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on June 12, 2017
A bit of a disappointment after seeing the movie, which is unusual for me. Book did not have the suspense to it that the movie did, especially in the scenes when the Nazis were present. Book does a good job of explaining the zoo and it's animals and how they were used in the plan to help the Jews hide and escape. But lacked any suspense the movie had. Perhaps the book is truer to the actual story and the movie enhanced things?
on May 7, 2017
This book is difficult to read and process. The flow is disjointed moving back and forth between episodes from diaries, people's accounts, historical articles and quotes from people involved in the zoo keepers lives. You are never really sure whether the author is offering something as conjecture or truth. The topic is very dark as most books about Nazi war time atrocities are. However, the attempts at describing moments that are suppose to be light just do not work. This is more historical fiction, done poorly, than a real book about someone and their family. I was also very disappointed by the abrupt ending. There was no closure to what and how they managed after the war. Very short chapter about their son and almost nothing about Jan.
on September 11, 2016
Too many descriptions of things that did not pertain to the story. There was a really good story that drowned in the excess verbiage.
on May 13, 2017
I have read this twice (with a gap of 9 years). A great (true) story, well-written and beautifully told. I have no intention of seeing the movie, I prefer to remain with the written words and the characterizations of real people, not Hollywood images.
This has been - and will remain I expect - one of my top 10 favorite books, and I read a lot!
This has been - and will remain I expect - one of my top 10 favorite books, and I read a lot!
on May 8, 2017
Just a terrible book. Over-written, badly edited. Storyline never takes hold. Just an endless series of adjectives and tangents. (Why is it important to spend for pages telling us about an insect collection?). Amazingly, one never gets a real feeling even for the principal character.
One substantive point: from reading this book, you would think the whole Polish nation was devoted to trying to save the Jews. So how come so few got out?
There are so many good books written about the Warsaw ghetto, and this one must be the worst. I have recently read quite a few in anticipation of a trip to Poland and elsewhere this summer. My vote for the best is John Hersey's 1950 masterpiece "The Wall." Now there's someone who knew how to write.
One substantive point: from reading this book, you would think the whole Polish nation was devoted to trying to save the Jews. So how come so few got out?
There are so many good books written about the Warsaw ghetto, and this one must be the worst. I have recently read quite a few in anticipation of a trip to Poland and elsewhere this summer. My vote for the best is John Hersey's 1950 masterpiece "The Wall." Now there's someone who knew how to write.
on May 15, 2017
I am still reading it as I find it very disturbing. I need to put it down after only a few pages as my ancestors lived in Poland during this time. Man's inhumanity to man still horrifies me. I have heard stories from my parents about these days and my mother's hands always shook when she recounted the events she lived thru. The book is very well written and portrays the horrors of those days.
on June 5, 2017
I read this book and as a college student and history major I found it very informative about the Holocaust and Poland's situation during the war. I loved the history. However, I was looking for a page turner and some cliff hangers - I wanted something historical but also hard to put down. This just didn't deliver. The story is great, but the author gets lost in the minute details of the memoirs. She should have written a fiction inspired by a true story (though I know this isn't her genre). I don't think I would recommend to someone who doesn't like history or is looking for a fast paced read. I've heard the movie is better so I may watch it now that the book is done.
on February 10, 2017
I loved the style with which this book was written, switching from first person to facts about the times.
on May 23, 2017
This is a story about the interaction of humans and animals in the era of World War II. It takes place in Poland. It is frightening to think of the hatred during that era. I have read other WWII stories and books but never thought about all the homey aspects of it. Trying to take care of huge animals and small animals in such a setting was enlightening to me. Hiding Jewish citizens in a zoo was brilliant and compassionate. This book also describes and involves the animals in a warm and touching way. When there is bombing and the humans hide and tremble, so do the monkeys....
