christian apologetics.
A good 4-star rating, an uncommon book that is well-worth reading.
February 16, 2010
This beautiful book has entered into my very difficult "top ten" favorite books. I am a huge reader, 1000s of books in my over 40 years of life. Oh, I did I love it! I savored every moment. I'll admit, I am very interested in the time period between WWI and WWII. I'm a Catholic and may have Jewish blood. So, I'm a little biased. Boy did this book speak to me. I love the story line, tears, tears, tears. I love the philosophy and history. Wow, I just loved this book. Really, the question is HOW DID GERMANY go along with Hitler and his horrors? Why. the same reason humanity has done so before in history. A good explanation of this time in history. This book also re-ignited my love of classical music, which I've neglected. WOW, just a great book!
January 15, 2023
ENGLISH: This book is quite similar to Brideshead revisited, with several important differences. The main one, that it happens in Germany, between the two wars, and ends when Hitler takes power.
It follows the adventures of two friends, who pass through an atheistic phase and then convert to Catholicism, although in different ways. One of them, in fact, the main character, stops practicing until just near his death, like Lord Marchmain in Brideshead. By the way, this is not an spoiler, as it is stated in the prologue of the novel, so the reader knows from the beginning.
ESPAÑOL: Este libro es bastante parecido a Brideshead revisited, con varias diferencias importantes. La principal, que sucede en Alemania, entre las dos guerras, y termina cuando Hitler toma el poder.
Sigue las aventuras de dos amigos que pasan por una fase atea y luego se convierten al catolicismo, aunque de distinta maneras. Uno de ellos, el personaje principal, deja de practicar hasta casi su muerte, como Lord Marchmain en Brideshead. Por cierto, esto no es un spoiler, porque lo cuenta el prólogo de la novela, de modo que el lector lo sabe desde el principio.
It follows the adventures of two friends, who pass through an atheistic phase and then convert to Catholicism, although in different ways. One of them, in fact, the main character, stops practicing until just near his death, like Lord Marchmain in Brideshead. By the way, this is not an spoiler, as it is stated in the prologue of the novel, so the reader knows from the beginning.
ESPAÑOL: Este libro es bastante parecido a Brideshead revisited, con varias diferencias importantes. La principal, que sucede en Alemania, entre las dos guerras, y termina cuando Hitler toma el poder.
Sigue las aventuras de dos amigos que pasan por una fase atea y luego se convierten al catolicismo, aunque de distinta maneras. Uno de ellos, el personaje principal, deja de practicar hasta casi su muerte, como Lord Marchmain en Brideshead. Por cierto, esto no es un spoiler, porque lo cuenta el prólogo de la novela, de modo que el lector lo sabe desde el principio.
March 26, 2018
Young professionals and aristocrats grow up in Germany between the wars. This novel is heavy on politics, religion, philosophy, and music. It may not be everyone's idea of perfection but I found it to be very stimulating.
December 10, 2023
Such a beautiful book. Max, the central character of the story, asks: “how is it possible to love someone in whom there’s no sadness?” (463) This book certainly had sadness, a sadness which was necessary and poignant. It also had such beauty. Its depictions of friendship were wonderful and I found it so refreshing to read a book in which the most powerful examples of love were truly between friends. Also its descriptions of places, emotions, and music were especially delightful. I think it’s hard to write about music in a way that feels authentic and this book did that. ALSO, the philosophy and theology!! At first I was high key annoyed by how much time this book spent on different philosophical and theological theories, but it was so so important that they were there. Reading this at the same time as I was taking moral theology was perfect (freedom to choose the good >> will to power).
Finally, the Wallace Stevens poem after which the novel is named provides a fascinating reflection on the nature of memory and truth — “Children picking up our bones / Will never know that these were once / As quick as foxes on the hill.” Reading the book with its title in mind makes it all the more interesting.
