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De Poppenspeler Van Warschau (2012)

by Eva Weaver(Favorite Author)

4.04 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

House of Books

review 1: I'll get some unfair criticism off my chest. I was slightly put off this book because I found the name 'Eva Weaver' impossibly fey, even if she couldn't help what her parents called her.Anyway, I revised my opinion and became much more positive as I got immersed in the book - and then changed my mind again. This is a harrowing story based on the life of a Warsaw-born Jew as he endures his later childhood incarcerated in the Jewish ghetto. There are later equally harrowing pictures of life in a Siberian prison camp: this was not his experience, but that of Max,a German soldier whose path he had crossed in Warsaw.The prose, particularly dialogue, is often stiff and awkward, but I was left with the impression that Weaver was writing the book with an eye on its possibilitie... mores as a film. There was something about its telling which seemed to be in Glorious Technicolor. Mika's survival against the odds somehow never seemed quite realistic to me, nor his concern for the children of the orphanage and hospital in the ghetto. I read the book willingly enough, and learned a lot, but I shan't be in a hurry to seek out any future books by this author. It's made me wonder whether I'd still enjoy Ian Serralier's 'The Silver Sword', which covers some of the same ground, as much as I did when I was 11 and first read it.
review 2: (this review contains a few spoilers...)Like many people I've read quite a lot of books about the World Wars, but Eva Weaver's The Puppet Boy of Warsaw is an interesting addition to the list. For a start I knew very little about the persecution of the Jews within Poland - or for that matter what happened to anyone in Poland during the Second World War - whereas both the experiences of Allied soldiers and those who suffered within Germany and France seems to have been explored far more in literature. What joins the elements of this story, and influences much of the events, are Mika's puppets. I liked the inclusion of this very childlike prop and its juxtaposition to the brutality of the Nazi's only increased the natural appeal it has. The idea that imagination and youthful joy could truly stand against the German's evil in a reasonably tangible way was enchanting , and probably my favourite theme of the novel. The novel addresses complex questions related to the war - particularly the extent of German guilt and blame in the latter chapters - but this idea cuts through them all, in the best way possible.The one problem I had with this novel was that it seemed to lack the impact that I was waiting for. Nothing was quite powerful enough; I liked the characters but not enough that I was too distraught when Mika left Ellie, and whilst Max's journey did seem strenuous I was never really worried about him. Perhaps it was the initial chapter set in the present which prevented me from feeling any real anguish or worry for the majority of the characters as it was clear - particularly for Mika - that he was going to survive and go on to some kind of fairly pleasant existence. Whilst I appreciate the desire of a happy ending when dealing with topics like this, I think the first chapter removed an uncertainty which can be crucial in conveying the atmosphere of fear at the time. As present day readers we know roughly what is going to happen to Mika and the rest of the Jewish community and so we need some uncertainty about the outcome at least in order to keep us on the edge of our seats. The magical realism elements and use of a child as the main character mean comparisons between Weaver's story and Marcus Zuzak's The Book Thief are going to be inevitable - unfortunately the latter is far better at creating an emotional link between the narrative and the reader.Overall this is an enjoyable and quick read, with some very charming elements - but if you want a deep and gritty novel about World War Two this isn't it. Whilst this is certainly interesting and well written in a genre so packed with brilliant novel it just doesn't quite stand up to its competition. less

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