Nightmare in Berlin

De: Hans Fallada, Allan Blunden - translator

Narrado por: Stefan Rudnicki

Available for the first time in English, here is an unforgettable novel about the desolation of postwar Germany after Hitler.

The war is over, yet Dr. Doll, a loner and "moderate pessimist", lives in constant fear. By night, he is still haunted by nightmarish images of the bombsite in which he is trapped - he, and the rest of Germany. More than anything, he wishes to vanquish the demon of collective guilt, but he is unable to right any wrongs, especially in his position as mayor of a small town in northeast Germany that has been occupied by the Red Army.

Dr. Doll flees this place for Berlin, where he finds escape in a morphine addiction: each dose is a "small death." He tries to make his way in the chaos of a city torn apart by war, accompanied by his young wife, who shares his addiction. Fighting to save two lives, he tentatively begins to believe in a better future.

Nightmare in Berlin captures the demoralized and desperate atmosphere of postwar Germany in a way that has never been matched or surpassed.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Super depressing

Couldn’t finish it, just super depressing. Don’t know what to say besides that. Sad upon sad.

Berlin at its lowest

This is a portrait of post-war Germany with which relatively few Americans are familiar. I’m pleased to have the additional pieces of the post-war puzzle to add to my lessons.

Intriguing Book!

I really enjoyed this book. I also read Alone in Berlin which I liked, but felt Nightmare in Berlin captured me more. The characters are richly developed . The novel really captures the mood at the end of the war. I’ve never encountered a book or movie that deals with this period and was fascinated with the authors vivid descriptions. I wish he had lived longer to write more. Truly a gifted talented writer !

Weird yet I couldn’t put it down

I’m still confused. But I couldn’t put it down to see how it developed. Many tragic truths.

Deep voice

Could not understand the words he was saying. Voice was so deep. Didn’t get beyond the 1st chapter. Sorry don’t know what the story was

Germany after the defeat

This book took us for 4 hours between dallas and Austin. We did not stop for lunch.

Fallada narrates his life after the war in this quasi-biography, as well the life of all Germans especially those that never recognize that they were Nazis either in the big towns or in the small villages
a critique of German society and the human condition, the same narrative repeats over and over again in Syria in the Balkan, in Vietnam.
I have previously read “we all die alone” but this one is great, but without showing the Nelum neighborhoods.
Narrator creates Great voices for each one of the characters really bring into life many of the characteristics that fallada describes.

Fascinating picture of post-war Germany

I lived in Germany in the 70’s, when there still could be felt some of the residues of shame that this novel so compellingly represents. Reading Fallada’s description of the degradations of everyday life at the end of the war gives me a clearer sense of who the people were that I lived among & what they had endured.

Boring!

I struggled to finish this book. I love books on history. Unfortunately this book was really very very boring. I am not sure what the author wanted to tell the readers. Don't waste your time.

Unable to listen to the narration

I not able to rate this story as I was unable to listen to it. I tried for two hours but could not connect with the narrator...

Boring

I love history, but this is the story of a depressed man in a historic time. Skip this one.