Some quotes:
“It was the essence of friendship, he often thought, that the other person was wholly present to you, wholly himself… but at the same time wholly unpredictable” (392)
“But then I think, Fine. Isn’t it only human life tuned up to a higher pitch than usual?” (503)
Finally, the Wallace Stevens poem after which the novel is named provides a fascinating reflection on the nature of memory and truth — “Children picking up our bones / Will never know that these were once / As quick as foxes on the hill.” Reading the book with its title in mind makes it all the more interesting.
Some quotes:
“It was the essence of friendship, he often thought, that the other person was wholly present to you, wholly himself… but at the same time wholly unpredictable” (392)
“But then I think, Fine. Isn’t it only human life tuned up to a higher pitch than usual?” (503)
January 19, 2023
One of my new favorite books!
There is objectively an overabundance of WW2 lit out there (and some of it IS really good) but thankfully this is not that. Rather, it tells the story of life in Germany between the wars through the character of Max von Hoffmanswaldau and his friends, showing their dismay as the culture around them began to support Hitler and his cruel ideals.
But this book is much more multi-faceted than that. It was actually really good preparation for the beginning of a new semester because it literally made me want to read more books, work harder at Latin and Italian, and have more late-night discussions with friends about big ideas. Again though, this book is more than just that. (The level of knowledge these German boys reached by age 10 astonished me!)
As readers we watch Max grow up as a young child, and as he grows we watch how the culture around him changes. A lot of the book focuses around long conversations between the characters who think deeply about the texts they are studying and current events. Major conversation topics include: music, politics, art, literature, nationality, philosophy, politics, religion, and science. Conversion was definitely one of the biggest topics (without being preachy), and in that way it reminded me of Brideshead Revisited.
These conversations were especially interesting because Beckett did a great job of portraying very vivid and believable characters, showing their development, and in the case of Max, even his thoughts sometimes. I would highly recommend this book if you're interested in interwar Germany and enjoy lots of conversation about ideas! (also having read Hamlet is helpful)
a varied mix of quotes...
"He had, altogether, the neglected look of a widower still expecting his wife to come home and put him to rights."
"Are you in love, Max?"
"What a ridiculous idea. I hardly know her. We've spent four evenings playing quartets. And she's very young, only eighteen."
"Max! You're in love. I can tell. Did you buy a cake?"
"I think Shakespeare always regards contempt for other people as a grave sin - all his villains are scornful."
"One doesn't die for a fact. Science makes progress. Facts are discovered. If not by me, by someone else a little later. It doesn't matter who. Truth is worth dying for. A fact is not."
"But does it make the slightest difference to the truth, if it is the truth, whether Adam Zapolski or Max Hofmannswaldau believes it or not?"
"How am I going to manage without Earl Grey?"
"Eros is the only sickness for which we volunteer."
There is objectively an overabundance of WW2 lit out there (and some of it IS really good) but thankfully this is not that. Rather, it tells the story of life in Germany between the wars through the character of Max von Hoffmanswaldau and his friends, showing their dismay as the culture around them began to support Hitler and his cruel ideals.
But this book is much more multi-faceted than that. It was actually really good preparation for the beginning of a new semester because it literally made me want to read more books, work harder at Latin and Italian, and have more late-night discussions with friends about big ideas. Again though, this book is more than just that. (The level of knowledge these German boys reached by age 10 astonished me!)
As readers we watch Max grow up as a young child, and as he grows we watch how the culture around him changes. A lot of the book focuses around long conversations between the characters who think deeply about the texts they are studying and current events. Major conversation topics include: music, politics, art, literature, nationality, philosophy, politics, religion, and science. Conversion was definitely one of the biggest topics (without being preachy), and in that way it reminded me of Brideshead Revisited.
These conversations were especially interesting because Beckett did a great job of portraying very vivid and believable characters, showing their development, and in the case of Max, even his thoughts sometimes. I would highly recommend this book if you're interested in interwar Germany and enjoy lots of conversation about ideas! (also having read Hamlet is helpful)
a varied mix of quotes...
"He had, altogether, the neglected look of a widower still expecting his wife to come home and put him to rights."
"Are you in love, Max?"
