Book description
Amidst the horrors of Auschwitz, German officer, Angelus Thomsen, has found love.
But unfortunately for Thomsen, the object of his affection is already married to his camp commandant, Paul Doll.
As Thomsen and Doll's wife pursue their passion - the gears of Nazi Germany's Final Solution grinding around them -…
Why read it?
3 authors picked The Zone of Interest as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Well, I certainly can’t say that The Zone of Interest is an enjoyable read, but it is an important one, especially given the moment—or should I say given the neverending stream of cruel and inhuman moments that have led us right up to this moment?
And while the Holocaust may be well-trodden ground for fiction writers, the late/great Martin Amis was never a well-trodden fiction writer. Centered in and around the banality of life going on in the actual shadow of abject evil, this novel holds up a mirror and dares us to take a look. In short, it dares…
From Dave's list on war fiction books that are about much more than war.
The book is so much better than the movie! Amis writes about a community living next to a German concentration camp, and I really liked how he focussed on the differences between the camp commander and an advisor who keeps a critical mind through it all.
I liked to see how people adapt again and again to the most gruesome situations, but also how there are rebels who never will. For me this is one of the best books about the humans behind a war, where reality and fantasy have been mixed very masterfully.
From Judit's list on greatest mix of reality and fiction.
The Zone of Interest, a novel by Martin Amis, tells a story that might not be to everyone’s taste—a love triangle among two Nazi officers and an officer’s wife, against the backdrop of the death camp in Auschwitz.
The late novelist’s trademark cunning and wit is a perfect counterpoint to the obviously somber material. No one would expect that a story set in Auschwitz might contain piercing (and very dark) humor, but Amis pulls it off.
His prose is jumpy, elliptical, highbrow, and lowbrow throughout. The reader may be surprised to find herself sympathizing with the officers at times,…
If you love The Zone of Interest...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
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