Read Online In the Presence of Mine Enemies Audible Audio Edition Harry Turtledove Michael Page Tantor Audio Books
Download As PDF : In the Presence of Mine Enemies Audible Audio Edition Harry Turtledove Michael Page Tantor Audio Books
In the 21st century, Germany's Third Reich continues to thrive after its victory in World War II - keeping most of Europe and North America under its heel. But within the heart of the Nazi regime, a secret lives. Under a perfect Aryan facade, Jews survive - living their lives, raising their families, and fearing discovery....
Read Online In the Presence of Mine Enemies Audible Audio Edition Harry Turtledove Michael Page Tantor Audio Books
"I'm a fan of alternative history, and for me there's no one better at the genre than Harry Turtledove. This particular novel is about the lives of six Jews living in modern day Berlin, the Nazis having won WWII more than 80 years prior. While some believe the story is plodding in places, and repetitive, I didn't notice it very much, as I was too busy taking it all in and enjoying it for what it was. Now, I don't fault anyone for finding it slow, because it does lag in places, but it is still an excellent story about what could have been, and why I'm thankful such a thing never came to pass."
Product details
|
Tags : In the Presence of Mine Enemies (Audible Audio Edition) Harry Turtledove, Michael Page, Tantor Audio Books, ,Harry Turtledove, Michael Page, Tantor Audio,In the Presence of Mine Enemies,Tantor Audio,B07PPCKMS1
In the Presence of Mine Enemies Audible Audio Edition Harry Turtledove Michael Page Tantor Audio Books Reviews :
In the Presence of Mine Enemies Audible Audio Edition Harry Turtledove Michael Page Tantor Audio Books Reviews
- What a great concept - "secret Jews" living inside a Third Reich that won an alternative World War II. Sadly, despite a few spurts here and there, this book is boring. Its a real "page turner," but by that I mean you turn the pages quickly after meeting one too many descriptions of bridge games and other mundane affairs. Dr. Turtledove is fabulous when writing about the Byzantine Empire, but all too often, by purpose, or from his need to pump out another alternative history of WW II, he displays a weak command of 20th Century history. His alternatives to history are difficult to imagine; he often works to hard to make some clever analogy to real history, and doesn't hit the mark. Want to read about a Germany that never lost WW II - try "Fatherland" - much better.
- While far from perfect, In The Presence Of Mine Enemies is yet another example of why Harry Turtledove is the master of Alternate History Fiction.
The book itself is about life in a 21st Century in which the Third Reich won not only World War II, conquering all of Europe, including England and Russia, but also won World War III, conquering and effectively destroying as a world power the United States. Its difficult to determine what the point-of-departure for Turtledove's story is, but it seems that, in this world, the United States never entered World War II (presumably there was no attack on Pearl Harbor) and effectively sat out the war long enough for the Germans to win in both the East and the West. But the book isn't about world politics in a Nazi dominated world, its about what it would be like to be a Jew living in the heart of the Third Reich 60 years after the conquest of Europe.
Of course, these are not Jews who are living openly as such. They live in secret, pretend to be perfect Aryans, and, in an effort to keep their religion alive, share their secret with their children when they reach 10 years old. Turtledove tries to show us what it would be like to try to live in a society that had as one of its central principles the beleif that you are an enemy that must be destroyed.
The story principally unfolds as the story of the family of Heinrich and Lise Gimpel and their three children, one of whom turns ten as the book opens and thus learns her true identity as a Jew. As she struggles with this new knowledge, we learn, in bits and pieces, what is happening in the rest of the world. And, when the reigning Furher, named quite ineptly, after a certain former head of state in Europe, dies, we begin to see the beginnings of what looks like it could be reform in the Third Reich and a new birth of freedom.
In some ways, this book suffers from some of the same weaknesses as Turtledove's other books. There is far too much repetition of plot elements and character traits -- we don't need to know more than once, for example, about the pediatrician who can't operate a coffee maker, or how Heinrich's co-worker has the hots for the cute blond secretary. The most annoying parts of the book for me, though, came in the long, drawn-out bridge-playing scenes between the Gimpels and Heinrich's co-worker and his wife. They did very little to advance the plot and, quite honestly, mean nothing to me because I know next to nothing about bridge. Its obvious Harry is a bridge player, or has at least researched the topic well, but he shouldn't have assumed that his readers would have the same familiarity with the subject. More than once, the plot slows down needlessly because of this.
As the book unfolds though, the excitement builds. There is a threat to the Gimpel family that looks like it could bring their whole world crashing down. And there is a political sub-plot that is part Tiananmen Square, part the fall of Communism circa 1989, and part Gorbachev-Yeltsin. In the end, there are significant changes in the Third Reich but still not resolution for its remaining Jewish citizens who must continue passing there secret along, hoping for the day when they can live openly again.
While I wouldn't count this among Turtledove's better books, it was still an enjoyable read and painted enough of a picture of a 21st Century dominated by Nazi Germany to make me glad that this particular version of history never came to pass - Dr. Harry Turtledove is a specialist in writing alternative history, and this somewhat scary and horrifying book is one of his best.
Imagine, (Dr. Turtledove asks) that Nazi Germany has won WWII and you are one of the few surviving Jewish families left in Germany. And further imagine that following Poe's "Purloined Letter" doctrine, (the best place to hide something is in plain sight) you are actually working for the German government! That is the basic premise behind this work.
Both longtime and casual readers of Turtledove often critcized him for returning over the same ground over and over, (which in all honesty, can be annoying...) but here, that same "flaw" works. Why? Because a Jew hiding and living in the Third Reich would HAVE to constantly remind himself of the possible consequences of his (or her) most innocent action. Imagine living like that. One simple mistake and you and your entire family is dead. Dr. Turtledove makes you FEEL the pressure on each page.
I don't agree with him at all on the notion of telling the children who they really are at age 10. From my own expernice with children, that would be far too young to trust a child to keep a secret of this magnitude. But it doesn't detract that much from the book, (I admit reading that part and thinking, "what the hell is he thinking about?") And I thought the part of the woman who doesn't succeed in having an affair with the hero badly done, but nonetheless, I award this one 5 stars because the premise is outstanding and Harry Turtledove does such a masterful job of pulling it off.
Dr. Turtledove is a truly excellent writer when he chooses to put forth the effort, and this novel is a fine example of that. - I'm a fan of alternative history, and for me there's no one better at the genre than Harry Turtledove. This particular novel is about the lives of six Jews living in modern day Berlin, the Nazis having won WWII more than 80 years prior. While some believe the story is plodding in places, and repetitive, I didn't notice it very much, as I was too busy taking it all in and enjoying it for what it was. Now, I don't fault anyone for finding it slow, because it does lag in places, but it is still an excellent story about what could have been, and why I'm thankful such a thing never came to pass.