"What a ridiculous idea. I hardly know her. We've spent four evenings playing quartets. And she's very young, only eighteen."
"Max! You're in love. I can tell. Did you buy a cake?"
"I think Shakespeare always regards contempt for other people as a grave sin - all his villains are scornful."
"One doesn't die for a fact. Science makes progress. Facts are discovered. If not by me, by someone else a little later. It doesn't matter who. Truth is worth dying for. A fact is not."
"But does it make the slightest difference to the truth, if it is the truth, whether Adam Zapolski or Max Hofmannswaldau believes it or not?"
"How am I going to manage without Earl Grey?"
"Eros is the only sickness for which we volunteer."
December 6, 2019
Recently, I found myself “between books,” which in my world means there are plenty of books to read and no shortage of choices and yet — AND YET — nothing looks good.
I’m overcome. I can’t decide. I JUST WANT A GOOD BOOK, PLEASE.
And so, I did what I do: I played book-choosing roulette on my Kindle and Beckett’s 2009 novel, A Postcard from a Volcano, came up.
It’s not short. It’s not easy.
But it is excellent.
It’s like that cognac (or was it single malt whiskey?) that my uncle favors: You don’t gulp. You savor.
Postcard, as it happens (and as I only just discovered as I was writing this review) is the sequel to Beckett’s 2014 novel The Leaves Are Falling. I read it and loved it for all the reasons I loved Postcard.
And now I want to reread it.
(I just don’t have time for that. Isn’t that a delightful problem to have? Indeed it is.)
Beckett is a masterful storyteller, who crafts her fiction in a way that feels both intentional and delightful. Sometimes, you don’t have to know all the work that goes in to enjoy the end result.
In the last few years, World War II novels have increased in popularity. I first noticed it when my 12-year-old mentioned how she loves books set in that era. Given that she’s not much of a fan of reading, I took note.
Then, earlier this year, a friend mentioned that I should read The Nighingale, by Kristin Hannah. What followed was a four-day reading adventure that had me staying up late and dreaming of characters and trying to figure out what was next.
Compare that, then, to the many hours I spent invested in Max von Hofmannswaldau. I didn’t stay up late, because there wasn’t a pressing plot point or a German gun set to my hero’s head. But I was immersed in post-war (and pre-war) Germany in a way I hadn’t been during Hannah’s writing.
Oh, don’t get me wrong: If you haven’t read The Nightingale, go. It’s good. And while I gave it five stars (and would give those stars again), it’s a different type of book altogether than Postcard, even though they are set in similar times.
For one thing, Postcard is unabashedly long. It’s not fast-paced. It’s not plot-driven. There’s a plot. But this is a character story, one that takes its time. It’s the kind of book that would have been condensed into a shorter form, the kind of book my high school self would have curled up with excitedly even as all the other kids I knew would have rolled their eyes and taken off running.
It’s the difference between whipping through Agatha Christie and being led through The Count of Monte Cristo.
Beckett has captured more than the essence of pre-WW2 Germany; she has taken you there. I never appreciated how different that part of the world was, how it was shaped by various mentalities and politics and realms. If I had learned it, I didn’t fully picture it as the difference between a northern Ohio county and a southern Louisiana parish. We’re all one country…now.
There’s much to learn from this time period and the way the politics and viewpoints were influenced. I was halfway through before I realized it was a novel about conversion. Except…no it wasn’t! Yes, it was!
Isn’t that life, though? Conversion is everywhere. And while it’s certainly important and critical and probably the point of everything, it’s also very much in the background and inevitable.
I found myself, with Max, assaulted by the idiocy of people, weak at the idea of the injustices, horrified by the fact that yes, this was really going to happen.
We need this. How have I never appreciated how much we need the stories of history? History was not taught to me as a story, and I never appreciated it as such until I was far from my school days. Now, however, I want to embrace it, to share it, to learn and teach it.
Beckett’s writing does that, and it does it in a way that is nothing short of beautiful. She commands the language and she commands the setting. Her characters breathe, and in that breath, they make history alive.
