BERLIN NOIR
Search This Blog
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
GATES OF BABYLON
A Review of
Volker Kutscher's BABYLON BERLIN
Already a bestselling series in Germany and
translated into other languages worldwide, it was high time the English market
got a translation of the first novel, BABYLON BERLIN. I'm sure the forthcoming
television series had a lot to do with that. Yes, Bernie Gunther fans,
Kutscher's Gereon Rath series has won the race to the small screen with the ambitious adaptation debuting in October.
So how does the first novel in the series
measure up? In short, very well! But that's hardly a detailed review, is it?
BABYLON BERLIN introduces us to Detective
Inspector Gereon Rath newly assigned to the Alex in Berlin. This isn't any
rookie coming into his own yarn, however. No, Rath is an experienced policeman
who had been stationed in Cologne until an officer-involved shooting (Rath
being the officer) led to a lot of bad press. It was decided that what was best
for the parties involved if Rath transferred out of Cologne. With his father
holding a high position in law enforcement, getting Rath to Berlin was not a
problem.
With this set up, one would expect Rath to want
to keep a low profile at his new digs. But this is where BABYLON BERLIN doesn't
play it safe. Although not working in Homicide, Rath decides to investigate the
murder of a man beaten to death and placed in a car plunged into the Landwehr
Canal.
What follows is pure police procedural and
that's not a bad thing. Fans of Berlin Noir have seen the heroes of other
novels get involved in politics, have Forrest Gump moments with historical
figures from high ranking Nazis on down, or work in the espionage field. All
well and good when well written. What seems something of a rarity these days is
a straight-up police investigation. And this makes BABYLON BERLIN a refreshing change of pace.
And it's a good one! Kutscher tinges Rath's
path through Weimar Berlin in 1929 with a very nice shade of James Ellroy.
Rath's a dedicated policeman, yes. But he's also a player. He wants to be
assigned to the Homicide Division and he won't let anyone stand in his way. His
actions are geared towards benefiting his career as well as solving the case
and bending the rules a mite to accomplish this is not out of bounds.
The case itself is a compelling one and
Kutscher doles out the details very well. The setting of the dying days of the
Weimar Republic is also very well presented with the barest hint of Nazism in
the air while rival political factions fight it out on the street. Period
detail is excellent and is presented in an unobtrusive way - so well done,
you'll feel like you've lived in the period all your life.
As a whole, BABYLON BERLIN belongs in the upper
echelon of Berlin Noir entries. It's a compelling read where the motivations of
the characters drive the plot equally as much as the plot captivates.
My only knock, and it's a minor one, is that I
feel the book loses something in the translation. While enjoying the novel, I
couldn't shake this feeling I should be enjoying it more. With millions of
copies sold in Germany, Sweden, France and Spain with a couple of literary
awards thrown in, I expected a bit more pop to the writing. There's even a
graphic novel of this first entry in the series. Don't get me wrong, BABYLON
BERLIN is required reading if you're a fan of Berlin Noir. It's just that the
English version didn't over-wow me.
That said, BABYLON BERLIN is a must read. The
first of, currently, six novels, it hits the ground running and provides a
fantastic reading experience. The second novel, THE SILENT DEATH, is also out
in an English translation from Sandstone Press and I'm eagerly awaiting my
copy. It will be reviewed here, you can count on that.
Summing up, BABYLON BERLIN is a great read. Get ready for the RV series now by picking up a copy. It's my hope the entire series gets English translations because seeing Kutscher's and Rath's Berlin slowly swallowed up by Nazism will be a bitter-sweet enjoyment in the hands of this capable author. Bottom line, Kerr is still the reigning champion but Volker Kutscher is hot on his heels. BABYLON BERLIN is a winner. Do not miss it.
Friday, May 26, 2017
TANGLED UP IN BLUE
A Review of Philip
Kerr's PRUSSIAN BLUE
Bernie Gunther's back - and for Berlin Noir fans that's good
news! The most recent installments of the series have been a tad hit or miss
and I'm pleased to announce that Prussian Blue hits the bullseye.
Following the usual routine, the novel is split in two,
telling us tales set in 1939 - on the eve of World War Two and 1956 - as Bernie
is hiding out in France. This is not a structure I care for particularly but the
Gunther series is the exception to the rule and makes it work by having Gunther
revisit the '39 territory in the '56 tale and the weight those heavy years have
played on him are shown to good effect.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. What's the darn book
about?
It begins in 1956. The summer season is drawing to a close
andFrench Riviera is
about to end. He quickly falls afoul of Erich Mielke, now working in the GDR
government with the Soviets in East Germany. Mielke has a simple task for
Gunther: murder Anne French, the woman who got the better of Gunther in the
last novel - The Other Side of Silence. And he's certainly given a choice:
commit the murder or die a slow, agonizing death. Knowing full well that Mielke
will do away with him whether he completes the mission or not, Gunther must go
on the run with Stasi agents hot on his heels.
Gunther's hotel job on the
During a brief moment of down time while on the run, Gunther
is drawn back to the assignment Reinhard Heydrich forced him to take in 1939
and a trip to Hitler's retreat at Berchtesgaden. A man has been shot with a
sniper rifle on the balcony and that's just a little too close for Martin
Bormann who is overseeing the preparations for Hitler's return to celebrate his
50th birthday. Thus Gunther is presented
with another simple choice: solve the case in one week or suffer the
consequences. And there's nowhere in Nazi Germany to run this time.
