Aug 17, 2003 03:06 PM
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(Updated Aug 17, 2003 03:17 PM)
In honour of the great writer Leon Uris, who dedicates this novel to a certain '' betty, with love'', my review is also for Betty, with love.
With the World War ||, the deadliest and the most devastating war of all times over how many of sufferers would have sighed a breath of relief. But who says when a war gets over, all gets well.
1945 - Welcome to Berlin. The war is over but the devastation continues. The most complete and thorough destruction, and yet never finds a place in history books in the same light as do Warsaw, London and Stalingrad. Because the Nazis committed such heinous crimes.
The book raises hundreds of question about the morality of war. Who is right and who is wrong? Do you have the guts to take a side? Was it right to make the German women and children take tours of the concentration camps just to make them ''aware'' of the acts of fellow countrymen? Was it right to commit exteme atrocities on German women, young, old, even younger and even older? And from where amongst all this, how do few people find courage to fight with their lives for people who not so long ago were the biggest enemies of the world. How can such people turn into helpless sufferers? War is surely strange stuff!
Sean O' Sullivan, a firebrand thinker - lost two brothers to the Germans and finds himself with the responsibility to get the Germany back on its tracks and free from the clutches of the designs of communist Russia. How does he control his hatred?
A.J. Hansen - Passionate of logic and common sense. A classic standout, who always finds himself on the wrong side of the fence, because not many in the high powers value common sense. Yet respected for it.
Falkenstien - A Jew in Germany. And a politician. Enough qualfications to be one among the first to reach a concentration camp. A true survivor. How can he sustain his courage to stand against two equally totalitarian supressors?
Ivan Karlovy - Right man in born in wrong land. How long can he fool himself?
Ernestine - A dreamer. But didn't most of the dreamers lived the most painful lives in war days. You don't dream about ruthless wars - do you?
Leon Uris excells in portrayal of his characters. Its not only these few listed above, each and every character in his novel stands out with the strongest of effect. Every one has a character which touches you somewhere.
The novel is not only about characters, its about Nations. The collective will of its people. The decision making of its leaders.
U.S.A. - A late entrant into the WW||. The only country not raided and mauled. Never had to cater to the whims of an occupation army. A free nation and a believer of freedom of rights. The conduct of her armymen reflects all this. Alien to the concept of war booties - the loot of women and money - they tried so hard to play heroes. Strange that American bombers had done the maximum damage.
Russia - Communism must rule at any cost. The soldiers keen to make a merry for their ''hard work''. ''Kumm frau'' and ''tick, tick, tick'' - Beware Berliners!
I had read about a futuristic society in 1984 by George Orwell and had thought this is simply out of question. What I did not know was how close Russians were to the portrayal in 1984. Thought crime was punishable by death - how unimaginable!
Then the most heroics of all, the Berliners. Upto what extent can humans be made to suffer and what makes them withstand all this. The way people are forced to behave when their will ceases to matter.
And amidst all this Uris entwines the most beautiful romantic moments. The German way of making friends - entwine your arms and take your drinks; kiss and address each other by ''Du''.
Du advises Du to read the novel. Good bye Du.