I’m overcome. I can’t decide. I JUST WANT A GOOD BOOK, PLEASE.
And so, I did what I do: I played book-choosing roulette on my Kindle and Beckett’s 2009 novel, A Postcard from a Volcano, came up.
It’s not short. It’s not easy.
But it is excellent.
It’s like that cognac (or was it single malt whiskey?) that my uncle favors: You don’t gulp. You savor.
Postcard, as it happens (and as I only just discovered as I was writing this review) is the sequel to Beckett’s 2014 novel The Leaves Are Falling. I read it and loved it for all the reasons I loved Postcard.
And now I want to reread it.
(I just don’t have time for that. Isn’t that a delightful problem to have? Indeed it is.)
Beckett is a masterful storyteller, who crafts her fiction in a way that feels both intentional and delightful. Sometimes, you don’t have to know all the work that goes in to enjoy the end result.
In the last few years, World War II novels have increased in popularity. I first noticed it when my 12-year-old mentioned how she loves books set in that era. Given that she’s not much of a fan of reading, I took note.
Then, earlier this year, a friend mentioned that I should read The Nighingale, by Kristin Hannah. What followed was a four-day reading adventure that had me staying up late and dreaming of characters and trying to figure out what was next.
Compare that, then, to the many hours I spent invested in Max von Hofmannswaldau. I didn’t stay up late, because there wasn’t a pressing plot point or a German gun set to my hero’s head. But I was immersed in post-war (and pre-war) Germany in a way I hadn’t been during Hannah’s writing.
Oh, don’t get me wrong: If you haven’t read The Nightingale, go. It’s good. And while I gave it five stars (and would give those stars again), it’s a different type of book altogether than Postcard, even though they are set in similar times.
For one thing, Postcard is unabashedly long. It’s not fast-paced. It’s not plot-driven. There’s a plot. But this is a character story, one that takes its time. It’s the kind of book that would have been condensed into a shorter form, the kind of book my high school self would have curled up with excitedly even as all the other kids I knew would have rolled their eyes and taken off running.
It’s the difference between whipping through Agatha Christie and being led through The Count of Monte Cristo.
Beckett has captured more than the essence of pre-WW2 Germany; she has taken you there. I never appreciated how different that part of the world was, how it was shaped by various mentalities and politics and realms. If I had learned it, I didn’t fully picture it as the difference between a northern Ohio county and a southern Louisiana parish. We’re all one country…now.
There’s much to learn from this time period and the way the politics and viewpoints were influenced. I was halfway through before I realized it was a novel about conversion. Except…no it wasn’t! Yes, it was!
Isn’t that life, though? Conversion is everywhere. And while it’s certainly important and critical and probably the point of everything, it’s also very much in the background and inevitable.
I found myself, with Max, assaulted by the idiocy of people, weak at the idea of the injustices, horrified by the fact that yes, this was really going to happen.
We need this. How have I never appreciated how much we need the stories of history? History was not taught to me as a story, and I never appreciated it as such until I was far from my school days. Now, however, I want to embrace it, to share it, to learn and teach it.
Beckett’s writing does that, and it does it in a way that is nothing short of beautiful. She commands the language and she commands the setting. Her characters breathe, and in that breath, they make history alive.
July 15, 2025
Well I spent an hour writing up a review for this book because I loved it so much, but this glitchy Goodreads app deleted it when I left the app.
Long story short, this is one of my top 5 favorite books. It’s brilliant and terrifying. This book had to have been a nightmare to write it covers so many topics and does so in such a thoughtful manner.
There are many parallels between the cultural zeitgeists of the German interwar period and America today. The parallels between the rhetoric of Hitler and Trump and the German public and the American right should not be ignored.
You fall in love with the intellects of certain characters and through their lives, discussions, and fates you learn just how much of a damn waste war is and how unproductive hate is. It’s way easier to just stop wasting time blaming other people for your problems, realize the problem is likely your own, and be nice to other people instead. You may not believe this, but the product of your hate may actually hurt you and will definitely hurt those around you.
