Cafe Berlin
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Book Overview
"A story that combines the picaresque with the spy thriller" (Atlantic), Caf Berlin is an incredible novel of decadence and defiance during Nazi Germany's rise to power. In the years between Germany's defeat in World War I and the reign of the Nazis, the underground clubs and cabarets of Berlin pulsed with the frenetic energy of rebellion. Suspended on the precipice of global catastrophe, a young counterculture emerged in the Weimar capital, where--if only for a moment--races and religions mixed, jazz music resounded, and liquor flowed in abundance. In Harold Nebenzal's daring, suspenseful novel Caf Berlin, this high-flying scene forms the backdrop for a thrilling tale of love and the universal human yearning to be free, even under the yoke of totalitarianism. Daniel Saporta is a young Jewish immigrant from Damascus, who comes to Berlin in search of fame, fortune, or at least a good party. He begins a tumultuous love affair with Samira, an exotic dancer secretly under the employ of British Intelligence. When Samira uncovers a conspiracy involving Adolf Hitler and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Daniel is drawn inexorably into an underground world of espionage, sex, and dire political stakes. Presented as a series of diary entries written years later, while Daniel is in hiding during the war, Caf Berlin recounts his fleeting memory of the club and the German society now laid waste by the war.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1468316990
ISBN13:9781468316995
Release Date:February 2019
Publisher:Overlook Press
Length:288 Pages
Weight:0.45 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.3" x 7.9"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Great Read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Great read from an author who has worked in the film industry for decades. I met his granddaughter who told me, unfortunately, this is his only published work. Several film companies are looking at it to make it a movie. It is another fascinating insight into the way it was for civilians in World War 2 Germany. A touch of "Caberet", a touch of "Diary of Anne Frank", and equal to both. I couldn't wait to turn the next page on this exciting and haunting book. I wish the author would write another.
fast spaced, unputdownable
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
This is one of the best books I ever read. Historically authentic, thrilling, decadent, sublime prose with an ingenious plot.
One of the Best books I've ever read...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
I found a flimsy proof version of this book at a garage sale circa 1998 and it has since been read by almost every member of my family and crossed the country two times.If you like the idea of pre war Berlin cabarets and espionage, then I promise you you will more than like this book.
Just Beautiful
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
This book was absolutely thrilling, heartbreaking and enlightening. I actually read it with a pencil to underline passages, foreign expressions and historical references to conduct further research---and I've never before done that. Although fiction, this book entices the reader to learn more about the era in which it took place. As a student of German, French, and Arabic, I was especially appreciative of the way Mr. Nebenzal included the spice of foreign words and references. (Showing respect for the intelligence of his readers.) This is rarely seen in books today. As for the story itself, the characters are rich and moving---the descriptions are vivid. The story is mesmerizing. This is a must read---But make sure you're not busy--you won't be able to put this book down!
Impossible to put down!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I read this book in a matter of days because I just could not put it down. I recommended it to a friend who said that he was reading it on an airplane that slid off the runway and he didn't even notice! (True story)
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