Alone in Berlin
Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada, published by Penguin Books Limited on January 28, 2010, is a historical fiction novel set during World War II. This edition spans 588 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows Otto and Anna Quangel, an ordinary couple living in Berlin in 1940, who are thrust into a dangerous game of resistance after the death of their son. As they embark on a silent campaign against the oppressive Nazi regime, they find themselves entangled in a perilous struggle against the Gestapo.
Readers will encounter a gripping portrayal of life under Nazi rule, as the Quangels’ defiance leads to a tense cat-and-mouse dynamic with the ambitious Gestapo inspector Escherich. The story intricately weaves themes of deception, betrayal, and the harsh realities of wartime existence. This Penguin Classics edition also includes an afterword by Geoff Wilkes and facsimiles of the original Gestapo file that inspired the novel, enriching the historical context of this compelling narrative.
Official synopsis Publisher
THE ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
‘One of the most extraordinary and compelling novels written about World War II. Ever’ Alan Furst
Inspired by a true story, Hans Fallada’s Alone in Berlin is a gripping wartime thriller following one ordinary man’s determination to defy the tyranny of Nazi rule
Berlin, 1940, and the city is filled with fear. At the house on 55 Jablonski Strasse, its various occupants try to live under Nazi rule in their different ways: the bullying Hitler loyalists the Persickes, the retired judge Fromm and the unassuming couple Otto and Anna Quangel. Then the Quangels receive the news that their beloved son has been killed fighting in France. Shocked out of their quiet existence, they begin a silent campaign of defiance, and a deadly game of cat and mouse develops between the Quangels and the ambitious Gestapo inspector Escherich. When petty criminals Kluge and Borkhausen also become involved, deception, betrayal and murder ensue, tightening the noose around the Quangels’ necks …
This Penguin Classics edition contains an afterword by Geoff Wilkes, as well as facsimiles of the original Gestapo file which inspired the novel.
‘Terrific … a fast-moving, important and astutely deadpan thriller’
Irish Times
‘An unrivalled and vivid portrait of life in wartime Berlin’
Philip Kerr
‘To read Fallada’s testament to the darkest years of the 20th century is to be accompanied by a wise, somber ghost who grips your shoulder and whispers into your ear: “This is how it was. This is what happened”‘
The New York Times
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Alone in Berlin” about?
Who is the author of “Alone in Berlin”?
When was “Alone in Berlin” published?
What is the ISBN for “Alone in Berlin”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
