Outstanding, almost nausea-inducing with the amount of panic and stress you feel on behalf of the narrator. Amazing writing.

A different type of Holocaust story with an interesting backstory of its author and creation. A- (91%/Excellent)

less of a story and more of a commentary but very good

This deserves 5 stars based on its content. The descriptions of unexpected arrests, the need to constantly move, having to be suspicious of all and ultimately the effects of all the horrific atrocities towards Jews could have on a person’s sanity were moving and sad. This history must not be forgotten.
It was so sad the to king author died before he was able to submit his revisions and edits for this book. As I read it, I could see the need for revisions but knowing that was impossible made it easy to just take in this story as it is. An amazing effort for such a young man.

3.5 estrellas

Nosotros, que vivimos en relativa paz, podremos algún día realmente entender la guerra?

Este libro es una novela basada en vivencias reales del autor o conocidos suyos, y fue escrito por un hombre judío que lamentablemente pereció en la segunda guerra mundial.
Esta época histórica tan oscura siempre me ha resultado interesante intelectualmente hablando, por lo que decidí leer este libro.

Otto Silverman es un hombre de negocios rico, pero judío, que nos relata su vida como fugitivo en los inicios del Holocausto.

Silverman aborda trenes y huye durante toda la novela, con el objetivo de escapar de su terrible e injusto destino, encontrándose en el camino con todos los arquetipos de alemanes existentes en ese entonces. (Los crueles, los indiferentes, los que le apoyaron, etc).

Este libro comienza bastante lento, y eso le bajó calificación, sin embargo, a partir de la mitad se va tornando más emocionante, y el final es triste, sí, pero realista.

Lo califico, con mucho respeto, con tres estrellas.

This gut-wrenching little book was written in four weeks following Kristallnacht, the German pogrom against Jews in November 1938; the afterword indicates it is likely the first literary account of Jewish persecution in WWII. Ulrich Boschwitz drew from his own experiences to create a week in the life of Otto Silbermann, a German-Jewish businessman who flees his home one step ahead of the SA. The book traces his desperate attempts to make a plan for survival while coming to terms with the unthinkable: that in a civilized modern society, he suddenly has no business, no rights, and no way to leave the country. He spends much of his time on trains, riding from one city to another, trying to figure out what to do next. Along the way he meets sympathetic strangers, terrifying officials, and Jew-haters, and it is fascinating to watch these strangers as they also come to terms with a new reality. This book is never more relevant than right now; when authoritarians appeal to the worst parts of human nature to get and keep themselves in power, it is up to each of us to make humane choices.