And we're off. With the majority of the novel set in 1939
and the intriguing murder investigation, the flash "forwards" to 1956
are also compelling. The noose tightening around Gunther's neck while on the
run makes for great reading.
The result is a chase tale and police procedural at the same Hitler's
retreat at Berchesgarden and the surrounding area, you'll know it like the back
of your hand by the time you reach the last page. The plotting is also much
leaner. There's no romance for Bernie this time out, which is a good thing.
Sure, women throwing themselves at the hero is a staple of the genre but, being
overplayed as it is, it's tough to bring anything new to the table. Having
Gunther focusing on solving a murder to stay alive and on the run for the same
reason, leaves little room for bedroom antics. The result is a lean, mean,
Nazi-bashing machine. Prussian Blue, though 500+ pages, gets the job done quickly and
efficiently and never bogs down. It starts quick and barrels along to a
satisfying conclusion.
time. Kerr's writing is always a cut above the norm and his research has rooted
out the telling period detail to place the reader firmly back in those
turbulent years. If you were unfamiliar with
My one knock against the book is
that Gunther, being a policeman of extraordinary experience, should be a little
better at being on the run. He occasionally makes it far too easy for the Stasi
to find him. Perhaps this goes with his cynicism and fatalistic approach to
life and this stage of the game. Or maybe they occur to make the writer's life
easier. Only Kerr can say.
Prussian Blue is a great read! Kerr
has stumbled recently with The Lady From Zagreb in this
reader's opinion but has regained his form with The Other Side of Silence
and this new, kind of sequel. You want action? Prussian Blue's got it.
You want intrigue? Look no further. Kerr has carved out a worthy legacy with
the Bernie Gunther series and Prussian Blue is a significant
entry. It's a fine read. Don't miss it!
Gunther's hotel job on the
time. Kerr's writing is always a cut above the norm and his research has rooted out the telling period detail to place the reader firmly back in those turbulent years. If you were unfamiliar with
My one knock against the book is that Gunther, being a policeman of extraordinary experience, should be a little better at being on the run. He occasionally makes it far too easy for the Stasi to find him. Perhaps this goes with his cynicism and fatalistic approach to life and this stage of the game. Or maybe they occur to make the writer's life easier. Only Kerr can say.
Monday, May 22, 2017
20K
BERLIN NOIR REVIEWS - 20,000 VIEWS!
I was just about to post a review for Philip Kerr's PRUSSIAN BLUE when the blog hit a milestone - surpassing 20,000 views!
I want to thank everyone who has stopped by. I hope you have enjoyed the reviews. There will be more to come.
Look for my review of PRUSSIAN BLUE before the end of the week. And, as always, feel free to leave a comment or suggestion. Thanks!
Saturday, November 26, 2016
BERLIN (Bo)RED
A Review of Sam Eastland's Berlin Red
It was with great excitement that I learned that Sam Eastland was taking Inspector Pekkala into Berlin in the end days of WW2. Eastland had been one of those authors I was always interested in giving a try but just hadn't got around to. Berlin Red seemed like a great place to start.
And it the beginning of the novel that lost me. The long, long, long beginning. The novel is called BERLIN Red and the blurb promised a tense thriller. The Nazis have perfected an advanced guidance system for the V-2 rockets, the Soviets send Pekkala to Berlin to get it. Already Eastland has my attention as this set up is rife with tremendous possibilities. Even throwing in what has become the tired cliché of someone (in this case, Pekkala) returning to Berlin to save someone he left behind (in this case, the woman he loves) who, of course, is the key spy the Nazis are hunting for leaking key information to the Allies. This tired subplot aside, the premise still held my interest.
So let's get Pekkala to Berlin and the espionage, cat and mouse games can begin. Right? Wrong! I read the novel in ebook format and the little counter tracking my progress revealed what my reading experience had shown me. Our intrepid hero arrives in Berlin after I'd read 71% of the novel! With a title like BERLIN Red, should the reader get through almost three-quarters of the book before the protagonist is even in Berlin?
Not the end of the world - if that 71% is compelling fiction. It isn't. This is a very talky novel delving into the characters via flashbacks and endless conversations. Almost nothing happens and the style did not keep this reader turning pages. We've got Pekkala's lady love passing info to the Nazis. Hitler listening to the broadcasts where her info is transmitted. A switch in the lead man on the Nazi hunt. The spy's boss and his life with his mistress. And Stalin hell-bent on ruining Pekkala's life. All of these threads grind the narrative to a halt. If this was, say, the first 50 pages to set the stage, it would still be pushing things. I remind you the novel is called BERLIN Red and there is no "Red" until three-quarters of the book has crawled passed your sleepy eyes. And this goes on not for 50 pages but for 275 pages! Where's the autobahn when you need it? I was beginning to wonder if Pekkala would ever reach Berlin.
Eastland creates mildly interesting characters. His period details are distributed well and he has done his research. But Berlin Red is a dull as dishwater read. There are moments of action but they are very few and far between. This is a talky novel and not a very good one.
You can put this one at the bottom end of the Berlin Noir canon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)