Also lots of interesting discussions of philosophy, art, culture, and theology throughout the book. If you like these topics, history, or just want a great but somewhat dense book this is it! Really just an exceptional book and I can’t believe it isn’t more well known.
Long story short, this is one of my top 5 favorite books. It’s brilliant and terrifying. This book had to have been a nightmare to write it covers so many topics and does so in such a thoughtful manner.
There are many parallels between the cultural zeitgeists of the German interwar period and America today. The parallels between the rhetoric of Hitler and Trump and the German public and the American right should not be ignored.
You fall in love with the intellects of certain characters and through their lives, discussions, and fates you learn just how much of a damn waste war is and how unproductive hate is. It’s way easier to just stop wasting time blaming other people for your problems, realize the problem is likely your own, and be nice to other people instead. You may not believe this, but the product of your hate may actually hurt you and will definitely hurt those around you.
Also lots of interesting discussions of philosophy, art, culture, and theology throughout the book. If you like these topics, history, or just want a great but somewhat dense book this is it! Really just an exceptional book and I can’t believe it isn’t more well known.
October 9, 2015
This is an interesting historical book. Know before you read that much of it is about the philosophical and political questions that led Europe into the second World War. Many pages are filled also with religion, Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant. Much of it pretty deep. This is what dragged for me, the philosophy and politics. I much preferred the story line about the boys who grew up during these years, Max von Hofmannswaldau, the Prussian aristocrat and Adam Zapolski, the Polish count. Beginning at the start of World War I and seen from the Prussian viewpoint, the story follows Max from his ancestral home in the country to the larger city of Breslau where he furthers his education. It has him evaluating his religion, his identity, his beliefs. Music plays a large part of the story, also, as Max grows up playing the violin and perfecting his craft with the help of a wonderful mentor and his friends. How an individual's life is shaped by the times and challenges takes us into what it might have been like to live in pre-WWII Germany and the political and philosophical forces that were pulling at them.
January 16, 2010
This is an important book because of its subject matter, the history of Germany between 1914 and 1934.
We should always be aware of the State and its ability to overrun personal freedoms. It is easy to write this in the U.S., but you never know when the political arena will change. Tyranny from the right or the left is always dangerous to human life and freedom. This is the lesson she teaches.
I only gave this book three stars because, although I connected with the characters, I think the author spent too much time have everyone talk in sewing circle conversations. I realize Beckett was trying to give us a sound foundation in philosophy and history leading up to Nazi Germany. I did need the history, but think she could have done some of it with action.
We should always be aware of the State and its ability to overrun personal freedoms. It is easy to write this in the U.S., but you never know when the political arena will change. Tyranny from the right or the left is always dangerous to human life and freedom. This is the lesson she teaches.
I only gave this book three stars because, although I connected with the characters, I think the author spent too much time have everyone talk in sewing circle conversations. I realize Beckett was trying to give us a sound foundation in philosophy and history leading up to Nazi Germany. I did need the history, but think she could have done some of it with action.
May 17, 2017
This novel is a deeply philosophical one, in that there are long discussions of politics, philosophy, religion, and such. But the patient reader will be rewarded, as the discussions in the crumbling Weimar Republic of the 1920s and 1930s resonate all too frighteningly to political events in the year 2017.
August 11, 2012
I am not certain where to begin! I have been most fortunate to know so many individuals who enriched my life, individuals who came to America as refugees from Hitler or Stalin. While they all were proud to be American citizens, I knew in their heart of hearts their hearts and minds were elsewhere - at a place and in a time long gone. Most had benefited from what we today call a "Prussian education" in the liberal arts: Greek and Latin, philosophy, literature, and history. They are all now long gone, but how I benefited from conversations with them.
Reading Lucy Beckett's Postcard I felt so often I was in their presence again, sitting at their feet, as it were.
The protagonist of the novel and his five or six friends each has to face the moral dilemmas of Weimar Germany. The expository prose demonstrates how much Beckett understood the complexities of the time.
