A tragic tale of a tragic man; this book is a well-written portrayal of the absolute shock and confusion, but also numbness felt by many Jews in pre-war Germany at the state-sanctioned antisemitism. As the book progresses, and the tragedies mount, there is a marked transition in the tone of the writing as Steinberg's (the protagonist) mind breaks down.
However, I often found it hard to emphasise with hil due to his deliberately written-in anti hero nature. The overall feel of the book is quite sullen, which in fairness does match the subject matter.
The author's biography  at the beginning of the book, furthers this sadness; his real-life story being just as tragic as Steinberg's - dying in 1942 well before his time.