Caging Skies

The Inspiration for The Major Motion Picture 'jojo Rabbit'

By: Christine Leunens

Narrated by: Tim Bruce

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

The inspiration for the major motion picture ‘Jojo Rabbit’.

A gripping, atmospheric novel about obsession and love in war-time Vienna.

This extraordinary novel is seen through the eyes of Johannes, an avid member of the Hitler Youth in the 1940s. After he is severely injured in a raid, he discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl called Elsa behind a false wall in their large house in Vienna.  

His initial horror turns to interest, then love and obsession. After the disappearance of his parents, Johannes finds he is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house, the only one responsible for her survival. Both manipulating and manipulated, Johannes dreads the end of the war: with it will come the prospect of losing Elsa and their relationship, which ranges through passion and obsession, dependence and indifference, love and hate. 

This gripping, masterful work examines truth and lies at both political and personal levels, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.

©2019 Christine Leunens (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic Reviews

"A vivid and deeply compelling novel, Caging Skies is an existential battle of moral and ethical extremes. Christine Leunens is an adept and eloquent story teller." (Georgia Hunter, New York Times best-selling author of We Were the Lucky Ones)  

"The best part of this interesting novel is its ability to show parts of our history which others dismiss: why suffering can make some people more sensitive but others more cruel, and how a war, such an outrage to human dignity, blurs the line between the victorious and defeated." (Elle)  

"Enthralling throughout." (My Weekly)  

Bleak, Breathtaking, Disturbing

Really enjoyed this title. Tim Bruce gives life to Johannes Betzler in this epic tale of love, indoctrination and downright possessiveness. I watched Taika Waititi's brilliant adaptation of this book first before I'd heard of the title, however, this really goes above and beyond anything I was expecting.

The characters really do have a personality and depth of their own that can't, understandably, be summarised in the space of a two hour movie. Where key differences reside, however, is not of a subject for this review. Instead, to focus on the book solely, Leunens' masterful writing centres on the degradation of humanity, first through the indoctrination experienced during the Third Reich, and later, through the bittersweet resentfulness of the two main protagonists. The ending leaves enough ambiguity as to the fate of these two, however it feels like a complete enough novel to be more than satisfied by its conclusion. This of course is aided by the brilliant Tim Bruce as narrator, who first captures young Johannes' indignation and childlike mannerisms, and later perfects the jealous, brooding, disfigured adult he inevitably grows into.

Whilst this is a dark and sorrowful enough tale with a moderately bleak outlook overall, this has so much heart and honesty and strips back the covers of human nature, exposing its sour, raw underbelly. Really good, highly recommended.

Story of a disturbed boy

The story starts with the coming to power of Hitler and all the changes it brought to Austria. The boy is sucked in tothenaziideology and discovers a Jewish girl hidden by his parents in their house. Initially, he hates her but later views her as the perfect love to the point where he fails to tell her that Germany lost the war and keeps her incarcerated justifying this to himself against all moral law.. The influence of the nazis lives on in him.

First half good second half troubling

I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the book but couldn’t wait for the second half to end.
I didn’t enjoy it at all unfortunately.

Darkly Evocative

A haunting and cautionary tale of how love and lust can poison the mind. An investigative look in to the relationship between the controlled and the controlling.

Great story - nothing like the film

I love the Jojo Rabbit film. I was therefore excited to read the book on which it was based. I was really surprised just how different the book is. far more nuanced and a lot darker than the film a really great listen

Loved it.

Great story, just don't expect it to be like the film! One of those ones you don't want to end, really enjoyable.

A great book, not like the film. Cheese and Chocolate.

I found it funny in a macabre way and chilling. The book for me is about a twisted love, fear, symbiosis. It is as divergent from the movie as cheese is from chocolate, I love them both, but they are different. And don’t both belong on pasta. (The book is suited as a book not a film).

If I’m honest I expected the ending to be different perhaps more violent or final.

A book or two halves

I can’t reconcile the two parts of this book. I struggled to get through the latter part and It felt so unresolved at the end. Johannes talks an awful lot and has this rambling inner dialogue but there is so must left unsaid. Deeply unsatisfying

A Great and interesting book

If you like JoJo Rabbit the book is definitely worth a read but be careful if you're looking for the same level of lightheartedness this doesn't have that.

Disappointed.

One of the rare cases where the film is better than the book, way better. The first half of the story is very good. But the second half is maddening and somewhat depressing.