Looking over other reviews of the book, I saw some simply did not "get" it. It is both unfortunate and OK, for I know many highly educated people who might not find the "discussions" among the characters as I did. Had I not had those friends, I might not have either.
The book, furthermore, has a deeply spiritual aspect, more specifically, a Roman Catholic one, which might alienate some. This I find most unfortunate for the underlying message speaks to us today as much as it did to the characters eighty years ago in this novel.
Did you, dear reader, see a movie or read a book, at the end of which you said, "How I wish there were more!" This was how I felt. Note, I found re-reading the foreword after finishing the bool most comforting, but it increased the sadness all the more. But it is OK.
Reading Lucy Beckett's Postcard I felt so often I was in their presence again, sitting at their feet, as it were.
The protagonist of the novel and his five or six friends each has to face the moral dilemmas of Weimar Germany. The expository prose demonstrates how much Beckett understood the complexities of the time.
Looking over other reviews of the book, I saw some simply did not "get" it. It is both unfortunate and OK, for I know many highly educated people who might not find the "discussions" among the characters as I did. Had I not had those friends, I might not have either.
The book, furthermore, has a deeply spiritual aspect, more specifically, a Roman Catholic one, which might alienate some. This I find most unfortunate for the underlying message speaks to us today as much as it did to the characters eighty years ago in this novel.
Did you, dear reader, see a movie or read a book, at the end of which you said, "How I wish there were more!" This was how I felt. Note, I found re-reading the foreword after finishing the bool most comforting, but it increased the sadness all the more. But it is OK.
April 7, 2009
Oh the humanity wasted in those not-too-distant times. The Art, medicine, legal and theological advances that were lost and never found. The book kept me engrossed in the life of a Prussian count and his friends during the depression, and up to the war. The growing bigotry of the Germans, Russians, Poles, Catholics against the Jews is examined from both a young students idealistic point of view as well as the wise old school masters historical truth-is-the-answer viewpoint. Excellent book. Excellent analysis of the political developments that led to Hitlers rise - with the center becoming irrelevant. My only improvement would have included an economic perspective to the novel. High inflation was mentioned a number of times but not how that destroyed the ecomony and the will of the people. Prosperity was not an option for most people and they then jumped on Hitlers propaganda to improve their own chance at wealth.I also would be interested in learning about how the friends (Pole, Lithauanians, army doctor) operated after leaving Breslau.
April 17, 2015
It must have been around 2010 when I got this from Ignatius press, whose catalog I'd occasionally peruse looking for Catholic fiction. It caught my eye due to the protagonist's name, "Max von Hofmannswaldau"(badass!) & the setting in Germany(cool, my ancestral home!)
Alas, I was to be disappointed.
TL;DR Synopsis: Young German lad discovers a hidden family secret - he's actually Jewish! Makes a Polish friend during the summer; has a gay dream about said friend, then life goes on. He plays the violin at some point and I think he marries a nice girl, or teaches one how to play the violin. His friend becomes a priest, maybe?
[It's been some years since I read it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh well.]
I might be too flippant in crediting this to the author being an Englishwoman purporting to tell the reader about the German experience of those years... but this is a sub-par wannabe Brideshead with forgettable characters and writing.
Alas, I was to be disappointed.
TL;DR Synopsis: Young German lad discovers a hidden family secret - he's actually Jewish! Makes a Polish friend during the summer; has a gay dream about said friend, then life goes on. He plays the violin at some point and I think he marries a nice girl, or teaches one how to play the violin. His friend becomes a priest, maybe?
[It's been some years since I read it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh well.]
I might be too flippant in crediting this to the author being an Englishwoman purporting to tell the reader about the German experience of those years... but this is a sub-par wannabe Brideshead with forgettable characters and writing.
September 17, 2014
I just fell into this book. My grandparents grew up in this time period, and in fact were kicked out of Germany in 1937 because they refused to vote for Hitler or support the regime, or give up their Jewish friends. If they and their friends hadn't had Americans visiting, at a time when the regime wasn't keen to have their tactics broadcast, they might not have been lucky enough to be merely kicked out. So a lot of this narrative sounded familiar in a haunting way, due to their stories. It truly makes the reader feel he is standing at the base of a rumbling volcano.
August 23, 2013
I actually read this book a couple of years ago, but I feel compelled to recommend it to others. It is a very literary work that deals with the great themes of life: human dignity, depravity, despair, sacrifice, and redemption. Keenly capturing a sense of the times in which it is set, as well as the prevailing philosophies of the day, the reader gets to know and care about characters whose lives move relentlessly toward their historical destinies.
January 23, 2014
This book provided all sorts of insights into how Hitler was able to take over Germany and manage to convince people that their friends and neighbors--honest, hard-working Jews, Gays, and other people "in the way"--were the enemy, and how decent Germans were powerless to stop him. It is cleverly told as a coming of age novel as a young German count grapples with his classical education and the new philosophies and discoveries he encounters. One of those books that I wish had gone on...
December 17, 2016
This is less a novel and more a meditation on religion, nationalism, fascism and identity. There is a plot that I won't describe here but enough to say it's a collision course of characters who have stepped out of WWI into the the uncertain 1920s and 1930s in Breslau. There is the rise of the Nazis and the looming of another Second World War. There is a lot of philosophizing. So be warned. But as I get older I have more time to contemplate those things that used to make me restless.
November 18, 2014
My first Lucy Beckett, and I was completely absorbed. It came close, too, because my parents were German Jews, completely assimilated, and who escaped with their lives by the grace of God. They converted to Christianity, and some of Adam's struggle in this story is similar to what I heard from my parents. I'm not quite finished, but I don't want it to end.
July 14, 2021
An excellent book. Beautifully written and researched, vivid and engaging characters, very moving. I’d like to read more of her work. It’s also a novel of ideas, so sometimes can feels bit didactic, but always intelligent and interesting. And in some ways, a warning to our time - we are not so far from the horrors of Nazism and Russian communism.
May 11, 2021
This book was amazing. The characters are well-written, the political, historical, and cultural details are fascinating, and complex themes that are rich enough to sink your teeth into are plentiful.
September 26, 2017
Disappointing
Very slow moving and each conversation between characters seemed to last for page after page
I didn't have the will to finish it
Very slow moving and each conversation between characters seemed to last for page after page
I didn't have the will to finish it
September 14, 2023
One of the best books I have ever read. Truly explained how someone like Hitler could come to power.
June 6, 2022
Tedious. Ponderous. A waste of time.
The author obviously knows a lot about music, history, philosophy. But a novel isn't a plot and characters as a mere veneer for transmitting ideas.
The characters are two-dimensional, each with his/her own motifs that are repeated ad nauseum (like the rich, superficial mother who always has a different boyfriend). Even superficial people can't help but have some depth to them. Not these characters, though.
The main characters spend a lot of time playing music and having philosophical discussions. I like philosophical discussions in real life, but again, the characters tended to repeat their ideas / motifs long after you've gotten the point.
Beckett has a generally wise character (a teacher) say that Shakespeare makes Shylock such an unsavory character not because Shakespeare disliked Jews but because Shylock illustrates how someone oppressed / treated badly as the Jews were could become vindictive in response. While it is true that Shakespeare can't be said to dislike Jews (Shylock's daughter Jessica shows this), the rest of this really isn't accurate. Shylock is a detestable character not because he's been treated badly, but because he's a usurer! Shakespeare hated usury. Shylock is bad not because he's a victim, but because of his own choices and character.
Aside the flaws above, the book really doesn't have much of a plot or point. (Though an early part seems patterned on a similar part of Brideshead Revisited, and the insular group of students just reminded me of the classics students in The Secret History.)
The only reason I read this book is because there are glowing recommendations for it on the back by authors I like (but now respect less) -- Joseph Pearce, Michael O'Brien, and Thomas Howard. Because of what they said, I kept expecting .... something .... that would make this book worth reading. But no.
The author obviously knows a lot about music, history, philosophy. But a novel isn't a plot and characters as a mere veneer for transmitting ideas.
The characters are two-dimensional, each with his/her own motifs that are repeated ad nauseum (like the rich, superficial mother who always has a different boyfriend). Even superficial people can't help but have some depth to them. Not these characters, though.
The main characters spend a lot of time playing music and having philosophical discussions. I like philosophical discussions in real life, but again, the characters tended to repeat their ideas / motifs long after you've gotten the point.
Beckett has a generally wise character (a teacher) say that Shakespeare makes Shylock such an unsavory character not because Shakespeare disliked Jews but because Shylock illustrates how someone oppressed / treated badly as the Jews were could become vindictive in response. While it is true that Shakespeare can't be said to dislike Jews (Shylock's daughter Jessica shows this), the rest of this really isn't accurate. Shylock is a detestable character not because he's been treated badly, but because he's a usurer! Shakespeare hated usury. Shylock is bad not because he's a victim, but because of his own choices and character.
Aside the flaws above, the book really doesn't have much of a plot or point. (Though an early part seems patterned on a similar part of Brideshead Revisited, and the insular group of students just reminded me of the classics students in The Secret History.)
The only reason I read this book is because there are glowing recommendations for it on the back by authors I like (but now respect less) -- Joseph Pearce, Michael O'Brien, and Thomas Howard. Because of what they said, I kept expecting .... something .... that would make this book worth reading. But no.
July 18, 2023
I read "A Postcard from the Volcano" for a summer book club at my church. It is a good starting off point for discussing Christianity in the 20th century--in fact it was as if a history book had come to life. The book focused on the life of a Prussian count born in 1905 and his formative years until he leaves for England in 1933. His mother was Jewish, although he converts to Catholicism.
This all can lead to interesting discussions. But I feel ultimately that the book lacked life and that long explanations were simply put into character's mouths, especially professors and elders. Telling and not showing. Where the author did show, I wish she had done more. She is skillful at evoking place and nature. There was one passage when Max, the count, was watching a river flow that was alive and very spiritual.
I do recommend the book for tackling the ideas and often the horror of Europe, especially Germany, in a readable format, but for me, the characters ultimately lack enough charm and depth.
This all can lead to interesting discussions. But I feel ultimately that the book lacked life and that long explanations were simply put into character's mouths, especially professors and elders. Telling and not showing. Where the author did show, I wish she had done more. She is skillful at evoking place and nature. There was one passage when Max, the count, was watching a river flow that was alive and very spiritual.
I do recommend the book for tackling the ideas and often the horror of Europe, especially Germany, in a readable format, but for me, the characters ultimately lack enough charm and depth.
February 25, 2025
Oh my goodness, what an amazing piece of literature. This story setting, Germany, from 1914-1933, and the characters- Max, his best friend Adam, the wonderful teacher Fischer, Prussian pride, all come together to tell this tale that breaks your heart in the end. Lucy Beckett does an incredible job interweaving politics, religion, music, and nationalism into a story that must be read slowly and savored. There were many events throughout the story that are subtle reminders of our own chaotic world. There were so many times that I hadn't realized what was going on in Eastern Europe, and all the different philosophies that influenced young people at the time. As an aside, Max lives in Breslau, and that is where Edith Stein was from, (St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross) at exactly that same time period. A very enriching read.
April 25, 2022
Beckett paints a picture of a Germany/Europe that I had not contemplated until reading her book. There was very little in her missive that was a surprise, but having the story told in this way brought home much of what makes the interwar years comprehensible. I should probably investigate just a bit further the distinction that seems to come through between German and Prussian history at least from a legal standpoint. Well done!
May 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this book - some parts are a bit heady, but I was surprised at how much I liked the philosophical conversations throughout the novel. I "read" the book through an audio version and found myself finding whatever chores I could to keep listening and hearing the story. I will make time to sit down and read the physical book in the years to come.
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